Dissertation Defense Schedule
Academic Excellence
Sharing original dissertation research is a principle to which the University of Delaware is deeply committed. It is the single most important assignment our graduate students undertake and upon completion is met with great pride.
We invite you to celebrate this milestone by attending their dissertation defense. Please review the upcoming dissertation defense schedule below and join us!
PROGRAM | English
Japanese Incarceration and the “Wakasa Incident”: Traumatic Memory in Literature and the Archive
By: Jessica Thelen Chair: Peter Feng
ABSTRACT
“Japanese Incarceration and the ‘Wakasa Incident’: Traumatic Memory in Literature and the Archive” explores representations of the traumatic memory and silences surrounding Japanese Incarceration in the United States during World War II, specifically in Miné Okubo’s graphic memoir Citizen 13660 (1946), Julie Otsuka’s novel When The Emperor was Divine (2002), and Kiku Hughes’ graphic novel Displacement (2020). I use the “Wakasa Incident”—when 63-year-old Isse (first generation) James Wakasa was shot to death by a military police sentry on April 11, 1943, 7:30 PM, at the Topaz “Relocation Center” (incarceration camp) in Utah. Each of my primary texts covers the “Wakasa Incident” and the psychological trauma it caused Topazans and their descendants from different perspectives: from those who were there and those experiencing generational trauma years later. In these texts, Wakasa’s death haunts the historical memories of Topazans and their descendants, as well as the historical memory of Japanese Incarceration as a whole. This haunting is evidenced by how Wakasa’s death keeps resurfacing years later. I explore the details of the “Wakasa Incident”—who was involved, how it was represented in newspaper coverage and archival documents, and its legacy—in the digital component of this project: James Wakasa, History, and Memory. This is a digital exhibit that features a timeline of the events that took place in the wake of Wakasa’s death, interactive visualizations on who was involved in the “Wakasa Incident,” an interactive map of newspaper coverage, information from declassified government archival documents regarding it, and why Wakasa continues to be remembered.
The Process
Step-by-Step
Visit our “Step-by-Step Graduation Guide” to take you through the graduation process.From formatting your Dissertation to Doctoral Hooding procedures.
Dissertation Manual
Wondering how to set up the format for your paper. Refer to the “UD Thesis/Dissertation Manual” for formatting requirements and more.
Defense Submission Form
This form must be completed two weeks in advance of a dissertation defense to meet the University of Delaware Graduate and Professional Education’s requirements.
