SPAN

117/Selected Topics: Introduction to Latin American Latino/a Studies

COURSE SYLLABI COURSE DESCRIPTION As a broadly interdisciplinary course, SPAN 117 aims at providing an introduction to the study of Latin America and Latinos/as in the Unites States. Using resources from various perspectives of the humanities and social sciences, we will focus on select issues that signiLicantly impact the Latin American region and Latinos/as in the USA. Through these various engagements, students will obtain a groundwork for future work in the Lield of Latin American and Latino/a Studies. ACADEMIC LEVEL-NATURE OF THE COURSE This course is open to all students of the CLA, being of particular interest, although not limited, to those planning to pursue the Latin American Studies Program Minor. As such, this course aims to introduce students to the Lield of Latin American and Latino/a Studies. The course follows a thematic organization which aims at exposing students to the multiple ways in which the humanities and social sciences approach the study of Latin American and Latinos/as. Thus, students will gain a wide understanding of these Lields as well as having the opportunity to pursue more focused studies in areas of personal interest. COURSE RATIONAL The geographical region of Latin America includes over twenty countries when the Caribbean is taken into account, though it is not always included. Countries as diverse as Haiti, Brazil, Mxico, and Argentina, among others, will then be the object of study in this course. A varied topography, climate diversity, complex histories as well as having the particular national, economic, and political realities of this region present signiLicant challenges in understanding Latin America. Furthermore, the rich tapestry of ethnic, racial, cultural, linguistic, religious patterns as well as diverse migration patterns make this region one of the most exciting, rich, and notoriously complex to study. In order to provide a background against which future study of the region can be pursued, this courses pedagogical aim is to provide the analytical and theoretical tools necessary for the study of Latin American and the Latino/a diaspora. Students will analyze categories like race, gender, nation, revolution, among other from various perspectives, including but not limited to sociology, literature, and religious studies to gain a wide exposure to how categories such as the ones mentioned above contribute to the understanding of Latin American and Latino/a realities. COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The multidisciplinary nature of this course offers an unique opportunity for students: 1. To gain understanding of this important region of the world and the signiLicant

diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties with the United States. 2. The opportunity to engage in critical comparative studies categories and identities like Race, Gender, and Nation, that opens paths of questioning to how these categories and identity function at home, and abroad. 3. Knowledge of general geography of Latin America and its importance for the historiography of the region. 4. Critical reLlection on the various factors leading to migration to the United States, the positive and negative impact of migration patterns and processes, and the realities of the diaspora. Students should be aware that the United States is not the only country with signiLicant Latin American migration. 5. An awareness of the multiplicity of histories, ethnicities, racial identities, religious traditions of Latin-America and the Latino/a diaspora in the United States. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES 1. Student will be able identify, geographically, Latin American countries. 2. Students will be introduced to analytical frameworks to think critically about Latin American and Latinos/as in the United States which they will then apply to their understanding of the region. 3.Through the various writing projects, students will be able to employ these analytical tools and frameworks and develop critical and focused assignments. 4. Students will continue to develop public speaking and group work skills as they engage in a group project. 5. Through leading a small group discussion students will gain facility as moderators of intellectual exchange. 6.Through weekly blog contributions, students will practice the formulation of critical questions in response to assigned readings. TEACHING STRATEGIES The communication of the material of this course will take various forms including lectures, smalls group discussions, class wide discussion, and blogs amongst other. Through these teaching strategies, the instructor and the students will actively involved in the learning process. REQUIRED/SUPPLEMENTARY LEARNING SOURCES Required Texts: 1. Ochoa, George and Carter Smith. Atlas of Hispanic-American History Revised Edition. 2. A Companion to Latin American History, Thomas S. Holloway, ed. (CLAH) Supplementary Text: 1. A Companion to Latina/o Studies, Juan Flores and Renato Rosaldo, editors.

