Introduction to Latinx Studies

This course provides students with a critical overview of some of the most central themes and issues that have shaped the experiences of Latinx populations in the U.S. The main areas of inquiry that this course will address include: the history of ethnic labels; the formation of transnational communities and identities; the politics of language and bilingualism; race, class, and ethnicity; gender and sexuality; political and social movements; geographic space and localities; media and popular culture; and religion and faith. In order to foster an interdisciplinary and hemispheric approach to Latinx Studies, course materials will draw from the social sciences and the humanities, as well as from U.S. and Latin American scholarship and cultural traditions. This course will serve as a general introduction to the more focused areas of study developed in intermediate and upper level courses.