Topics in Latin American, Latina and Latino, and/or Iberian Cultures (395-0-3)
Topic
Reclaiming Lost Ancestries in the Digital Age
Meeting Info
Fisk Hall 114: Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM
Overview of class
Reclaiming Lost Ancestries in the Digital Age
The seminar examines migration and cultural memory across transatlantic and transpacific networks, situating contemporary Spanish cultural production within broader global circuits of movement, diaspora, and archival occlusions. Taught in Spanish, while reading and listening Spanish skills are required, participation can be in English. The course foregrounds critical fabulation as a method for addressing archival gaps, interrogating official histories, and reimagining ancestry beyond documentary evidence. Students will examine the ethical implications of AI in shaping historical and genealogical narratives, from archival access and preservation decisions to digital reconstruction. Class sessions will include visits to local community archives such as the Shorefront Legacy Center and Evanston ASPA. The seminar culminates in a digital family history project, completed in Spanish or English. The students will participate in structured in-class workshops to scaffold their progress, ensuring both conceptual depth and technical proficiency. At once experimenting with digital tools and interrogating the limits of historical knowledge, students will create projects with impact beyond the classroom. This course advances the role of digital humanities in transmedia storytelling, memory studies, and contemporary genealogical inquiry. Prerequisite: 1 course from SPANISH 250-0, SPANISH 251-0, SPANISH 260-0, or SPANISH 261-0.
This course will be taught by renowned artist, speaker, podcaster, and graphic novelist, Quan Zhou.
Registration Requirements
Prerequisite: 1 course from SPANISH 250-0, SPANISH 251-0, SPANISH 260-0, or SPANISH 261-0.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to (1) conduct and edit oral history interviews using Hindenburg Pro, a professional sound editing software for oral narration, (2) critically evaluate the role of digital humanities in memory studies, assessing the affordances and limitations of AI in reconstructing lost histories, (3) create multimedia storytelling projects (e.g., podcasts, interactive websites, digital fanzines), and (4) analyze how contemporary Spanish artists and activists engage with historical archives to challenge coloniality, racism, and Spain's other disciplinary regimes.
Teaching Method
Students will be instructed in the use of specific software tools such as Hindenburg pro, essential to the project and will also receive guidance and practical experience in conducting interviews.
Evaluation Method
This course is designed to guide students through the production of their final multimedia storytelling project and will constitute a substantial component of the overall course grade.
Class Materials (Required)
Books
Tierra de Luz, Lucía Asué Mbomío Rubio
ISBN-10 : 8466678077
Cosas que me explica mi madre, Berna Wang
ISBN-10 : 8412721292
Mr and Mrs, Suwon Lee
ISBN-10 : 8410290030
Ser mujer negra en España, Desirée Bela-Lobedde
ISBN-10 : 8417001654
Hija de inmigrantes, Safia El Aaddam
ISBN-10 : 8417605916
El cuerpo de cristo, Bea Lema
ISBN: 978-84-19670-14-4
Regreso al edén, Paco Roca
ISBN: 978-84-18215-20-9
Gazpacho Agridulce
ISBN: 978-84-16251-01-8
- Laptop
- Earphones
- Microphone
- Software Hinderburgh pro - subscription or working trial for the training clasess
https://hindenburg.com/
For the workshops
- A2 paper
- Markers
- Post-its
Class Materials (Suggested)
Zoom H1 recorder
Class Attributes
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Registration for Majors and Minors in either Spanish or Portuguese until the end of preregistration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisite.
Prerequisite: 1 course from SPANISH 250-0, SPANISH 251-0, SPANISH 260-0, or SPANISH 261-0