Intro to US Latino Studies

This seminar examines the complex history of the multiple Latino communities across the United States present in the country’s history from its emergence in the eighteenth century to the present day. Students will explore the history, politics and culture of the diverse social groups linked to the greater legacy of Latin American societies in the United States. A special emphasis will be given to pursuing the specificity of the Latino experience and the historical and political coordinates of each community. The seminar will employ a strong interdisciplinary approach to analyzing issues ranging from race, class and gender relations, cultural productions, linguistic differences, identity politics, civil rights, and the rise of Latino communities in current political struggles and debates. The seminar will combine methodologies of research from the fields of literary studies, linguistics, history, political science, sociology and anthropology. It will be cross-listed and taught on a rotating basis by faculty from the different disciplines included.Learning Goals/Outcomes: Students will be able to conduct research into U.S. Latino studies subjects using both traditional and electronic sources. They will demonstrate satisfactory knowledge of the relationship between race, class, gender and ethnicity in U.S. Latino communities. For this purpose, students will examine and demonstrate knowledge of: U.S. Latino participation in public policy and civic life; the changing roles of U.S.-Latin American relations as they relate to migration, globalization, security and economic development; the historical and political development of the U.S.- Mexican border as it relates to the condition of populations on both sides; and the historical and contemporary condition of U.S. Latinos within political power and gender oppression. Students will learn and reproduce key theoretical foundations of literary and cultural studies as a framework of reflection to approach U.S. Latino Studies.Assessment: Students will participate in weekly debates posted on discussion boards in the Blackboard platform. Each debate will test a key theoretical and/or critical aspect of U.S. Latino studies directly related to the seminar content. Each student will be responsible for one 20-minute presentation discussing selected reading materials from the seminar syllabus. On the final day of class, students will present an abstract for a 20-25 page term paper concerning one of the main topics of discussion from the seminar. The final paper will be due one week after the final day of class.

Offer as needed

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