Symposium: Issues in RTVF (398-0-21)

Topic

Latinxs in Contemporary U.S. Popular Culture

Instructors

Nathaniel Andrew Rossi

Meeting Info

Parkes Hall 212: Mon 3:00PM - 4:50PM
Louis Hall 119: Wed 3:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This course will consider images of Latina/o/x people and communities in U.S. popular culture.
We will explore how Latinxs are represented in today's film, television, music, and digital media
industries. We'll survey the work of Latinx media producers, paying special attention to the ways
in which the images and media texts that they construct offer counter narratives in response to
the legacy of Latina/o/x representation. At the same time, we will also examine the industrial
constraints that Latinx creatives face in the culture industries and how this shapes current Latinx
representations. Finally, through examining the emergence of the paradigm of Latinidad in
Latinx Media Studies, students will interrogate the boundaries of Latinx identity in contemporary media. In addition to race and ethnicity, particular attention will also be paid to constructions of gender, sexuality, class, nation, and citizenship. Throughout the course we will explore the transnational elements present in the popular construction of Latinxs in the U.S. media imaginary.

Learning Objectives

• Exploring contemporary images of Latinxs in U.S. media
• Gaining an understanding of the emergence of "Latinx" as a cultural identity, as well as
the strengths and limitations of pan-ethnic categorization in U.S. popular culture, media
production, and media activism
• Gaining familiarity with textual analysis and close readings of visual media texts
• Developing research and writing skills in order to produce a final paper or video essay
project

Class Materials (Required)

Miles Morales: Straight Out of Brooklyn (Saladin Ahmed, Javier Garrón, & David Curiel)
Available on Amazon for approximately $16