Courses
Our courses benefit from the wealth of Latina/o communities that reside and flourish in Chicago yet we also look at the experiences of Latina/o communities throughout the United States. Courses may discuss the realities of Puerto Rican and Mexican communities in Chicago, second generation Dominicans in New York, or generations of Mexican Americans in Houston. Our curriculum engages in the productive tension between the common interests and differences affecting US Latinas/os. Students may expect to explore such commonalities/ differences in areas such as social movements, transnationalism, electoral politics, race and comparative processes of racialization, immigration, queer theory, gender and sexuality, language and identity, and cultural and artistic expressions.
The Latina and Latino Studies Program's Course List is as follows:
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LATINO 201-0 Introduction to major themes and debates shaping U.S. Latina/o communities, such as history of colonization, migration histories for diverse ethnicities, immigration, racialization, assimilation and cultural resistance.
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LATINO 203-0 Introduction to representations of identity and difference through literary theories and cultural studies approaches. Draws on diverse cultural texts such as literature, popular music, folklore, journalism, media, visual culture, and performance arts.
LATINO 395-0 Capstone Seminar in Latina and Latino Studies Advanced course synthesizing the state of current research. Questions the boundaries of Latina/o studies. Contextualizes research and topics in relation to other ethnic studies, gender/queer studies, and diaspora studies. Primarily for majors and graduate students. Prerequisite: consent of the program director.
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LATINO 399-0 Independent Study in Latina and Latino Studies Reading, research, and/or tutorials for students pursuing projects outside the context of regularly offered courses. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
Humanities Emphasis
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LATINO 277-0 Introduction to Latina and Latino Literature Survey of major writers and movements from Spanish colonial era to the present, covering a range of genres and ethnicities. Taught with ENGLISH 277 and SPANISH 277; may receive credit for only 1 of these courses.
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LATINO 393-0 Analyzes the politics of representation in mainstream and Latino/a media, literature, visual culture, popular music, and performance arts.
Social Science Emphasis
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LATINO 222-0 Latina and Latino Youth in US Cities Cultural, social, and political contexts that shape the lives of Latina/o youth in US cities, as well as Latina/o youths’ ideas of self-identity and civic engagement.
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*LATINO 342-0 Latina and Latino Social Movements Histories and ideologies of various US Latina/o social movements. Draws upon historical, ethnographic, autobiographical, and documentary accounts.
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LATINO 392-0 Social and political issues affecting US Latina/o communities. May include quantitative or qualitative methods, or both. Topics may include electoral politics, immigration, race and demography, among others.
History Emphasis
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LATINO 218-0 Latina and Latino History History of Latinas/os in the United States and in the context of US–Latin American relations from the 18th century to the present. Taught with HISTORY 218; may not receive credit for both courses.
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*LATINO 342-0 Latina and Latino Social Movements Histories and ideologies of various US Latina/o social movements. Draws upon historical, ethnographic, autobiographical, and documentary accounts.
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LATINO 391-0 Historical approach to US Latina and Latino lives and communities, such as history of Latina/o Chicago, labor history, or immigration. Content varies; may be repeated for credit with different topic.
* Please Note: Designation for these courses based on course emphasis and decision with the Director.