Schlachter, "Germanic journalistic products in an Asian environment: Shanghai, 1939-1941," 1994

Sandra Anne Schlachter, Ph.D.

Abstract (Summary)
In the 1930's and 1940's there existed in the international city of Shanghai, China two distinct German speaking communities (German and Austrian Jewish refugees and Gentile German expatriates) which, while existing in isolated self-governing international enclaves, published newspapers (Ostasiatischer Lloyd, Gelbe Post, Laterne) which reflect the European experience in Asia. The research that has thus far been done on this facet of Shanghai history concentrates on the statistics of the living conditions of the refugees and chronicles the history and development of the Jewish community in Shanghai. No studies have as of yet analyzed comparatively the literature of both communities which was generated as a result of this experience.

This study examines this journalistic material in light of the post-colonial and cross-cultural theories of such literary critics as V. S. Naipaul, Roland Barthes and Abdul JanMohamed to analyze the cultural awareness of the Europeans involved, as uprooted individuals and societies, to determine in what ways they used their European cultural backgrounds to assist them in interpreting their experiences in Asia; and to observe the extent to which the Asian culture was integrated into the European literature in these German-language newspapers. (Copies available exclusively from Micrographics Department, Doheny Library, USC, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0192.)

Advisor: Schnauber, Cornelius