LATS 240(S) Latina/o Language and Literature: Hybrid Voices in Contemporary Context (Same as American Studies 240, Comparative Literature 210, and Linguistics254)*
In this course we will focus on issues of language and identity in the contemporary literary production and lived experiences of various 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 an overview of common linguistic phenomena such as code-switching (popularly known as"Spanglish") and Latina/o English, 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 1970s to more recent theatrical pieces, novels, poetry, and short stories by writers such as Sandra Cisneros, Junot Díaz, Martín Espada, Víctor Hernández Cruz, Jaime Manrique, Dolores Prida, Michelle Serros, and Helena María Viramontes, among others. Both directly and/or indirectly, these texts address Latina/o language politics, as well as the broader themes of identity, power, community, race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and hybridity.
Format: discussion. Requirements: Class participation, several short writing assignments (1-5 pages each), an oral presentation, and a final exam.
No prerequisites. No enrollment limit (expected: 15).
Hour: CEPEDA