Decades before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese empire expanded into Korea and Manchuria, setting off a conflict that would eventually engulf all of East and Southeast Asia. But histories of the Pacific theater of World War II that focus only on the US and Japan often miss the widespread cultural and political effects of the war in Asia itself. This workshop brings together historians, political scientists, and literary scholars to discuss the deep scars and lasting legacies of World War II as it was experienced in Asia, including wartime atrocities in Korea and China, the aftermath of atomic warfare in Japan, and the anti-colonial independence movements of Southeast Asia.
The workshop provides teachers with essential context, classroom-ready lesson plans, a $50 honorarium, and two free books on World War II and its legacy in Asia.
Event Details
Format: In-person
Audience: Grade 5 – 12 teachers
When: June 10, 8:30am – 3:30pm
Where: ArchFord Education Service Cooperative in Plumerville, AR
Speakers
Dr. Tim Strikwerda is an Assistant Professor of Japanese at the University of Central Arkansas, where he teaches Japanese language, literature, and film. He received his PhD from the University of Oregon in 2024 and began teaching at UCA in the fall of the same year. His research focuses on how prehistory in Japan has been appropriated to construct modern Japanese culture and identity. At UCA, he supervises the minor in Japanese Language and Culture and advises the university Japanese Club.
Dr. Hyo-Won Shin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies at the University of Central Arkansas. She specializes in comparative politics with a regional focus on Southeast Asia. Her research examines how inter-ethnic trust impacts voting behavior and preferences for public goods in ethnically divided societies. At the University of Central Arkansas, she teaches various courses including Introduction to Comparative Politics, Government and Politics of Southeast Asia, International Migration Law & Policies, and Politics in Developing Nations. In her free time, she likes to do yoga, walk her nine-year-old golden doodle, and bake.
Dr. Zach Smith is an Associate Professor of History, Director of the Asian Studies program, and Associate Director of the Center for Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Central Arkansas. He received his PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2015, and his research focuses on the cultural history of China and the Chinese diaspora in America. At UCA, he teaches classes on Modern China, Postwar Japan, the Global History of Student Protest, and Asian American History in the South. When not in the classroom, he enjoys hiking around the Ozarks with his family.
