Militarized Currents: Toward a Decolonized Future in Asia and the Pacific

by Setsu Shigematsu (Editor), Keith L. Camacho (Editor)

Foregrounding indigenous and feminist scholarship, this collection analyzes militarization as an extension of colonialism from the late twentieth to the twenty-first century in Asia and the Pacific. The contributors theorize the effects of militarization across former and current territories of Japan and the United States, such as Guam, Okinawa, the Marshall Islands, the Philippines, and Korea, demonstrating that the relationship between militarization and colonial subordination—and their gendered and racialized processes—shapes and produces bodies of memory, knowledge, and resistance.

 

Walden Bello, U of the Philippines; Michael Lujan Bevacqua, U of Guam; Patti Duncan, Oregon State U; Vernadette Vicuña Gonzalez, U of Hawai‘i, M noa; Insook Kwon, Myongji U; Laurel A. Monnig, U of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign; Katharine H. S. Moon, Wellesley College; Jon Kamakawiwo‘ole Osorio, U of Hawai‘i, M noa; Naoki Sakai, Cornell U; Fumika Sato, Hitotsubashi U; Theresa Cenidoza Suarez, California State U, San Marcos; Teresia K. Teaiwa, Victoria U, Wellington; Wesley Iwao Ueunten, San Francisco State U.

Genres: Asia, Politics, Academic

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[yoojin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a class called Militarization in Asia for HSA. I found this book so intriguing but somewhat repetitive which makes sense because there's only so much you can write about the militarization in Asia relating to gender, environment, and the colonized rights. Reading about the kijichon and chongsindae women in Korean was very interesting and it really made me reflect on my Korean background. The kijichon women are prostitutes for the U.S. military and the chongsindae women were women who were forced into sex slavery during Japan's occupation in South Korea. There's a very clear distinction between the movements between these two groups and it stems from the colonial characterization of the US and Japan and also the current US occupation in South Korea. It's really interesting tying this to my own experiences of how my family has a lot of anti-Japanese sentiment due to the Japanese colonization while they support the US (I mean my parents immigrated here to the US!!).

I really really enjoyed learning from this book and it made me realize that I might like history after all! I'm excited to read more books out of my usual genre throughout the year and learn new things about myself along the way :)

**Sidenote: Even though, I have not read the book completely (as we skipped 2-3 chapters for class) I think I can consider this book finished!! :D If you don't agree, too bad.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, this book was informational on the effects of bigger countries on the smaller Oceanic island nations. There were a few essays in it I couldn't really connect with such as the entry "Bikinis and Other S/PacificN/Oceans". Author Teresia K. Teaiwa explains analyzes the commandeering of Bikini Atoll and other Micronesian Islands for nuclear testing, in the middle however, she seems to go off on a long tangent about the bikini swimsuit and fetishization of the female body. Others like "The Exceptional Life and Death of a Chamorro Soldier" was something I found interesting as it talks about something I very rarely read about outside a classroom: Pacific Islanders in the military and their identities of soldier and and member of an indigenous minority.
Overall an enlightening and educational collection.

[Stella Oh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely enlightening for any East Asian Studies student! It approaches global issues in a heavy theoretical manner, not just in the Asian context. Let me clarify however that you do not need an interest in political science to enjoy this book.