Azuma Essay (15% or 150 points)
After reading Between Two Empires, what did you learn from the text? In a four- to six-page essay, you will answer this question by reflecting on the book and putting it into conversation with other readings from the course—particularly the chapters from Takaki and Chan that summarize pre-war Japanese American history. How did Azuma challenge the conventional narrative? What historical and historiographical import do you think this challenge has? The essay should be a scholarly argument that reflects a deep knowledge of Between Two Empires. It should also be in your own words. Please spell them correctly and present the ideas those words convey clearly. Do not make this into an academic book review and attempt to copy the style / approach (much less the actual words) of published book reviews. The guiding question is what did you learn. If you’re having trouble conceptualizing / organizing / writing the essay, please come to me. Use quotations from Azuma and other texts as you need. Cite your paraphrasing where needed. If you plagiarize this essay, I will catch you and you will fail the course. The essay is an opportunity for you to show what you got out of the book, whatever that may be. If writing in the first-person is helpful for you, then you should do that. If writing in the third person style typical of academic prose is helpful for you, then you should do that.
Length: 4-6 pages, double-spaced, 12-point standard font, default margins Style: Organized and Edited prose (academic or otherwise)
Citation: I prefer CMS but as long as you cite properly using MLA or APA that’s fine Due Date: End of Week 5 (suggested); End of Week 10 (absolute).