Sheila Miyoshi Jager facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sheila Miyoshi Jager
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Jager speaking at the 2013 National Book Festival
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| Born | 1963 (age 61–62) |
| Alma mater | Bennington College Middlebury College University of Chicago |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Employer | Oberlin College |
| Spouse(s) | Jiyul Kim |
| Children | 4 |
Sheila Miyoshi Jager (born 1963) is an American historian. She is a professor who teaches about East Asia at Oberlin College. She has written several books about Korea and other Asian countries.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sheila Miyoshi Jager was born in 1963. Her family background includes Dutch and Japanese heritage.
She went to Bennington College and earned her first degree in 1984. She then received a Master's degree from Middlebury College in 1985. Later, she earned her PhD in anthropology from the University of Chicago in 1994.
Her Work as a Historian
Jager is a Professor of East Asian Studies at Oberlin College. She has written many books about the history of East Asia.
Books About Korea and Asia
Her first book, Narratives of Nation Building in Korea: A Genealogy of Patriotism, came out in 2003. In this book, Jager explores how Korea built its national identity. She looks at history, gender roles, and patriotism. Reviewers said it was a "well-researched study" and an "excellent text" for learning about Korea.
Her second book, Ruptured Histories: War, Memory and the Post-Cold War in Asia, was published in 2007. She co-edited this book with Rana Mitter. It is a collection of essays by different experts about Asia after the Cold War. The book explores how different Asian nations remember wars and how global events shape their stories.
Her third book, Brothers at War: The Unending Conflict in Korea, was released in 2013. This book covers the history of the Korean peninsula from 1945 to 2012. It describes the ongoing competition between North and South Korea. Many people praised the book, with The Economist calling it the "most balanced and comprehensive account of the Korean War." The New York Times described it as "superb" and "elegant." It was also chosen as one of the best international relations books of the year by Foreign Affairs.
Her fourth book, The Other Great Game: The Opening of Korea and the Birth of Modern East Asia, was published in 2023. This book tells the story of how modern East Asia began, focusing on Korea's important role during a time of big changes and wars.
Other Contributions
Besides her books, Professor Jager has written articles and book reviews for major newspapers and magazines like The New York Times.
She has also helped create and appeared in two documentaries about the Korean War. These include The Battle of Chosin (2016) and Korea: The Neverending War (2019), both shown on PBS.
Personal Life
Sheila Jager's grandparents on her father's side, Hendrik and Geesje Jager, were honored in 1996. They were recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. This award is given to non-Jewish people who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
Her grandparents helped hide Jewish children during World War II. Hendrik Jager found safe places for about 50 Jewish children. He and his wife, Geesje, even took a seven-year-old girl named Greetje into their own home for three years. They treated her like their own child and never asked for money. The Jager family stayed close with Greetje even after the war.
In the 1980s, Jager lived with Barack Obama when he was a community organizer in Chicago. They dated, and he asked her to marry him twice, but she said no. Their relationship became known to the public in 2017.
Jager is married to Jiyul Kim, who used to be in the U.S. Army and now teaches history. They have four children and live in Ohio.
Awards and Fellowships
Sheila Jager has received several important awards and fellowships for her work:
- 2020: Smith Richardson International Security & Foreign Policy grant for her book project, The Other Great Game.
- 2014-15: Fulbright Senior Scholar Fellowship, which allowed her to study in Seoul, South Korea.
- 2013: Featured at the Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.
- 2006-08: Visiting Research Professor at the U.S. Army War College.
- 1998-99: American Council of Learned Societies/Social Science Research Council (ACLS/SSRC) International Postdoctoral fellowship in Seoul.
- 1988: Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowship in South Korea.
Works
- Narratives of Nation Building in Korea: A Genealogy of Patriotism (2003)
- Ruptured Histories: War, Memory and the Post-Cold War in Asia (co-edited with Rana Mitter, 2007)
- Brothers at War: The Unending Conflict in Korea (2013)
- The Other Great Game: The Opening of Korea and the Birth of Modern East Asia (2023)
