Bachelor of Arts in Latin American and Latinx Studies
This major explores the context and forces that have shaped the experiences of members of Latin American societies and U.S. Latinx communities. The major engages students in the interdisciplinary study of the political, historical, socio-economic and cultural possibilities and obstacles for achieving social justice and equity; cross-cultural and intercultural understanding; respect for human integrity and dignity; and awareness of political and human rights. Students will gain an integrated understanding of two fields of growing significance: Latin American studies and the study of Latinx in the United States.(Admissions Information).
Major Advisor: Professor Brian Montes, 212.237.6809
Latin American and Latinx Studies Minor
This multi-disciplinary minor and program includes courses in the areas of history, culture, law, psychology, sociology, politics and literature relating to the experience of Puerto Rican/Latinx in the United States and of Latin Americans in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Minor Advisor: Professor Brian Montes, 212.237.6809
Latin American and Latinx Studies Honors Minor
This minor seeks to encourage and assist students enrolled to excel in all their courses by providing research and writing skills workshops as well as workshops about graduate and law school studies. Coursework is centered on Latin America and the Caribbean, Latinx in the United States as well as race and ethnicity generally in the United States. For more details contact the minor advisor.
Honors Minor Advisor: Professor Brian Montes, 212.237.6809
Minor in Latinx Literature
This minor examines U.S. Latinx authors writing in English and focuses on the four major U.S. Latinx groups – Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican – as well as other significant U.S. Latinx populations – Colombian, Peruvian, Ecuadorian, Salvadoran, and Guatemalan. While applying literary criticism and taking an interdisciplinary approach, which may also include the study of music, religion, politics, film, and the visual arts, this minor provides a well–rounded understanding of the cultural elements that contribute to U.S. Latinx Literature. In addition, this minor will enable students to develop the critical reading and writing skills essential for graduate study and careers in the law, education, public policy, writing, and government. Among the broad issues this minor will address include the following: diaspora; bilingual aesthetics; street literature; criminal and social justice; border narratives, citizenship, and the law; experiences of exile; Afro–Latinidad; Latina feminisms; queer identities; orality; and ethnicity.Minor Advisor: Professor Belinda Rincón, 212.237.8650
UPCOMING FALL 2019 COURSES
LLS 124 Latinx In The United States
This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the field of Latin American and Latinx Studies focusing on the establishment and development of the diverse Latinx communities in the United States through the processes of migration, colonization, racialization, and integration. Students will explore the intersections of race, class, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality through such topics as identity formation, language rights, economic and political participation, transnationalism, law and civil rights and social justice movements.
LLS 130 Introduction to Latin American History
This is a survey course spanning Latin America’s history from the pre-Columbian period to the recent past. Focus is on the origins and development of Latin American social, political and economic systems, Amerindian and African peoples, the legacies of colonialism and slavery, the pursuit of nationhood and identity, the persistence of inequality, and the role of the United States in shaping the destiny of the region.
A comparative study of human rights policies, procedures, legislation and practices in Latin American countries. The impact of international and national conventions, bills and laws on the present observance of these rights. Inquiry into morality, social justice, social and professional ethics.
*This course can be taken to satisfy requirements for the International Criminal Justice major.
LLS 223 Revolution and Change in Latin American Literature and the Arts This course focuses on the themes of revolution and social change in the literature and arts of Latin America during the 'national' and 'post-national' eras. Through examining the visual arts, contemporary films, music, testimonial essays and literary narratives, the course assesses the role and contributions of literature and the arts to our understanding of revolution and social change in Latin America since the early 20th century. Using literature and the arts, the course aims to introduce students to such issues as indigenous rights, the mass media, the environment, political power, poverty, human rights and social justice, and the meanings of race, class, gender and sexuality in Latin America.
LLS 242 U.S. Foreign Policy in Latin America
(Same course as GOV 242 and POL 242 and HIS 242)
U.S. economic and political relations with Latin American countries during the 19th and 20th centuries. U.S. reactions to reform and revolutionary movements. The ideological framework of U.S. foreign policy.
This course provides an interdisciplinary overview of the experiences of Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and other Latinx during the Civil Rights period. It focuses on the Latinx social movements during the 1960s and their consequences today for the struggles for civil rights and social justice of Latinx and other racial minorities in the U.S. Topics include access to education and employment; immigrant rights; detention and deportation; race and crime; Latinx and African American alliance building; Latinx citizenship and the military, and gender values and sexuality.
This course analyzes the criminal justice system and its impact on the lives and communities of Latinx and other groups in the United States. Particular emphasis is placed on Latinx human and civil rights and the role that race, ethnicity, gender and class play in the criminal justice system. Interdisciplinary readings and class discussions center on issues such as the over-representation of Latinx and racial minorities in the criminal justice system; law and police community relations; racial profiling; stop and frisk policies; immigration status; detentions and deportations; Latinx youth; media representations; gangs; and access to education and employment and the school-to-prison-pipeline.
This course explores the field of transitional justice as it addresses past state violence and genocide. The course will move from an exploration of background material examining the Cold War years in Latin America to providing an in-depth analysis of the role played by truth commissions, and other strategies such as war tribunals, which seek justice and reconciliation in divided societies. We will question the root causes of violence, examine national and transnational actors, and conclude with a discussion of research methodologies used when documenting human rights abuses. The question of “forgiveness” will be also explored in the context of redress for wrongdoings.
LLS 363 Il-legal Subjects: U.S. Latina/o Literature and the LawThis course examines how the law shapes contemporary Latina/o life in the United States. Students will examine the relationships between legal texts and literature. Latina/o literature not only responds to the law, but also to its inequitable enforcement. We will read court cases, law reviews, and literary analysis in order to study the way Latina/o literature exposes contradictions in the legal system. Topics covered may include the legal construction of race, the criminalization of youth, law and U.S. colonialism, violence against women, and challenges to individual civil liberties.