Professor Bertin Louis
bmlouis@artsci.wustl.edu
Room 339, Old McMillan Hall
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1-3 pm
 

Identity is a term that begins to give humans a sense of understanding of who we are.  In terms of the Latino/a diaspora in the United States issues of ethnicity, gender, nation, class, sexuality and race are key theoretical categories that aid us in theoretical and practical understandings of identity.  In this course we will analyze and discuss the concept of identity in order to understand the constructions and varied meanings of the term. There will be a special emphasis placed on anthropological, historical, and social science literatures of the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States as they pertain to deeper understandings of identity.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

This is a 2-credit course that can be taken for a grade or pass/fail.  No audits are allowed.
 
 

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

For those students taking the course for a letter grade, there will be 4 assignments: two 1 to 1 1/2-page response papers and two 5 to 6 page take-home exams.  The shorter papers will comment on what struck you from the material covered in class from previous sessions.  Those response papers are also intended to raise questions about our readings and discussions.  The take-home exams will be longer essays based on questions I will assign a week before they are due.  These papers are exercises that will help the students develop their own ideas and to work through some of the intellectual terrain that we will cover.  These writing assignments are intended to cover some of the important topics discussed in readings and class discussions as well as highlight common issues and themes.  I will also provide a guideline on how to write these assignments in terms of format, content and critique.

For students taking the course pass/fail, they will only have to do one response paper and one 5-6-page paper with a combined passing grade in order to receive a “pass”. I expect quality work from these students and for them to take this class seriously.
 
 

GRADING

Grading will be based on response papers (15% each for a total of 30%), the take-home exams (30% each for a total of 60%), and class participation (10%).
 

READING MATERIALS

The Course Packet ($38.95 plus tax) is available at HiTec copy store located at the corner of Big Bend Road and Forest Park Parkway.
 

SYLLABUS

Introductory Session

Readings:

Cultural Identity and Diaspora – Stuart Hall.  In Identity: Community, Culture, Difference.  Jonathan Rutherford (Ed.).  pp. 222-237.  London: Lawrence and Wishart.

Secret Latina at Large: Veronica Chambers - Panama.  2000.   From Becoming American: Personal Essays by First Generation Immigrant Women.  New York: Hyperion.

Turbulent Times: Lilianet Brintrup - Chile.  2000.   From Becoming American: Personal Essays by First Generation Immigrant Women.  New York: Hyperion.

On Becoming: Nelly Rosario – Dominican Republic.  2000. From Becoming American: Personal Essays by First Generation Immigrant Women.  New York: Hyperion.

Diasporas – James Clifford.  1994.  Cultural Anthropology 9 (3): pp. 302-338.

Mexican Migration and the Social Space of Postmodernism – Roger Rouse

Exodus – Benedict Anderson.  Critical Inquiry.  20 (4).  pp. 314-327.

The Lite Colonial – Juan Flores.  2000. From Bomba to Hip-Hop: Puerto Rican Culture and Latino Identity.  New York: Columbia University Press.

Pan-Latino/Trans-Latino.  2000. From Bomba to Hip-Hop: Puerto Rican Culture and Latino Identity.  New York: Columbia University Press.
 
 

•  REVIEW OF WRITING REQUIREMENTS

Readings (*All selections in this unit are taken from Latin Looks: Images of Latinas and Latinos in the U.S. Media.  1997.  Boulder: Westview Press).

Introduction-Clara Rodriguez.  pp.1-12.

Out of the Picture: Hispanics in the Media – National Council of La Raza.  pp. 21-33.

Distorted Reality: Hispanic Characters in TV Entertainment – S. Robert Lichter and Daniel R. Amundson.  pp.57-72.

Stereotyping in Films in General and of the Hispanic in Particular – Charles Ramírez Berg.  pp.104-120.
 
 

•  WRITTEN COMMENTS DUE ON WEEK 5

Readings:

Castex, G. M. (1994).  Providing services to Hispanic/Latino Populations: Profiles of Diversity.  Social Work, 39 (3).  288 – 296.
Vega, W. & Lopez, S.R. (2001).  Priority issues in Latino mental health services
research. Mental Health Services Research, 3 (4), 189-200.

Optional Readings:

Mezzich, J. E., Ruiz, P., & Munoz, R. A. (1999).  Mental healthcare for Hispanics Americans: A current perspective.  Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 5 (2), 91-102.
Aranda, M. P. (2001).  The development of the Latino social work profession in Los Angeles.  Research on Social Work Practice, 11 (2), 254-265.

Puerto Rico’s Status and Puerto Rican Identity:

Gonzalez, J. (2000).  Puerto Rico, U.S.A: Possessed and Unwanted.  In J. Gonzalez. Harvest of Empire: A history of Latinos in America (pp. 81-95). New York:Viking.

Gonzalez, J. (2000).  Puerto Ricans: Citizens yet foreigners.  In J. Gonzalez. Harvest of Empire: A history of Latinos in America (pp. 81-95). New York:Viking.
 
 

• TAKE HOME EXAM I QUESTIONS DISTRIBUTED
• ONE PAGE PRESENTATION PROSPECTUS DUE

Readings:

Broken English Memories – Juan Flores.  2000.   From Bomba to Hip-Hop: Puerto Rican Culture and Latino Identity.  New York: Columbia University Press.

My Grandmother’s Passing – Linda López McAlister.  1999.  Whiteness: Feminist Philosophical Reflections.  Oxford: Rowan and Littlefiled Publishers,Inc.

• TAKE HOME EXAM I DUE

Readings:
No reading for this session

Readings:
No readings for this session.

Readings:
No readings for this session.
 
 

Readings:

THESE READINGS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE AT LEAST A WEEK BEFORE THE LECTURE

Snapshots from My Daze in School – Celia Alvarez. 2001.  From Telling to Live: Latina Feminist Testimonios Duke University Press: Durham.

Another way to grow up Puerto Rican – Liza Fiol Matta.  2001.  From Telling to Live: Latina Feminist Testimonios. Duke University Press: Durham.

A Selection from This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color.  Third Edition.  Edited by Cherríe L. Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa. 2002.  Berkeley: Third Woman Press.
 

• WRITTEN COMMENTS DUE ON WEEK 11

Readings:
TBA
 

• TAKE HOME EXAM II QUESTIONS DISTRIBUTED WEEK 12.

• TAKE HOME EXAM II DUE.

Week 14: November 29th – NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING BREAK W-Su, 11/27-12/1
 

Week 15: December 6th– FINAL CLASS.  CLASS PRESENTATIONS AND COURSE EVALUATIONS

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[1] September 17th: last day to change grade option on a FL2002 course to “pass/fail”.

[2] October 18th – Beginning of Fall Break.

[3] November 15th: last day to withdraw, except on recommendation from Health Service.Last day to change grade option on a Fall 2002 course to “C” (credit).