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CS92PROD
Introduction to Latino/a Literatures and Cultures
ENGL 279
Fall 2009
Section: 01  
Crosslisting: AMST 278, LAST 279

Who are Latino/as? What do you think of when asked to reflect on "Latino/a" as a concept or category? Within popular culture, Latino/as are often configured as either keepers of the newest "hot and exotic" entertainment trends (mambo, salsa, reggaeton) or as threats to some notion of "pure" American culture (maintaining the Spanish language, illegal immigration, and the "dangers" of barrio culture). What lies beneath these contradictory, superficial ideas about Latino/as? To begin to answer this question, our seminar will provide a historical background of Latino/as from the 19th century to the present along with a critical overview of themes and issues that have shaped the experiences of Latina/o populations in the United States. We will investigate how Latino/as have used literature, performance art, music, and film to narrate and work through questions pertaining to race, class, gender, sexuality, politics, and transnational identity. In putting conceptions of Latino/as from the dominant culture into conversation with the history and cultural production of Cuban, Puerto Rican, Chicano/a, and Dominican communities, our goal will be to think critically about the range of resources and strategies for identity formation, the inventions and uses of cultural forms, and the politics of representation.

Essential Capabilities: Intercultural Literacy, Interpretation
Intercultural Literacy and Interpretation.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ENGL
Course Format: Lecture / DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (AMST)(ENGL)(ENGL-Literature)
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on MAR-28-2024
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