Course Outline for English 22
Mexican American/Latinx Literature of the U.S.

Effective: Fall 2022
SLO Rev: 10/05/2021
Catalog Description:

ENGL 22 - Mexican American/Latinx Literature of the U.S.

3.00 Units

This course is an introduction to Mexican American and Latinx Literature in the United States. The Mexican American and Latinx literary movement, particularly in California, is growing at a phenomenal rate, pushing the creative and intellectual boundaries within American Literature. In the course, we will cover a range of genres, including short stories, novels, poetry, memoirs, essays, and plays. Although Mexican American and Latinx authors have been contributing to American literature since the sixteenth century, the bulk of our attention will be paid to the Mexican American and Latinx literary movements that began in the 1950’s and extend through the present day. Students will analyze the literary works within the context of socio-economic, political, and historical movements; additionally, students will learn about the unique history, thematic concerns, and genre-bending styles of Mexican American and Latinx writers.
1501.00 - English
Optional
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Total 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. demonstrate familiarity with and explain a critical perspective on the varied achievements in imaginative literature by Mexican American/Latinx writers;
  2. analyze literary works in relation to their historical and cultural contexts with particular attention to identifying unstated premises and hidden assumptions;
  3. demonstrate knowledge of the structures of the works studied and analyze them in terms of such literary components as plot, character, tone, style, and figurative uses of language (such as metaphor, irony, paradox, symbol);
  4. contrast the diversity of the works while comparing their treatment of common themes, such as the cultural importance of ritual and magic or the challenges of creating a multi-lingual art form;
  5. critically evaluate distinctive elements of Mexican American/Latinx literature (such as various ways the literature combines traditional cultural myths, values and practices with the concerns and dilemmas of living in modern America) while drawing and justifying inferences about the literary works based on these elements;
  6. demonstrate understanding of the particular contributions of Mexican American/Latinx writers to American history and contemporary American culture;
  7. evaluate arguments in literary criticism and related nonfiction in terms of fairness, accuracy, completeness, and effectiveness;
  8. write a research paper on a literary topic.
Course Content:
  1. Lecture, critical reading, and discussion of the history, development, and contemporary breadth of Mexican American and Latinx literature of the US.
    1. Migrant Laborers
    2. Aztlan
    3. Chicano Movement
    4. Boricua and Nuyorican
    5. Afro-Latino
    6. Mexican American, Central American
    7. Chicana feminists and LGBTQ
    8. DREAMERS and Undocumented Citizens
  2. Critical reading and in-depth exploration of representative sample of literary works including poetry, drama, essays, short stories, and novels related to Mexican American and Latinx identity and cultural experience.
    1. linguistic diversity (code-meshing, bilingual and multi-lingual literature),
    2. oral traditions,
    3. indigenous perspectives on medicine, land, community, and
    4. regional identity (California, East Coast, Southwest, ancestral homelands). 
  3. Critical analysis of common archetypes, themes and motifs in Mexican American and Latinx literature, including: 
    1. borders and crossings,
    2. entre dos mundos/between two worlds,
    3. ritual and magic,
    4. realism and mystical elements,
    5. curanderismo/healing,
    6. the family,
    7. self-determination and the power of naming (Hispanic, Chicano, Afro-Latino, Latinx),
    8. trauma of assimilation,
    9. reclamation of homeland, and
    10. resilience in the struggle for linguistic and social justice.
  4. Analysis of supplemental readings (blogs, films, video clips, music) giving historical, cultural and critical contexts for the works studied with a focus on: 
    1. displacement from land due to wars, migration, labor recruitment andrepatriation,
    2. the United Farmworkers and Teatro Campesino,
    3. student movements and bilingual education,
    4. immigration policy, and/or
    5. sailor riots (Zoot Suit era).
  5. Critical viewing of media relevant to the historical and cultural milieu of the works studied, including but not limited to:  
