In this course we will focus on issues of language and identity in the contemporary literary production and lived experience of various U.S. Latina/o communities. As such, how are cultural values and material conditions expressed through Latina/o language and literature? How does Latina/o identity challenge traditional notions of the relationship between language, culture, and nation? In what ways might Latina/o literary and linguistic practices serve as tools for social change? Departing from a socio- and anthropological linguistic overview of common practices such as code-switching (popularly known as "Spanglish"), we will examine bilingual education, recent linguistic legislation, and the English Only movement. Throughout the course we will survey texts culled from a variety of literary and performance genres, ranging from the poetry of the Chicano and Puerto Rican Movements of the 1960s and 70s to more recent theatrical pieces, novels, poetry, and short stories by writers such as Dolores Prida, Martin Espada, Junot Diaz, Sandra Cisneros, H.G. Carrillo, and Achy Obejas, among others. Both directly and/or indirectly, these texts address U.S. Latina/o language politics, as well as the broader themes of identity, power, community, race/ethnicity, gender, class, hybridity, and cultural citizenship. Format: discussion. Evaluation will be based on class participation, several short writing assignments (1-5 pages each), an oral presentation, and a final exam. No prerequisites, though LATS 105 and/or intermediate-level reading competency in Spanish helpful. Enrollment limit: 20 (expected: 15). Preference given to Latina/o Studies concentrators.

Hour: CEPEDA