(CL/AS) 2. Any additional reading will be posted on the Moodle website for the course. ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION STRATEGIES Both students and professor are expected to actively take part in the ongoing assessment process during the course. Evaluation procedures will thus take the form of continuous interaction and constructive feedback among the participants. Assessment/evaluation tools will be directly aligned with the course content, objectives and teaching strategies. Guidelines and criteria for speciLic activities and projects will be offered in separate documents. 1. Three short reLlection papers (3-5 pages each) .... 30% 2. Two writing buddies evaluation....20% 3. Group project ... 20% 4. Small group discussion leader .......15% 5. Ten weekly blog contributions........10% 6. Weekly attendance...5% GRADING POLICY All assignments must be turned in in a timely fashion and fulLill all the requirements expected to in order to be graded. Incomplete assignments will not be graded. Participation in the courses blog, presentations, small groups, and writing buddies evaluations is expected and necessary for the success of this course. Keep in mind that at Drew, a grade of A means "work of unusual excellence"; B "work of superior quality"; C "work of satisfactory quality," and D work of less than satisfactory quality, but passing. A grading rubric will be provided for each assignment at a later date. ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS Should you require academic accommodations, you must Lile a request with the OfLice of Disability Services (BC 119, extension 3327). It is your responsibility to self-identify with the OfLice of Disability Services and to provide faculty with the appropriate documentation from that ofLice at least one week prior to any request for speciLic course accommodations. There are no retroactive accommodations.

COURSE SCHEDULE DISCLAIMER Either for pedagogical reasons or for unforeseen events, the instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabi and scheduled assignments. In case of changes, the instructor will send a notice to such effects. Week 1: Origins: Conquista and Revolution Tuesday 8/30: Introduction of the Course: Syllabus and Course Expectations Group Discussion: Latin American and Latino/a Studies: what is this all about? Thursday 9/1: Discovering the Americas? Mesoamerica before Columbus Readings: 1. Ochoa/Smith: Chapter 1 2. "Early Population Flows in the Western Hemisphere," Tom D. Dillehay, in CLAH Week 2: Peoples of Latin America and the Encounter with Spain Tuesday 9/6: Spain and Mesoamerica Readings: 1. Ochoa/Smith: Chapter 2 2. "Exploration and Conquest," Patricia Seed, in CLAH. 3. "Indigenous Peoples in Colonial Spanish American Society," Kevin Terraciano, in CLAH. Thursday 9/8: African Diaspora: From Slavery to Abolition Readings: 1. "Slavery in the Americas," Franklin W. Knight, in CLAH. 2. "Colonial Brazil (1500-1822)," Hal Langfur, in CLAH. 3. "Abolition and Afro-Latin Americas," Aline Helg, in CLAH. Week 3: Theorizing Race and Ethnicity in the Americas Tuesday 9/13: What are we? Indian, Mestizos, Mulatos... Readings: 1. "Identity, Ethnicity, and Race," Peter Wade, in CLAH. 2. "Culture and Society: Latin America Since 1900," Robert McKee Irwin, in CLAH. Thursday 9/15: Contemporary Perspectives on Racialization in Cuba Readings:

1. "Fear of a Black Nation." Sujatha Fernandes 2. "Contesting Politics as Usual." T.S. Patschel, et. al. (On Moodle) Week 4: Colonialism: Puerto Rico Tuesday 9/20: Coloniality from Spain to the formation of el E.L.A. Readings: 1. Ochoa/Smith: Chapter 4. 2. "Practical Sovereignty: The Caribbean Region and the Rise of the US," Mary A. Renda, in CLAH. Thursday 9/22: 1950s: The Great Puerto Rican Migration and the Diaspora. Readings: 1. Ochoa/Smith: Chapter 5. 2. TBA: Literature/Newyorican Poetry Assignment: First Paper Due *IN CLASS: GROUP EVALUATION: Fist Month of Class* Week 5: Guatelama and Bolivia: Two Case Studies Globalization Tuesday 9/27: Guatemala Readings: 1. Johns, Rebecca. "Bridging the Gap Between Class and Space: U.S. Worker Solidarity with Guatemala." Economic Geography 74, no. 3 (1998): 252-271. 2. Chase-Dunn, C. "Guatemala in the Global System." Journal of interamerican studies and world affairs 42, no. 4 (2000): 109-126. Thursday 9/29: Bolivia and the Struggle for Water in Cochabamba Readings: 1. Assies, W. "David Versus Goliath in Cochabamba: Water Rights, Neoliberalism, and the Revival of Social Protest in Bolivia." Latin American Perspectives 30, no. 3 (2003): 14-36. 2. Spronk, Susan, and Jeffery R. Webber. "Struggles Against Accumulation by Dispossession in Bolivia: The Political Economy of Natural Resource Contention." Latin American Perspectives 34, no. 2 (2007): 31-47. Week 6: Nation and Sports: Tuesday 10/4: Soccer in the Americas Readings:

