Not offered 2007-2008
LATS 241 Redefining the "Helping Hand:" Community-based Approaches to Latinas/os in the Northern Berkshires *
With a specific focus on the "politics of helping" with regard to the Northern Berkshires' Latin American immigrant population, this courses centers on the new face (la nueva cara)
of a Latina/o identity rooted in the region's rural, as opposed to urban, spaces. We begin
with an historic, political and cultural overview of both Berkshire County and the Latina/o
populations who comprise the majority of its newest immigrants. Students will then be
trained in formal interviewing techniques. After a brief period of information-gathering, establishing community contacts and interviewing Latina/o immigrant residents, each two-person student team will identify an experiential learning project that they feel best addresses a
particular need within their partner organization and within the Latina/o immigrant community itself. Student teams will have the option of working in conjunction with any one or
more of the following individuals or organizations for the remainder of the semester: Brayton Elementary School's English as a Second Language (ESL) program (North Adams), the
Berkshire Immigrant Center (Pittsfield), Manos Unidas (Pittsfield), the Northern Berkshire
Community Coalition (North Adams), Northern Berkshires Adult Basic Education, or local
Americorps VISTA members (Williamstown and North Adams). At the semester's end,
student teams will be required to present their partner organizations or individuals with a
completed product in keeping with the most pressing community needs identified in their
initial research.
Format: discussion and experiential learning. Requirements: class and site participation, several short writing assignments (1- to 5-pages each), and final presentation.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 10 (expected 10).
CEPEDA