Department of Black and Latinx Studies
Baruch College • CUNY
Fall 2022
Course: LTS/ENG/CMP 3059 Latina/o/x Literature in the US
Professor: Rojo Robles, Ph.D.
Email: rojo.roblesmejias51@login.cuny.edu
Office (student) hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00-2:00 pm (Office 4-272). This designated time is to discuss any questions or concerns about the class. We can meet briefly if you have a quick question or schedule a more extended session if you need help with coursework or content. If you prefer to meet at some other time, write me an e-mail, and we could set up a meeting time for both of us.
Course blog: https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/latinxliterature/
Class meets: Mondays and Wednesdays 2:30 pm-3:45 pm (Room B – Vert 11-130)
Weekly announcements: Thursdays
Institutional course description: This course examines significant works of literature written in English by Latinas/os/xs in the US. It concentrates on novels, short stories, and essays from the late 19th century to the present. Special attention is given to cultural identity, social class, race, and gender issues, as well as bilingualism and code-switching. While focusing on the diversity of the Latino/a/x literary expression, this course also explores the sociopolitical contexts in which the works emerged and the commonalities and differences of the experiences of the Latin American diasporas in the US.
Course description for this section: Something is exciting about stepping into a world we recognize but gatekeepers have hidden. Latinx Literature presents an imaginative richness that we want and deserve to (re) experience. It illuminates underrepresented views, discourses, and creativity. This student-centered course intends to broaden the knowledge and understanding of Latinx’s historical and present-day literary contributions to the US. We will read various literary genres, including poetry, novel, theater, graphic narratives, film, memoirs, testimonies, and fiction. The course will explore maroon and decolonial poetics, urban and rural tales, gender and sexuality, speculative fiction, and Black and Indigenous storytelling. While paying attention to historical, linguistic, critical, and cultural contexts, we will see how these texts inform the present understanding of Latinx cultural and political identities. These narratives will let us explore cimarronaje, citizenship or its lack, socioeconomics, ecologies, and political and racial constructions. They will allow us a space to study and (re)imagine Latinx yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Student-centered pedagogy: The student-centered approach puts participants’ interests first by acknowledging their needs as central to the learning experience. Rather than designing the course from the professor’s perspective, it will be created from the learner’s perspective. Each student will select their learning path via an option-based practice.
Learning goals: Our focus is on studying Latinx literature and its intersections with Black and Latinx lives as we develop these learning goals:
.Using interdisciplinary methods to build and support arguments addressing issues and ideas that center Black and Latinx peoples’ literary production.
.Communicating ideas and arguments in written, oral, and digital forms.
.Evaluating issues of social and racial justice using multi/transdisciplinary perspectives.
.Assessing and identifying reliable sources of research and information.
.Develop skills for research and problem-solving.
Course objectives: During this course, students will:
. Survey some critical literary texts about the history, societies, and cultures of US Latinx people.
. Demonstrate knowledge of the dynamics of colonialism, race, ethnicity, class, migration, and diasporic formations concerning the experience of Latinas/os/xs.
. Articulate experiences of resistance, racial, cultural, and ecological affirmation via a Latinx context.
Statement on grades and assessments: I believe people learn when they are curious and find stimulus and, many times, joy and pleasure to study. Grades do not reflect the subjective character of learning nor societal issues of access and equity. Everybody learns in complex ways that grades usually cannot reflect. This course will focus on qualitative assessment. Qualitative assessment is driven by the intention of understanding how people make meaning of and experience the sources they engage with. I will not use grades for individual assignments but rather add points based on your self-evaluations. I will also comment and ask questions that engage your work. At the end of the term, I will add all the points you have to determine your final grade.
Grade breakdown:
Four online “critical posts”: 12.5%
Four online “reaction posts”: 12.5%
Two class presentations: 10%
Midterm social media project + self-evaluation: 25%
Final project + self-evaluation: 30%
Attendance + participation: 10%
Self-evaluation: You will reflect critically on your learning (with specific questions and rubrics) and evaluate your midterm and final project. After interacting with your work, I will give you feedback on your midterm and, optionally, on your final. I reserve the right to change your self-assessment if there is a disparity between your self-evaluations and my appreciation of your work.
