UC Riverside

This interdisciplinary project adopts a critical humanist methodology to revive the overlooked narrative of the Chongqing Heavy Bombing. Through an examination of documentaries crafted by Chinese-American women, a Chinese novel addressing the bombing, and an English novel, along with a Japanese animated film depicting the Japanese experience of WWII, this study explores diverse perspectives that transcend national and cultural boundaries. Drawing upon the insights of eminent scholars such as Emanuel Levinas, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Kandice Chuh, Judith Butler, Hannah Arendt, Jacques Lacan, and others, and navigating a spectrum of mediums and narrative forms, this research endeavors to think within and beyond Area Studies, connecting it with Asian American Studies to help extricate the field from the trap of self-referentiality. Most importantly, this inquiry seeks to actively contribute to the recovery of obscured historical accounts and advocates for an ethical framework unrestrained by the inherent limitations of human perception and imagination. By doing so, it aspires to cultivate ethical responsibility within the global context shared by humanity.