Academic Catalog

ENGL 31: LATINO/A LITERATURE

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2024
Units: 4
Hours: 4 lecture per week (48 total per quarter)
Advisory: Demonstrated proficiency in English by placement via multiple measures OR through an equivalent placement process OR completion of ESLL 125 & ESLL 249.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Area I: Humanities
Transferable: CSU/UC
Grade Type: Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass)
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Examine the various cultural interpretations of United States society (e.g., assimilation, cultural pluralism, melting pot, the Latino/a Diaspora) and interpret their impact on Latino/a writers.
  • Identify major literary, social and political events and movements in the 19th and 21st century and explain their impact/influence on contemporary Latino/a American literature.

Description

Reading and discussion of Latino/a literature and its relationship to social issues and identity politics of Latinos/as. Critical examination of fiction, poetry, essays, and drama by and about the Latino/a communities, including those of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Caribbean, and South and Central American descent.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Differentiate between specific Latino/a cultural groups, their perspectives, and their interaction with United States society.
  2. Identify ways in which Latino/a cultures shape the narrative of the United States (e.g., assimilation, cultural pluralism, melting pot, the Latino/a Diaspora) and interpret their impact on Latino/a writers.
  3. Analyze the influence of assigned literature to the culture of the U.S.
  4. Examine the various cultural interpretations of United States society.
  5. Analyze the themes of migration and mestizaje in various Latino/a texts.
  6. Discuss issues of gender race, class, sexual orientation, and religion and their impact on Latino/a communities and literatures.
  7. Recognize and apply basic literary terminologies, theories, categories, motifs, and genres appropriate to an introductory college-level discussion of literature.

Course Content

  1. Perspectives on Latino/a identity as seen through a variety of writers
    1. Examination of the diversity of Latino culture, including writers of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Caribbean, and South and Central American descent
    2. Connections to country and culture of origin
  2. Issues of assimilation, acculturation, and cultural pluralism expressed in the literature
    1. Legacy of colonialism and imperialism
    2. Embracing the paradox of life between and within multiple cultures
  3. Recent and contemporary literary works by Latino/a authors
    1. Novel and short stories
    2. Poetry
    3. Non-fiction essays and autobiographies
    4. Significance and influence of Latino/a literatures on contemporary literatures of the United States
  4. History and development of the United States identity as portrayed in Latino/a literature
    1. Characteristics of United States and Latino/a identities
    2. Interactions of these characteristics
  5. Issues of identity and belonging as expressed in Latino/a literature
    1. Themes of exclusion/inclusion as related to pace of origin and migration
    2. Concept of mestizaje and how it intersects with insider/outsider politics
    3. Issues of mixed heritages: color consciousness and categorization
  6. Issues of diversity in Latino/a communities as expressed in literatures
    1. Role of gender in Latino/a communities and literatures
    2. Representations of sexuality and sexual orientation in Latino/a literatures
    3. Economic and class issues within Latino/a communities and literatures
  7. Relevant literary theories, terminologies, and analytic statements
    1. Denotative and connotative meaning of words and statements
    2. Structure or development of events, emotions, images, and ideas
    3. Figurative and symbolic language in relation to central theme(s) of the work
    4. Artistic synthesis of literal and figurative details with theme(s)
    5. Historical evolution of genres and styles in appropriate literary, cultural, and historical context

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

When taught via Foothill Global Access, on-going access to computer with email software and hardware; email address.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Critical papers
Participation in class discussions
Panels and reports
Mid-term examination
Group presentations
Stylistic imitations
Final examination

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture
Discussion

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Acevedo, Elizabeth. Family Lore: A Novel. 2023.

Anaya, Rudolfo A.. Bless Me, Ultima. 2004.

Antigua, Diannely. Ugly Music. 2019.

Anzaldua, Gloria. Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. 2012.

Borjas, Sara. Heart like a Window, Mouth like a Cliff. 2019.

Brown, Ariana. We Are Owed. 2021.

Castillo, Ana. So Far from God. 2005.

Chavez, Felicia Rose, et al., eds.. LatiNext Vol. 4. 2020.

Chazaro, Alan. Pinata Theory. 2020.

Cisneros, Sandra. Caramelo. 2003.

Contreras, Ingrid Rojas. The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir. 2023.

Coster, Naima. What's Mine and Yours: A Novel. 2021.

Fajardo-Anstine, Kali. Sabrina & Corina: Stories. 2020.

Galeano, Eduardo. Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent. 1996.

González, Xochitl. Olga Dies Dreaming. 2023.

Grande, Reyna, and Sonia Guiñansaca. Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings. 2022.

Moraga, Cherie, and Gloria Anzaldua, eds.. This Bridge Called My Back. 2002.

Moreno-Garcia, Silvia. Mexican Gothic. 2021.

Olivarez, José (translated by Ruano David González). Promises of Gold = Promesas de Oro. 2023.

Rivera, Tomas. And the Earth Did Not Devour Him. 2007.

Saracho, Tanya. Fade. 2017.

Urrea, Luis Alberto. Good Night, Irene. 2023.

Villavicencio, Karla Cornejo. The Undocumented Americans. 2020.

Viramontes, Helena M.. Under the Feet of Jesus. 1996.

Zamora, Javier. Solito: A Memoir. 2023.

Although some texts listed are older than 5 years, these are foundational texts for the study of Latinx literature.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Reading essays, poetry, short stories, drama, and novels
  2. Journal responses to readings
  3. Written analysis of readings
  4. Individual/group presentation of significant historical events in Latino/a history
  5. Attendance at a Latino/a writer's book/poetry reading

Discipline(s)

English