In this writing course, we will read and discuss several literary works by and about U.S. immigrants, with a view to understanding the significance of writing and creativity in immigrants' lives. Over the course of the academic term, we will look at mass media representations of immigrants (Hollywood movies, magazine editorials, and cartoons) in order to understand the way cultural representations construct public perceptions of immigration and immigrants. Then, we will turn to writings by immigrants themselves and discuss the ways writers like Cristina Garcia and Jessica Hagedorn, among others, use writing creatively to subvert mass media stereotypes and challenge the myth of the American dream. First and second generation immigrants deploy writing to carve out for themselves a personal space where they can re-invent their native lands, recreate themselves in the new country, and use personal voice to tell their own stories of displacement. The writing process, thus, will be at the heart of this course as we will analyze, write about, and try to grasp the way that, at different times and in certain contexts, writing inflects and fashions our perceptions of society. This means that this class will encourage you as writers to take responsibility for your own writing and become attentive to the way your compositions can make a difference by impacting your peers' beliefs and long-standing views. Over the course of the academic term, we will focus on the creation of complex, analytic, well-supported arguments that matter in academic contexts. You work closely with your peers and me to develop your written prose. By the end of this course, you should feel confident in your writing skills and become familiar with a wide range of artistic genres. Required Texts: Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage, 1991. Franco, Jorge. Paradise Travel. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006. Hagerdon, Jessica. Dogeaters. New York: Penguin, 1990.