San Jose State University
Department of Justice Studies
Doing Justice to History
JS-288, Spring 2013
Instructor:
Tony Platt
Office Location:
McQuarrie Hall 508
Telephone:
Email:
510-841-1998 (home)
510-295-7442 (cell)
amplatt27@gmail.com
Office Hours:
Wednesdays 3:00 p.m. and by appointment
Class Days/Time:
Wednesdays 4:30 – 7:15 p.m.
Classroom:
MH 526
Prerequisites:
N/A
GE/SJSU Studies
Category:
N/A
JS Competency
Area:
N/A
Web Page: GoodToGo.typepad.com
“Doing history means building bridges between the past and
present, observing both banks of the river, taking an active
part on both sides. … The tectonic layers of our lives rest so
tightly one on top of the other that we always come up against
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earlier events in later ones, not as matter that has been fully
formed and pushed aside, but absolutely present and alive.”
Bernhard Schlink, The Reader (1995)
Course Description
This graduate seminar explores political and cultural
contradictions regarding decisions to forget and remember humanmade tragedies, such as genocide and ethnic cleansing. First, we
will explore the personal reasons why individual survivors and
witnesses typically do not share their history of suffering; and why
most governments and public institutions practice “scrupulous
forgetting” of their tragic pasts. Secondly, we will examine the
personal and social difficulties associated with remembrance, and
why we tend to fiercely guard the institutionalization of memory.
Finally, drawing upon examples from Germany, Northern Ireland,
and the United States, we will discuss different forms of effective
remembrance, from memorials to counter-memorials. We will
examine the ways in which public history and the arts might join
forces to do justice to our past.
The seminar will focus on how these issues are dealt with in
California. The state has a long history of socially created tragedies
– such as genocide of northwest tribal communities, trading in
native women and children, looting of native gravesites, lynching
of Mexicans during the Gold Rush, ethnic cleansing of Chinese
immigrants in the late 19th century, compulsory sterilization and
educational segregation in the name of eugenics between the world
wars, unconstitutional imprisonment of Japanese Americans during
World War II, and racially disproportionate imprisonment
throughout 20th century – but has done very little to publicize and
commemorate these significant events in California’s history. Why
is this case? What events are worthy of public remembrance? And
how should they be remembered?
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Students are expected to participate in a discussion of these
issues, write one reaction paper, carry out a research project that
identifies a subject matter in need of public remembrance, and
develop a specific proposal for its commemoration.
About the Instructor
Tony Platt is the author of ten books and 150 essays and
articles dealing with issues of race, inequality, and social justice in
American history. Platt taught at the University of Chicago,
University of California (Berkeley), and California State
University (Sacramento). In 2012, he is a Visiting Professor in
Department of Justice Studies, San José State University. His
publications have been translated into German, Spanish, Italian,
and Japanese. His latest book – Grave Matters: Excavating
California’s Buried Past – was recently published by Heyday. He
lives in Berkeley and Big Lagoon, California, and serves as
secretary of the Coalition to Protect Yurok Cultural Legacies at Opyuweg (Big Lagoon). He can be reached at 510-841-1998 or
amplatt27@gmail.com. He blogs on history and memory at
http://GoodToGo.typepad.com.
Learning Objectives
The class has the following learning objectives:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
To appreciate the significance of a historical perspective
for justice studies.
To develop the ability to analyze and evaluate historical
evidence.
To understand the importance of remembrance and
commemoration in public history.
To express an informed point of view about controversial
historical issues.
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(5)
(6)
To do in depth research on a topic relating to public
commemoration.
To develop an ability to apply historical knowledge to
contemporary situations.
Office Hours
Office hours will be held as needed on Wednesdays prior to class.
Make appointment with instructor by e-mail or in class. Best way
to reach Tony Platt is by e-mail (amplatt27@gmail.com).
Expectations
That you attend all classes and actively participate in discussions.
That you come to class prepared, having done required readings.
That you inform Tony Platt if you are unable to attend class and
propose how to make up the missed class.
That you fully engage issues in the class and complete work on
schedule.
That you speak your mind, raise concerns if there are problems in
the class, and be respectful to your colleagues.
That you take pride in your work and be open to new ideas.
