"Un pedacito de la historia negra": Afro-Latin American Literature and Culture
SPAN 298
Spring 2025
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01
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The significant contributions of Afro-descendent individuals to the development of Latin American culture have been frequently overlooked or torn to pieces. Yet, the experiences and bodies of racialized people have been key in shaping and transforming the region's culture. Beyond their representation in early colonial and republican works, Afro-descendent writers and characters have been crucial in the modern aesthetics of Latin American literatures. Along with musicians and other artists, they have provided a continuous challenge to the idea of Latin America and its cultural production as a product of a homogeneous cultural and racial miscegenation. Inspired by Colombian artist Joe Arroyo's opening to a famous salsa song, wherein he sets out to tell "un pedacito de la historia negra," in this seminar we will study short stories, novels, poetry, music, and film, including works that explore the experience of being racialized in Latin America, poetic experimentalism through orality, and the retelling of the history of Black resistance in the Caribbean through modern media. Engaging with historical and contemporary issues such as racial discrimination, social inequality, and cultural pride and preservation, this course invites students to critically analyze the fundamental role of Afro-Latin Americans in shaping Latin American cultures and histories. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA LAST |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: SPAN221 |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (HISP) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 90% or above |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Major works in this course include novels (or sections of them) like No give up Maan, no te rindas! by Hazel Robinson and Selena Sirena vestida de pena by Mayra Santos Febres, and poems by Nicolás Guillén, Nancy Morejón, and Victoria Santa Cruz.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Assignments for this class include a class portfolio, the creation of podcast episode or an academic essay, and a GAI (Generative Artificial Intelligence) workshop for academic purposes. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This class is intended for students who have completed SPAN 221 with a B- or better. Students who have not done so should consult with the professor during pre-registration. Readings, written assignments, and class discussion will be in Spanish. All students are expected to be active and informed participants in class discussions, further developing their oral communication skills. |
| Instructor(s): Hernandez,Daniel Times: ..T.R.. 01:20PM-02:40PM; Location: FISK312; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 15 | | SR major: 8 | JR major: 2 | | |
| Seats Available: 0 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 1 | JR non-major: 1 | SO: 2 | FR: 1 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 4 | 1st Ranked: 2 | 2nd Ranked: 1 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 1 | Unranked: 0 |
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