Lola's story: Writing comfort women in World War II history of the Philippines

Abstract

This thesis examines the origins of the Japanese-imposed comfort station system in the Philippines during World War II. In order to show that the Filipino former comfort women lolas) are not marginalized victims, but are active agents instead, I illustrate how successfully the lolas have used various strategies to keep this issue at the forefront. This thesis analyzes their testimonies and other genres, (legal proceedings, newspaper articles, poetry, dance and language usage) highlighting the growing need for outlaw genres to bridge the gap in a contemporary landscape where history needs to cross national, cultural and language barriers. By presenting these outlaw genres as complementary, and not oppositional, to the official statist narrative of World War II history in the Philippines, I conclude that the lolas are not just victims that demand justice, but active shapers of history.

Date of Award	2008
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	Eastern Illinois University