This course examines the development and challenges of international humanitarianism in the wake of the Second World War. It investigates global displacement and relief networks through the establishment, organization, and evolution of the United Nations’ humanitarian apparatus. It takes war-ravaged China as a case study of localized humanitarian governance, tracing the inflow and management of European refugees (e.g., Jewish refugees) and the repatriation and resettlement of displaced Overseas Chinese from China to Southeast Asia and North America. Students will learn about the intersection of displacement, humanitarianism, and the politics of refuge from a transnational perspective. They will engage with primary sources from international aid organizations and compare the Jewish experience in Asia with local experiences of displacement.
