Course Description

This course examines the theory and knowledge produced by Latinx American authors of literary texts uplifting critical events, histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, contributions, lived-experiences and social struggles of Latinx Americans with a particular emphasis on literary artistic productions demonstrating agency, resistance, and group affirmation. Instructors guide students to engage in critical examination of literary texts through an ethnic studies framework focusing on race and racism, intersectionality, decolonization, imperialism, anti-racism, white supremacy, self-determination, and liberation. Students have an opportunity to conduct comparative analyses of classic and current Latinx literary texts speaking to structural social justice issues such as educational equity, immigrant rights, women's rights, labor rights, and the criminal justice system. The course invites students to critically review the various ways Latinx literature addresses racialization, the politics of naming, histories of colonialism, language politics, citizenship and migration, and imperialism as well as the various ways literary works challenge, complicate, and expand American Literature and Western narratives. Honors uses the pedagogical methods common to all Honors courses: trans-disciplinary, writing-intensive, collaborative, and experiential instruction. As an honors course, there is a focus on analytical writing and an emphasis on a higher degree of student participation and leadership in class discussions and other interactive teaching/learning techniques that are generally unsuitable for larger undergraduate classes.