Topics in Latina and Latino Text and Representation (393-0-5)
Topic
Latinx Feminism
Instructors
Alyssa D Garcia
Meeting Info
Parkes Hall 223: Mon 11:00AM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
This course examines the diverse layers and heterogenous experiences of Latinas in the United States across space and time. Epistemologically we will question and discuss central concepts of what constitutes Latinidad in its multiple forms. We will interrogate the complex identities of Latina lives amidst intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and other dimensions (age, education, language, and citizenship). We will trace the dynamic historical transformations, legacies of colonialism/imperialism and ongoing oppressions that shape Latina life, as well as investigate how these women define, understand and critique their respective struggles/ activism from their specific cultural and social locations. This course will provide an overview of the intellectual/theoretical interventions of Latina/Chicana feminist thought to highlight how it breaks from, links, and intersects with mainstream modes of feminism, civil rights movements and other social mobilizations. It will offer a nuanced analysis of empowerment and self-determination, to consider how Latina feminists have made important historical, academic, cultural, and political contributions to inspire change and activism in innovative ways. Working within an interdisciplinary framework deeply rooted in Latina lived experiences, we will examine various themes such as work, masculinity, family, migration, violence, representation etc, via nonfiction, fiction, poetry, film, art, theatre, music, and personal/collective testimonios.
Learning Objectives
Describe historical and contemporary forces, actors, and events that affect the Latina experience
Deconstruct dominant narratives of Latinas over time
Conceptualize theoretical notions of Intersectionality
Critically analyze how Intersectionality shapes the experiences of Latinas
Identify and articulate key themes of Latina feminist thought and practice
Understand some of the contributions of Latinas to U.S. society
To recognize the complex relationship between Latina agency/ resistance/activism and institutional structures via case studies (such as labor, health, education, immigration, and violence)
Develop an appreciation of ‘voice'/representation through testimonio and alternative methods of expression or writing
Class Materials (Required)
• Gloria Anzaldua. Borderlands: The New Mestiza = La Frontera.
• Xochitl Gonzalez. Olga Dies Dreaming
• Additional course readings on CANVAS
Class Attributes
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area