Topics in Latina and Latino Text and Representation (393-0-3)

Topic

Latina/o/x Popular Culture

Instructors

Ana Aparicio
847/491-5132
1810 Hinman Ave. #212

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-425: Wed 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This course focuses on Latino/e popular culture from the mid-20th century to the present. We will explore popular film, television, performance, music, digital and print media, foodways, and children's media and books. In addition to the developments and debates surrounding the various historical, social, and political aspects of Latinx popular culture, we will also discuss the impact that it has had in the broader American cultural (and economic) landscape. To help us develop a critical analysis, we will read key texts on issues such as race and racism, authenticity, performance, cultural production, representation, globalization, and critical media studies.

Learning Objectives

• Critically read scholarship related to Latina/o/e populations and popular culture
• Become familiar with key theories on U.S. Latinidades
• Be able to develop a research project, collect and analyze data, develop original research paper
• Be able to identify and assess popular culture and narratives that circulate - in scholarship, news, politics, popular media, public discourse, etc. - about Latina/o/e populations and issues

Class Materials (Required)

• Diaz, Junot. 2018. Islandborn. NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, Penguin Random House.
• Diaz, Vanessa and Petra Rivera-Rideau. 2026. P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance. NC: Duke University Press.
• Hernandez, Jillian. 2020. Aesthetics of Excess: The Art and Politics of Black and Latina Embodiment. NC: Duke University Press.
• Aparicio, Frances. 2025. Replaying Marc Anthony: Sonic, Political, and Cultural Resonances. OH: The Ohio State University Press.

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area