|
Eclipse RisingEclipse Rising is an organization of, by, and for Zainichi Koreans, or postcolonial exiles of Korean descent in Japan.
Recognizing and celebrating the rich and unique history of Zainichi Koreans in Japan, Eclipse Rising promotes Zainichi community development, peace and reunification in the Korean Peninsula, and social justice for all oppressed groups in Japan, the United States, and beyond, through transnational education, advocacy, and solidarity. |
Who Are Zainichi Koreans?
|
We are the Korean ethnic minority in/from Japan, representing diverse generations, histories, identities, and experiences. Our ancestors came to Japan from the Korean Peninsula and Jeju Island during the first half of the 20th century, as a result of colonization and genocidal violence. They were economic migrants, forced laborers, soldiers, refugees, and former military sex slaves. When Japan lost in the Asia-Pacific War, Korean colonial subjects in Japan, roughly 2 millions of them, were stripped of their citizenship and civil rights. However, the ongoing Korean War and national division have kept some 600,000 Koreans from returning to the homeland. We have since survived under a legal apartheid that forces us to choose either ethnic identity or human rights, Japan or Korea, and North or South. "Zainichi" literally means "residing in Japan." Eclipse Rising promotes this term to embrace the diversity and complexity of our community, in contrast to "Korean Japanese," which incorrectly indicates that we are Japanese citizens. As a US-based community, we hold documents issued by the Korean, Japanese, and US governments, none of which guarantees our belonging anywhere. We identify as Zainichi Koreans because we know we belong to each other. |
