This course is an exploration of Latinx literature and culture in the United States, with a special focus on the Chicanx or Mexican-American, Nuyorican/Puerto Rican, Dominican-American, Cuban-American, and Central American-American experience. What role does language play in Latinx culture? How is language a part of different communities and cultural productions? How do Latinx artists and writers use language in their work? In this class, we will examine film, literature, music, performance, and video, and see the use of Spanish, English, Spanglish, Pachuco Caló, and other language varieties, and how language proficiency affects the social experience. Practices such as code-switching will receive particular attention. The analysis will focus on the role of age, class, ethnicity, family, gender, generational differences, geographical location, historical period, immigrant status, place of birth, race, and sexual orientation as these relate to linguistic usage in the works studied, and on the specific effects and uses of language in cultural productions. Consideration will be given to the ways in which each particular cultural medium produces meaning.

Readings will include works by Miguel Algarín, Gloria Anzaldúa, Julia Alvarez, Josefina Báez, Maya Chinchilla, Sandra María Esteves, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Tato Laviera, Miguel Piñero, Dolores Prida, Pedro Pietri, Luis Valdez, Ana Celia Zentella, and others. Course requirements include two exams and two papers (a 4-5 page midterm essay and an 8-10 page final research essay).

Class taught in Spanish, with readings and writing assignments in Spanish.

This class counts toward the Spanish major and as literature credit toward the Spanish minor.