This survey course is designed to introduce students to a broad range of poetry, fiction, and essays by Chicanas/os-that is, people of Mexican descent in the United States. In order to ground our analyses of these texts, we will begin with selected historical essays on the Spanish conquest of the Americas and Anglo-American colonialism in the U.S. Southwest. Throughout the semester, close readings of primary texts will be augmented by essays that position Chicana/o cultural production within historical and contemporary material contexts. Chicana/o critical and creative discourses often directly challenge racism, patriarchy, and homophobia. The syllabus, then, reflects the strong presence of feminist, gay, and lesbian writers in Chicana/o literature. The authors we will read include Teresa Palomo Acosta, Gloria Anzaldua, Dagoberto Gilb, Demetria Martinez, Cherr#e Moraga, Alberto Alvaro Rios, Tomas Rivera, John Rechy, Benjamin Saenz, Raul R. Salinas, Carmen Tafolla, Alma Luz Villanueva, and Helena Maria Viramontes. In addition to poetic and fictional texts, we will peruse mainstream filmic representations of Mexicans in the U.S. (i.e., Allison Anders' Mi Vida Loca and the Chupacabras episode of The X Files) and sociological studies of Chicana/Mexicana domestic labor in the U.S. Requirements: Attendance, class participation, one or two oral presentations designed to generate discussion, two 5- to 7-page papers and one 8- to 10-page paper. Prerequisite: English 101. Enrollment limited to 25.