The eighth session of the seminar series “Entangled Histories: Borders and Cultural Encounters from the Medieval to the Contemporary Era,” organized in collaboration between Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication and the University of Insubria, was held. The online event, titled “Double Abandonment: Transpacific Borders of Erasure and Resistance (1942–1965),” featured evaluations by Naoko Kato. Kato shared with participants, through archival materials, the processes of erasure experienced by the Japanese diaspora in Canada and Japan, as well as the forms of social resistance developed against this process.
The seminar organized by the Faculty of Communication at Üsküdar University centered on archival research, migration history, and cultural memory.
The online seminar brought together Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör, Dean of the Faculty of Communication Prof. Gül Esra Atalay, and participants from various professional fields who are experts in their areas.
In the seminar titled “Double Abandonment: Transpacific Borders of Erasure and Resistance (1942–1965),” historical documents and state practices were examined from a transpacific perspective, offering a multilayered academic discussion environment.
In the opening speeches, Asst. Prof. Maria Pia Ester Cristaldi from the Department of Journalism at Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication and Dr. Elisa Ramazzina from the University of Insubria in Italy emphasized that freedom of expression is not only a contemporary right but also a fundamental element of academic life. In their remarks, they highlighted the responsibility of universities to protect pluralism and critical thinking.
The phenomenon of “double abandonment” was addressed
Naoko Kato explained, through historical documents, how the governments of Canada and Japan rendered the Japanese diaspora invisible through archival and legal boundaries. Kato analyzed the phenomenon of “double abandonment” experienced by the Japanese diaspora during and after the war by focusing on the boundaries of archives, loyalty, and recognition, and revealed the impact of these processes on individuals.
Debates on memory, identity, and citizenship were reconsidered
Through the seminar, participants had the opportunity to reassess not only a historical period but also ongoing debates on memory, identity, and citizenship that remain relevant today. The presentation also made an important academic contribution by demonstrating how civil archiving and social solidarity can transform into practices of resistance against state violence.
The Entangled Histories seminar series, which will continue until the summer months, will remain open to public participation.