This course examines the rise and challenges of postwar international humanitarianism by exploring the history of European refugees, particularly Jews, in China during the 1940s. It investigates global displacement and relief networks by tracing wartime migration from Europe to East Asia and by exploring the emergence of the United Nations’ humanitarian apparatus. Students will learn how displacement intersected with humanitarian governance 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 that of refugees elsewhere. In addition to readings and presentations, students will write a primary source analysis, a reflective essay, and a research paper.
