Speaking to the Needs of the Moment as Educators in East Asian Cultures and Literatures
Etsuyo Yuasa, The Ohio State University
The misunderstanding and lack of understanding of other societies and people are problematic in this interconnected world. Unfortunately, the ongoing political rhetoric on East Asia has negative impact on understanding of East Asian societies and people. However, just like many other problems that we are facing, the current situation is the symptom, not the cause. To address one of the questions of this panel, “how the educators in the field of East Asian cultures and literatures speak to the needs of the moment,” I will first try to situate teaching of East Asian cultures and literatures in a general decline of international education in higher education. Then, I will suggest several ways to talk back and to defend learning of East Asian cultures and languages in the current context.