In 2006, Laura Pausini became the first Italian woman to win a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop with her album Escucha. Moving nimbly between Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, Pausini draws attention to a long history of exchanges and connections among the peoples of Italy and Latin America. In this class, we will trace the circulations of people, ideas, and languages between these two spaces, which, despite often being studied as separate spheres, actually share similar trajectories of national formation. Moving from the Italian Risorgimento to our present day, we will follow various figures and texts as they illustrate Italy and Latin America’s common quest for belonging in the so-called modern world. Through a careful selection of materials, we will also recreate the translanguaging between Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese that resulted from the circulation of people and ideas. While the main language of the class will be Italian, both advanced Spanish and Portuguese speakers are welcome to join, as there will be plenty of opportunities to work collaboratively and build our integrated system of communication.