Grading:
93-100 A; 90-92 =A-; 87-89 =B+; 83-86 =B; 80-82 =B-; 77-79 = C+
73-76 = C; 70-72 = C-; 67-70 = D+; 63-66 = D; 60-62 = D-; <60 = F
Attendance: Students are encouraged to attend, be on time for all in-person sessions, and submit online posts. After three unexcused absences and/or lateness, your standing in class will be affected, and I will lower your final grade (for example, an A becomes a B).
Note on COVID-19 and mask-wearing: As informed by CUNY central, “for Fall 2022 semester, students taking in-person or hybrid courses must be fully vaccinated when classes begin. Further, all students taking in-person or hybrid classes must upload proof of that status to CUNYfirst by ten (10) days before classes begin.”
Although mask-wearing is optional, I believe that protecting our community in and beyond the classroom should continue to be a priority. When using your mask during our time together, you are taking care not only of immunocompromised classmates but also of our extended circles and loved ones.
Assignments: Students will engage with the learning goals and course objectives by doing these assignments.
I. Class presentations
Presentation #1
Instructions:
Research and analyze an assigned source from the syllabus. Your class presentation allows you to practice your oral communication skills. It should also demonstrate your ability to design an argument based on your close analysis of the text assigned for the day’s discussion. Present your breakdown orally based on the prompts below (8-10 minutes). You are welcome to use slides, images, sound, or text to help visualize and engage the class.
. What are the central ideas of this writer, poet, thinker, filmmaker, or artist?
. Analyze one specific section by your chosen author that best communicates what you identified in the question above.
. Discuss how the text or film’s structure enhances the author’s or filmmaker’s conceptual goals.
. Can you establish any analogy/relationship between what the author says or what the filmmaker presents and your personal experience? If this is not the case, can you establish relationships with other works you have read/heard/seen (books, comics, plays, paintings, photographs, podcasts, music, movies, series, documentaries, etc.)?
*Ideally, all presentations will be group presentations. However, there is openness for individual presentations. After the presentation, you will respond to a short post-presentation Q&A with the professor and classmates.*
Presentation #2
Instructions:
This second presentation is another opportunity to practice your public speaking skills. Look for, research, and analyze a poem, a spoken word performance, or a song made by a Latinx writer/creator. Present your breakdown orally on the following questions (5-7 minutes). You are welcome to use slides, images, sound, or text to help engage the class:
.What are the central ideas of this poem, spoken word performance, or song?
.What are the verses, lyrics, and/or performance styles trying to communicate about Latinx identities, experiences, ideas, feelings, projections, etc.?
.Analyze one specific section of the poem, lyrics, and/or performance video that best communicates what you identified in the questions above.
.Can you establish any analogy/relationship between what the poet, performer, and/or songwriter says and what other writers we have discussed in this class have presented?
II. Midterm: social media project
Instructions:
. Select one of the research questions developed collaboratively.
. Create a social media project on Twitter or Instagram using the following template:
. Present the author(s) and text(s) to be discussed, your chosen research question, and your thesis statement (your main argument and answer to the question).
.Develop at least three sections presenting supporting evidence from the primary source(s). Supplement your analysis with photos, illustrations, and/or videos.
. Wrap up your discussion on the author(s) and text(s), summarize your argument(s), and finish with a personal statement.
*Think of this project as a “translation” of a short essay (at least three pages) to social media.*
Sample Projects:
https://www.instagram.com/indigenous_future/
III. Final projects
Individually or with a partner, select ONE of the 10 questions (Blackboard). Engage with it through ONE of the projects described below. You may consider the following three options for your final project.
Option 1: Argumentative essay
Instructions
. Select one of the research questions developed collaboratively.
. Write an introduction in which you present the author(s) and text(s) to be discussed, your chosen research question, and your thesis statement (your main argument and answer to the question).
. Develop at least three body paragraphs presenting supporting evidence from the primary source(s). Incorporate secondary sources that you find during your research.
. Write a conclusion in which you wrap up your discussion on the author(s) and text(s), summarize your argument(s), and finish with a personal statement.
(5 Pages/Double Space/ Times New Roman/ Font size: 12)
Option 2: A podcast episode
Instructions
. Select one of the research questions developed collaboratively.
. Record a podcast (10-12 minutes) using the following template:
. Present the author(s) and text(s) to be discussed, your chosen research question, and your thesis statement (your main argument and answer to the question).
