Introduction to Latina & Latino Cultural Studies (203-0-1)
Instructors
Elvia Mendoza
Crowe Hall, Room 1144
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-410: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
Students will be introduced to different genres of literary texts and other forms of cultural productions ranging from poetry to performance art to explore representations and histories of Latinidad. Drawing from novels, film, theatre, murals, and music, among others, we will examine the critical interventions they have made and continue to make in how we think about and approach central concepts such as colonialism, indigeneity, mestizaje, Latinidad/es, race, gender, sexuality, language, Afro-Latinidad/es, transnationalism, and social movements, for example. Approaching these artistic forms of expression as critical theory and practice, we will examine the contributions they make in the interdisciplinary field of Latina, Latino, and Latinx Studies and as active agents of change within social movements. Likewise, we will discuss the possibilities and sustenance these modes of knowledge production hold in this current moment and within Latina, Latino, and Latinx Studies.
Learning Objectives
• Through a broad range of texts ranging from literature to performance art, other course materials, and mini-lectures, students will be exposed to theoretical and methodological proposals applied in Latina, Latino, and Latinx Studies and contributing disciplinary fields.
• Students will also learn to articulate the contributions and interventions made by the different authors, scholars, and artists discussed by writing brief essays and completing visual assignments.
• Students will also become familiar with and engage with scholarly and popular debates about the state and direction of Latina, Latino, and Latinx Studies through written assignments and presentations by preparing for and actively and thoughtfully participating in classroom discussions.
Class Materials (Required)
• Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity, Paola Ramos
• Blu, by Virginia Grise
• Their Dogs Came with Them, by Helena Maria Viramontes
• Additional readings provided via Canvas and library book reserves
Class Attributes
Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area
U.S. Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area