A Letter From Bookseller Carol Chittenden on Yoko Kawashima Watkins

A letter from Carol Chittenden (a Massachusettes bookseller), regarding the recent challenge of Yoko Kawashima Watkins:

Dear Colleagues,

Many of us know Yoko Kawashima Watkins for her perennial favorite titles, So Far from the Bamboo Grove and My Brother, My Sister, and I. Over the last two decades she has spoken to tens of thousands of children, teachers, parents, booksellers, librarians, writers, editors, graduating classes, peace groups, and international scholars. Again and again her words have inspired standing ovations; often they also move her listeners to tears. Based upon her personal experiences as a refugee at the end of World War II, she delivers a wide variety of stories containing two important messages: peace is important because war does terrible things; and integrity is the most valuable thing any person possesses.

So it is surprising that Yoko and her books are under attack. The challenge comes from a Korean Man, Henry Jaung, who apparently lives in the area of Dover, MA, an affluent suburb west of Boston. (I say "apparently," because much about this individual is unclear.) IN September he caused a private school in Connecticut to withdraw Yoko's speaking invitation, alleging that her father was responsible for war crimes in the 1940's. In fact, Yoko's father, Yoshio Kawashima, was a highly refined and educated diplomat who was the top civilian official in the Japanese occupation of Manchuria and Korea. He gained a reputation for saving many, many Koreans and Chinese from the often brutal and despotic Japanese military presence. But a general with a similar name was responsible for some very unpleasant events in the
same period.

Once Yoko cleared up that confusion, Mr. Jaung lodged other charges, to the effect that her books contain inappropriate sexual content because they describe, very briefly and cleanly, the fact that Korean soldiers abducted and raped girls, and nearly caught Yoko's older sister Ko as well. Jaung also accuses the books of being anti-Korean, which would appear to indicate that he has not read them, because there are long passages about the kindness of Korean individuals who helped the Kawashima family members as they fled hundreds of miles.

For some time Mr. Jaung would not identify himself publicly in connection with his accusations. He also refused, through intermediaries, to meet with Yoko. But more recently, he has been campaigning to have her books removed from their long-standing place in the Dover-Sherborn school system, and that resulted in his identification in the press. Much of the controversy has been covered in the Boston Globe.

According to the paper, he has also sought to muster support among other Korean Americans with his claims of anti-Korean content in the books.

Most recently Mr. Jaung has threatened to seek a court injunction against the schools' use of the books. While it would seem unlikely that U.S. courts would go along with his claims, his aggressive attacks have already caused disruption in several schools and anguish for Yoko, who has worked so hard to encourage reconciliation and understanding. His agitation has, however, produced one valuable result: it is showing children who know these books the value of their freedom to read, and how easily that right can be attached. As the Cape Cod Times editorial of December 3 concludes, in regard to the case, "There is another way to add balance: More books. More reading."

Please be aware of this confrontation, and re-read the books if you haven't done so recently, in case the issue arises – as Mr. Jaung expressly hopes – in schools near you. If there is a Korean American community in your area, this is even more likely.

(Full disclosure: Yoko is an admired personal friend, and I have had the honor of working with her, and recommending her books to readers in my store. More often, I have overheard one reader recommend them to another.)

Sincerely,

Carol B. Chittenden

Eight Cousins

Falmouth, MA

[UPDATE]: Some posters have objected to some of the facts in this letter (in comments). Ms. Chittenden may respond. In the meantime, we'll consider publishing responses to this letter. Email me at brentsbrain@harbornet.com