. Develop at least three sections presenting supporting evidence from the primary source(s). Integrate secondary sources that you find during your research.
.Wrap up your discussion on the author(s) and text(s), summarize your argument(s), and finish with a personal statement.
Sample projects and tips by Dr. Rebecca Salois (Co-creatior and co -host Latinx Visions)
https://opened.cuny.edu/courseware/lesson/1029/overview
Option 3: Creative writing project
Instructions:
. Consider one of the research questions developed collaboratively.
. Respond to the selected source and question through a short story, a short poetry collection, or a script (3 pages/6 pages if collaborating with a partner). Remember to:
. Identify and match the central concerns of the selected source.
. Present your piece as an artistic interaction.
. Refer to or underscore specific sections or your chosen source.
.In a reflective essay (2 pages/ 4 pages if collaborating with a partner), describe your creative process. Reflect on what you learned from your chosen work. Discuss how your creative writing piece integrates, interacts with, and replies to the main ideas presented by the primary source. How has this exercise helped you incorporate past experiences into your sense of identity and worldview?
Sample Projects:
*A podcast or creative writing project has a more informal tone than an essay. It could let you own the material. Please brainstorm ideas that could go beyond the referred template. *
Template
Introduction
(1)_______________ (concise introduction of your topic). (2)___________________ (presentation of the text(s) and author(s) you are going to analyze). (3) __________________ (plug-in). (4)___________ I will argue that_________________ (your thesis statement on the texts).
*Avoid empty generalizations and stereotypes like: “since the beginning of time,” “for all Latinxs,” etc.
Body Paragraphs
You analyze relevant sections of your primary source (the text read and analyzed in the class) and bring evidence to support your thesis statement from the secondary sources (reviews, scholarly articles, opinion pieces, chapters, newspaper articles, etc.)
*When adding quotes remember to bring context and analyze the quote.
There are many phrases you can use as:
As xxx says (argues, presents, discusses, analyzes, examines, etc.) in their article (essay, chapter, online discussion, talk, etc.)on_______________ (add quotation marks to the text).
If you have questions on how to do citations, please let me know.
Conclusion
(1) In this essay/podcast, I/we examined the (theme of)______________ in ______________ (work (s) and author(s)). (2) I argued that_____________ . (3) In conclusion, I found that this/these author(s) deal with these themes to _______________. (4) _____________ (closing statement).
Statement on academic honesty: Learning involves pursuing honesty and dialogue, which cannot be achieved by presenting someone else’s work as your own. Writing in college means taking part in a conversation with other scholars, writers, and thinkers. By using academic citations, you demonstrate the relationship between your ideas and those of others. On the other hand, plagiarism is the failure to prove that relationship. I want to hear your voices and read how you get involved in the dialogue. Part of your academic experience is to enter these conversations by learning different ways to engage with sources.
If questions remain, ask me. For the record, if you violate the precepts of academic honesty, you will receive a zero for the assignment.
Baruch College guides and resources
- Academic Honesty
- Student Disability Services
- Newman Library
- Writing Center
- Bernard L. Schwartz Communication Institute
Statement on missing work: If you have concerns about assignment due dates or the use of technology, please, let me know ahead of time. I am ready to work with you. I will deduct the total percentage of missing work from your final grade. You are encouraged to email me or request an in-person or zoom meeting for questions or further clarification of any readings, audiovisual pieces, and assignments.
Course materials: All readings will be available on Blackboard as PDFs or links EXCEPT for the following two required texts:
.Engle, Margarita. The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. Square Fish, 2006.
.Machado, Carmen Maria, et al. The Low, Low Woods. DC Comics, 2020.
Languages: Although I will conduct the class in English if you feel more comfortable and/or want to work in either Spanish, Spanglish, Portuguese, or French, you may also write/create in any of these languages.
Are you looking for a minor or a major? Make BLS your choice: The Department of Black and Latino Studies offers interdisciplinary, intersectional approaches to the study of the ideas, history, politics, literature, music, religions, cultures, economic and social contributions of people of African and Latin American descent, including the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Our courses practice critical thinking and analysis skills, advanced writing, communication, and research. They also engage in digital literacies, collaboration, and project management— essential workforce skills. The interdisciplinary structure of our courses also offers excellent preparation for graduate school and careers in education, law, business, public relations, marketing, journalism, the arts, and education.