Grading
To receive a “B,” you are expected to meet basic requirements of
the class: Come to class prepared, actively participate in
discussions, lead a presentation on the readings, complete written
assignments, submit a project proposal (either as individual or
group), present your project orally to class, and submit a final
project in writing.
If you are not meeting these basic requirements, I will ask to meet
with you and discuss how to improve your work.
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To receive an “A,” you must meet all basic requirements, plus do
outstanding work in your written assignments, plus at least one
other area – class participation or class presentations or group or
individual project.
Assignment #1
This semester-long project involves (i) historical research on
a significant, human-made (as opposed to natural) tragedy
involving fundamental violations of human rights; and (ii) a
proposal to commemorate and remember what happened. You can
do this project by yourself or with a partner. Details of this project
will be discussed in class. You are expected to submit a written
precis of your project by March 6th; report to the class about your
progress and problems; present your project to the class close to
the end of the semester; and complete a written, documented paper
(no longer than twenty pages) by date to be announced.
Assignment #2
Visit the statue of Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the
SJSU campus. The statue commemorates their protest at the 1968
Olympics in Mexico City. Are you moved/engaged by the
commemoration? Does the statue do justice to their protest? Does
the statue educate people on campus about the historical
significance of what happened in 1968? What do you think about
the design and aesthetics of the commemoration? Anything you
would change or do differently if you could design this
commemoration?
Assignment due February 6th, no longer than five pages.
Texts/Readings
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BOOKS REQUIRED
Tony Platt, Grave Matters: Excavating California’s Buried Past.
Heyday, 2011.
Jean Pfaelzer, Driven Out: The Forgotten War Against Chinese
Americans. University of California Press, 2008.
ARTICLES REQUIRED (in reader)
Available from Tony Platt at cost of reproduction.
Dave Zirin, “When Fists Are Frozen: The Statue of Tommie Smith
and John Carlos,” CommonDreams.org, 20 October 2005.
Janna Thompson, Taking Responsibility for the Past: Reparation
and Historical Injustice. Polity, 2002, pp. vii-xxi.
Tony Platt, “Racism Remembered and Forgotten: From
Nuremberg to California,” Transit Nuernberg, March 2007.
Tony Platt, “Curious Historical Bedfellows: Sac State and its
Racist Benefactor,” Sacramento Bee, February 29, 2004.
Tony Platt and Alexandra Stern, “Shared Riches Bring Wealth of
Baggage,” San Francisco Chronicle, June 10, 2007.
Timothy Ash, “The Freedom of Historical Debate is Under Attack
by the Memory Police,” The Guardian, October 16, 2008.
Christopher Heinrich, “No Place for a Wreath,” in Renata Stih and
Frieder Schnock, Berlin Messages, catalogue published by
Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, 2005.
Tony Platt, “Northern Ireland’s Past Has a Future,” Los Angeles
Times, May 9, 2007.
Ira Berlin, “Coming to Terms With Slavery in Twenty-FirstCentury America,” in James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton
(eds.), Slavery and Public History: The Tough Stuff of American
Memory, The Free Press, 2006.
John Michael Vlach, “The Last Great Taboo Subject: Exhibiting
Slavery at the Library of Congress,” in Horton & Horton.
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Marie Tyler-McGraw, “Southern Comfort Levels: Race, Heritage
Tourism, and the Civil War in Richmond,” in Horton & Horton.
Dwight T. Pitcaithley, “’A Cosmic Threat’: The National Park
Service Addresses the Causes of the American Civil War,” in
Horton & Horton.
Edward T. Linenthal, “Epilogue: Reflections,” in Horton &
Horton.
Bishop Francis A. Quinn, “The Church Apologizes….”, speech at
190th Anniversary of San Rafael Mission,” 15 December 2007.
Tony Platt, “The Yokayo vs. The University of California: An
Untold Story of Repatriation,” News from Native California, Vol
26, No. 2, Winter 2012-2013, 9-14.
Barbara Takei and Judy Tachibana, Tule Lake Revisited: A Brief
History and Guide to the Tule Lake Concentration Camp Site. San
Francisco: Tule Lake Committee, 2012, pp. 1-21, 27-29.
