[KS] hon-hyol's Japanese imperial origins

[Hyung Il Pai]

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Dear Ross and other members,
The term "honhyol" comes from the Japanese racial terminology of
"konketsu" and I have seen it described in  Japanese anthropological
literature as
early as the 1900's. In the overall  scheme of  Japanese racial
classifications and racial
studies in the colonial period,  mixed blood races were considered
inferior to pure-blood (or
homogenous) races like the Japanese.
However, during the early colonial period at the time of the annexation
period,bureaucrats and intellectuals in Japan and Korea pushed for 
the Nissen dosoron theory which  expounded that way back in prehistoric
times,
Koreans/ and Japanese races had common ancestral origins (via the Tungus) 
somewhere in
remote Manchurian territories-a hypothetical racial amalgamation argument
that has been
condemned in post-war Korean historiography for 
 justifying  the annexation of Korea and assimilation policies (doka) 
Though of course, later on

Japanese racial studies during the 30's-to-40's (greater Asian
co-prosperity sphere)  shifted somewhat to
promoting the harmony
of the different races, esp in Manchuria  and so they did go back and
forth. However, imperial Japan held steadfast to the notion that the
Japanese race was superior  and  held  a  general derogatory attitude
towards
mixed-blood as inferior and therefore, inter-marriage was 
discouraged with other
colonized races (including Koreans, Chinese, Phillipinos etc.)  during the
Pacific War. I believe that Koreans in the post-war period also
accepted imperial Japanese racial hierarchies (that looked down on
South-east asian and Chinese)  in addition to absorbing the
racism  practiced by the U.S. army  in the occupation
period.
For a succinct
review of Japanese racial attitudes
see, John Dower's chapter on the Yamato race in "War without Mercy." 

I look forward to your reply. 
Yours sincerely, 
Hyung Il Pai, 
 East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies,
 HSSB Building, University of California,
Santa Barbara, CA 93106, U.S.A.
Tel: (805) 893-2245  Fax:  (805) 893-3011
EMail:  hyungpai at humanitas.ucsb.edu