Latin American and Latinx Studies
LA-125 Introduction to Latinx Literature
LASC Categories: DIV, USW
This course focuses on the major trends in contemporary Latinx Literature. Students analyze and discuss narrative and poetry produced by Cuban-American, Chicanx, Dominican-American, and Nuyorican writers, as well as pieces by writers of Central and South American heritage. Class discussions trace similarities and differences in the life experiences of different Latinx groups in the US. Topics include belonging, bilingualism, exile, life on the border, immigration policies, international relations, generational differences, use of labels such as Latino/a/x and Hispanic, and the relationships of Latinx writers with their communities in the US. Class conducted in English.
Other or on demand and other or on demand. 3 Credits
LA-130 Introduction to Contemporary Latin American Film
LASC Categories: CA, GP
This interdisciplinary course introduces students to contemporary Latin American film production with the aim of analyzing different aspects of the region's societies, communities, and cultures. Topics covered may include immigration and exile, social class, issues of ethnicity and race, dictatorship and memory, gender and sexuality, among others. The course includes a range of genres, aesthetics, and filmmakers from Latin America.
Other or on demand and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
LA-150 Introduction to Latinx Cultures in the US
LASC Categories: TLC, USW
This is an introductory course that discusses the Latinx experience in the US. Students examine issues of language, identity, culture, and immigration among Latinx communities in the US. Students explore the history of Latin American diaspora communities in the US in order to identify cultural traits and identity marks. By discussing these topics, students analyze the particular significance and contribution of Latinx people and their relationship with their countries of origin. In order to achieve that goal, students examine and compare different types of sources including official documents, media releases, films, and podcasts. The class will be conducted in English.
Other or on demand and every year. 3 Credits
LA-190 Special Topics in Latin American and Latinx Studies
An introductory level course on current or specialized topics related to Latin American and/or Latinx Studies.
Other or on demand. 3 Credits
LA-210 Magical Realism
LASC Categories: DIV, GP
Prerequisites: EN-101.
This course explores some of the most intriguing examples of Latin American fiction in the twentieth and twenty-first century. Students read texts, watch films, and listen to podcasts that may challenge what they think of as "real." Concepts such as magical realism and marvelous realism are analyzed and contrasted to other creative trends such as fantasy and science fiction. Students examine works by Gabriel García Márquez, Alejo Carpentier, Juan Rulfo, Julio Garmendia, Julio Cortázar, Laura Esquivel, and Rosario Ferré, among others. Class conducted in English.
Other or on demand and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
LA-290 Special Topics in Latin American and Latinx Studies
An intermediate level course on current or specialized topics related to Latin American and/or Latinx Studies.
Other or on demand. 3 Credits
LA-350 Immigration, Dreamers, and Latinx Youth Issues
Students explore issues regarding Latinx immigration, citizenship, and the fate of Latinx youth in the US. Students examine US immigration policies and reforms focusing on Latinx populations and the current immigration debate. Through newspaper articles, scholarly articles, and films, students analyze and discuss relevant topics such as constitutional regulations related to documented and undocumented Latinx immigrants; Visa and Green Card issues, and access to education for young Latinx populations, including DREAMers and DACA students. Class discussions include legal, economic, and political issues related to immigration policies and the impact these have on youth. The class will be conducted in English.
Alternating and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
LA-355 Latin American Fiction
This course is designed to familiarize students with Latin American works of fiction and to provide them with an overview of literature written throughout the region during the twentieth century. The course will focus on narrative and will discuss a variety of literary movements, aesthetics, and techniques such as realism, fantastic literature, magical realism, crime fiction, and postmodernism. Authors include Horacio Quiroga, María Luisa Bombal, Gabriel García Márquez, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Julio Cortázar, Rosario Ferré, Mario Vargas Llosa, among others. The class will be conducted in English.
Alternating and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
LA-357 Latinx Podcasts
LASC Categories: USW, DIV
Prerequisites: EN-102.
In this seminar we will explore a wide range of topics regarding the Latinx experience in the United States. While listening to curated Latinx podcasts, students will examine issues of language, identity, culture, immigration, generational gaps, healthcare, politics, and economics among Latinx communities in the US. Latinx podcasts have become a tool to being in sync with Latinx and Latin American current issues, providing those who rely on the internet to obtain information with an opportunity to access news rather than traditional media. We will also analyze news articles in order to make connections, criticize, and identify informative trends.
Other or on demand and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
LA-360 Survey of Latin American Cinema
LASC Categories: DIV, GP, TLC
Organized both chronologically and nationally, the course focuses on clusters of Latin American films (both feature and documentary) that have intervened in a series of social and cultural debates: colonization, migration, modernity, tradition, inequality, national utopias, etc. Students develop their skills in film analysis as they examine the specific role of film in representing, contesting, or defining questions of national, personal, and cultural identity in the region. Class discussions and assignments familiarize students with the characteristics of the distinct film aesthetics and socio-political and cultural contexts in which these works were produced. The class will be conducted in English.
Other or on demand and every 2-3 years. 3 Credits
LA-408 Directed Study in Latin American and Latinx Studies
Prerequisites: EN-101.
This course offers students, who because of unusual circumstances may be unable to register for a course when offered, the opportunity to complete an existing course with an established syllabus under the direction and with agreement from a faculty member.
Other or on demand. 3 Credits
LA-490 Special Topics in Latin American and Latinx Studies
Prerequisites: EN-101.
This course provides students an opportunity for highly advanced study in a specialized area of Latin American and/or Latinx Studies. The specific focus of this course will be determined by the instructor, as per their area of expertise.
Other or on demand. 3 Credits