BLOGS
The following blogs are available on Tony Platt’s website:
http://GoodToGo.typepad.com
“For All of Us”
“The Shame of California”
“Memento Mori”
“Facing The Past”
“Bombs Away”
“The Disappeared”
“Sightlines”
“California Dreamin’”
“Death’s Double Standard”
“I Am Here For Our History”
“The Result Would Have Been The Same”
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CALENDAR
1. January 23
Overview, Introductions, Goals
 Expectations, process, assignments
 Assignment #1: Paper due at end of semester
 Assignment #2: Making History at SJSU
2. January 30
History and Memory
 Readings: Zirin, “When Fists Are Frozen”; Platt, “Racism
Remembered and Forgotten”; Janna Thompson, “History and
Responsibility”; Platt blog, “Sightlines.”
 Sign up for leading discussion of readings
3. February 6
Genocide in California?
 Readings: Platt, Grave Matters, chapters 1-3; Platt blog,
“California Dreamin’.”
 Assignment #2 due.
4. February 13
Grave Looting
 Readings: Platt, Grave Matters, chapters 4-9; Platt blogs,
“Death’s Double Standard,” “I Am Here For Our History,”
“The Result Would Have Been The Same.”
5. February 20
Anti-Asian Racism
 Readings: Pfaelzer, Driven Out, chapters Introduction-5
6. February 27
Anti-Asian Racism
 Brainstorm projects
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 Readings: Pfaelzer, Driven Out, chapters 6-Conclusion;
Takei and Tachibana, Tule Lake Revisited, 1-21.
7. March 6 Slavery, Eugenics, Imprisonment
 Assignment #1 three-page proposal due (hard copy and
email)
 Readings: Berlin, “Coming to Terms with Slavery”; Platt,
“Curious Historical Bedfellows”; Platt and Stern, “Shared
Riches”; Platt blog, “The Shame of California.”
 Two-page proposal for Assignment #1 due.
8. March 13 Facing The Past
 Readings: Readings: Ash, “The Freedom of Historical
Debate”; Heinrich, “No Place for a Wreath”; Platt, “Northern
Ireland’s Past”; Platt blogs, “Memento Mori,” “Facing The
Past,” “Bombs Away,” “The Disappeared,” and “For All of
Us.”
9. March 20 Research Project
 No class, time to do research on project
 Report problems by email
March 27 No class/Spring break
10. April 3 Remembrance
 Readings: Vlach, “The Last Great Taboo Subject”; TylerMcGraw, “Southern Comfort Levels”; Pitcaithley, “ A
Cosmic Threat”; Linenthal, “Epilogue: Reflections”; Takei
and Tachibana, Tule Lake Revisited, 27-29.
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 Progress reports on projects. Discussion and problemsolving.
11.
April 10
 Review of course themes and issues
 Discussion of research projects
12.
April 17 PRESENTATIONS
 Presentations to class. Feedback and discussion.
13.
April 24 PRESENTATIONS
 Presentations to class. Feedback and discussion.
14.
May 1
PRESENTATIONS
 Presentations to class. Feedback and discussion.
15.
May 8
PRESENTATIONS & SUM UP
 Presentations to class. Feedback and discussion.
 Sum up and evaluation of class.
Deadline for Assignment #1 (by email and postal mail) TBA.
DROPPING & ADDING
Students are responsible for understanding the policies and
procedures about add/drops, academic renewal, etc. Information on
add/drops are available at
http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/faq/index.htm#add. Information
about late drop is available at
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http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/. Students should be
aware of the current deadlines and penalties for adding and
dropping classes.
University Policies
Academic integrity
Students should know the University’s Student Conduct Code,
available at
http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/docs/Student_Conduct_Code.
pdf. Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your
enrollment at San Jose State University and the University’s
integrity policy, require you to be honest in all your academic
course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions
to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development, found
at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct.
Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on
exams or plagiarism (presenting the work of another as your own,
or the use of another person’s ideas without giving proper credit)
will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For
this class, all assignments are to be completed by the individual
student unless otherwise specified. If you would like to include in
your assignment any material you have submitted, or plan to
submit for another class, please note that SJSU’s Academic Policy
F06-1 requires approval of instructors.
Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities
Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a
disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the
building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me
as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential
Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities requesting
accommodations must register with the DRC (Disability Resource
Center) to establish a record of their disability.
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