Books by Sonia Ryang

Providing insights into the history, politics, ideology and daily life of North Koreans living in Japan, this ethnography is written by a woman who was raised in this closed community. She offers a view of the experience of ethnic minorities, and a glimpse into North Korean culture.

Writing Selves in Diaspora is a work born out of long-term fieldwork by the author, Sonia Ryang, in Japan and the United States, spanning more than one and a half decades. It offers an unprecedented insight into Korean women's lives and their formation of self in diaspora in Japan and the United States.

Sonia Ryang casts new light on the study of North Korean culture and society by reading literary texts as sources of ethnographic data. Ryang focuses critical attention on three central themes-love, war, and self-that reflect the nearly complete overlap of the personal, social, and political realms in North Korean society.

"This fascinating ethnography provides unique insights into the history, politics, ideology, and daily life of North Koreans living in Japan. Because Sonia was raised in this community, she was able to"