1. Freuler, Sebastin Snchez. "EDUARDO GALEANO AND MARIO BENEDETTI: FTBOL IN BLACK AND WHITE." Americas 60, no. 3 (2008): 60-63. 2. Foer, Franklin. "Soccer Vs. Mcworld." Foreign Policy , no. 140 (2004): doi:10.2307/4147517. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4147517. Thursday 10/6: From cane cutters to the Major leagues: Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Baseball. Readings: 1. Klein, Alan M. "Culture, Politics, and Baseball in the Dominican Republic." Latin American Perspectives 22, no. 3 (1995): doi: 10.2307/2634143. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2634143. 2. Perez, Louis A, and Jr.. "Between Baseball and BullLighting: The Quest for Nationality in Cuba, 1868-1898." The Journal of American History 81, no. 2 (1994): doi:10.2307/2081169. http://www.jstor.org/ stable/2081169. Week 7: Religions: From Mesoamerican religiosity to Pentecostalism Tuesday 10/11:Reading Period Thursday 10/13: Religious expressions: Mesoamerican Religions, African derived Religions, and Pentecostalism Readings: 1. "Religion, Society, and Culture in Colonial Spanish American Society," Rachel Sarah O'Toole, in CLAH. 2. TBA Week 8: Literature and Music from the Americas to USA (Light Reading Week) Tuesday 10/18: Literature Readings: 1. Selections Hand-Out Thursday 10/20: Music Readings: 1. Selections: Hand-Out Assigment: Second Paper Due *MIDTERM EVALUATIONS* Week 9: Mexico and US Border: Theorizing Diasporas (Heavy Reading Week)

Tuesday 10/25: La Frontera me Cruzo a mi, or how the border moved me. Readings: 1. Ochoa/Smith: Chapter 6 2. "The New Latin Nation: Immigration and the Hispanic Population of the United States," Alejandro Portes, in CL/AS. Thursday 10/27: The immigration Debate Readings: 1. "The Everyday Civil War: Migrant Labor, Capital, and Latino/a Studies," Nicholas De Genova, in CL/AS. 2. Ochoa/Smith: Chapter 7. Week 10: Latinos/as in the Inner City: Tuesday 11/1: Workers and Political Voice Readings: 1. Ochoa/Smith: Chapter 8 2."Conceptualizing the Latina Experience in Care Work," Mary Romero, in CL/AS. Thursday 11/3: Gangs, Transnational Migration, and PrisonFrom LA to El Salvador. Readings: 1. "The Moral Monster: Hispanic Recasting Honor and Respectability Behind Bars," Patricia Fernndez-Kelly, in CL/AS. 2. "Inter-American Ethnography: Tracking Salvadoran Transnationality at the Borders of Latina/o and Latin American Studies," Elana Zilberg, in CL/AS. Week 11: Social Movements: Tuesday 11/8: Women's Movement and Social Justice YLP Party on Women. Readings: 1. Selections of Young Lords's "Palante" hand-out Thursday 11/10: Labor Movements In Latin-America and Women's work in Venezuela. Readings: 1. Anner, Mark. "Meeting the Challenges of Industrial Restructuring: Labor Reform and Enforcement in Latin America." Latin American Politics & Society 50, no. 2 (2008): 33-65. 2. Fernandes, Sujatha. "Barrio Women and Popular Politics in Chvez's Venezuela." Latin American Politics & Society 49, no. 3 (2007): 97-127.

Week 12: U.S. Media and Latinos/as Tuesday 11/15: Who are the Latinos/as anyway? Readings: 1. Ochoa/Smith: Chapter 9 2. Queer Latinos/as: "Homecoming Queers" hand-out Thursday 11/17: Music, Movies and the Portrayal of Latinos/as Readings: 1. Between Blackness and Latinidad in the Hip-Hop Zone," Raquel Z. Rivera, in CL/AS. 2. Denzin, Norman K. "Zoot Suits and Homeboys (And Girls)." Review of Education, Pedagogy & Cultural Studies 23, no. 2 (2001): 167. 3. Daniels, Douglas Henry. "Black Music Culture." Journal of African American History 82 :201-20.

Week 13: Latinos/as in the Military

Tuesday 11/22: Latino/a Army: The Militarization of Citizenship. Reading TBA Thursday 11/24: Thanksgiving Recess Week 14: SPECIAL TOPIC WEEK Tuesday 11/29 Thursday 12/1: Last Day of Class ASSIGNMENT: THIRD AND LAST PAPER DUE