    1. dia de los Muertos traditions in the US and abroad,
    2. history of Cinco de Mayo as an American holiday,
    3. folklore and archetypes such as La Llorona and La Malinche,
    4. corridos: the role of song as news, and/or
    5. El Malcriado: farmworker magazine.
  6. Application of literary concepts to texts concerned with Mexican American and Latinx cultural experience, including but not limited to:
    1. voice,
    2. characterization,
    3. point of view,
    4. symbolism,
    5. satire,
    6. humor devices,
    7. agit-prop,
    8. archetypes,
    9. magical realism,
    10. paradox,
    11. tone,
    12. irony, and
    13. setting.
  7. Writing of several papers, including a research paper, involving a critical analysis of thematic or structural aspects of the works considered. 
    1. Discuss how literary and structural elements convey thematic messages about the cultural and historical contexts with attention to unstated assumptions or premises.
    2. Contrast the diversity of the works while comparing their treatment of common themes.
    3. Critically evaluate distinctive elements of Mexican American/Latinx literature (such as various ways the literature combines traditional cultural myths with the dilemmas of living in modern America) while drawing and justifying inferences about the literary works based on these elements.
  8. Engage, in writing and discussion, with various critical and theoretical orientations, including but not limited to: 
    1. feminist,
    2. queer,
    3. critical race,
    4. post-colonial, and
    5. historicist.
Methods of Instruction:
  1. Field trips to visit museums, to attend plays, readings and other performances, when possible.
  2. Guest lectures by writers and critics, when possible
  3. Lecture/Discussion
  4. Distance Education
  5. Multimedia
  6. Student presentations
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. Research critical reactions to the novel Bless Me Ultima. What controversies emerge?
  2. With members of your small group, prepare a presentation of the one-act play Soldado Razo to present to the class.
  1. Exams/Tests
  2. Quizzes
  3. Oral Presentation
  4. Final Examination
  5. Short critical papers
  6. One long critical paper or research project
  7. Journal writings
  8. Class Participation
  9. Small and large group discussion
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. analyze literary works in relation to their historical and cultural contexts with particular attention to identifying unstated premises and hidden assumptions,
  2. demonstrate understanding of the particular contributions of the Mexican American/Latino writers to American history and contemporary culture,
  3. demonstrate knowledge of the structure of the works studied and analyze them in terms of such literary components as plot, character, tone, style and figurative uses of language.
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Anaya, Rodolfo (1994). Bless Me, Ultima Mass Market.
  2. Hernández Linares, Leticia and Rubén Martínez, Héctor Tobar (2017). Wandering Song: Central American Writing in the United States (an anthology) Tia Chucha Press.
  3. Stavans, Ilan (2011). The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature W.W. Norton and Company.
  4. Rivera, Tomas (2015). Y No Se Lo Trago La Tierra /And the Earth Did Not Devour Him. (Bilingual Editio). Arte Publico.
  5. Valdez, Luis (1990). Early Works Arte Publico Press.
  6. Henriquez, Cristina (2019). The Book of Unknown Americans Cannongate Books.
  7. Ledesma, Alberto (2017). Diary of a Reluctant Dreamer Ohio State Press.
  8. Acevedo, Elizabeth (2018). The Poet X HarperCollins.
  9. Fragoza, Carribean (2021). Eat the Mouth that Feeds You City Lights.
  10. Zamora, Javier (2017). Unaccompanied Copper Canyon Press.
  11. Diaz, Natalie (2020). Postcolonial Love Poem Graywolf Press.
  12. Hudes, Quiara Alegría (2012). Water by the Spoonful Theatre Communications Group.
  13. Skyhorse, Brando (2010). The Madonnas of Echo Park: A Novel Free Press.
  14. Cisneros, Sandra (1992). Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories Vintage Contemporaries.
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
Introduction to short stories, novels, poetry, memoirs, essays and plays related to Mexican American and Latinx literary traditions in the US. Literary works will be analyzed in the context of the historical growth of Mexican American and Latinx identity in the United States during the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
Discipline:
English*