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ENG 243: Introduction to Chicanx and Latinx Literature

Description: As an introductory survey, this course emphasizes the formal, thematic, and cultural diversity of Latinx literature. We will read novels, poetry, short stories, and comics, among other media, by authors from a range of identities—including Mexican American, Guatemalan American, Cuban American, and Puerto Rican. Our literary analyses will account for cultural movements—e.g. the Chicano Movement, Nuyorican Poetry—and concepts—e.g. border thinking, gender and sexuality, mestizaje, migration—that shape the work of Latinx authors. Students will undertake creative and analytical writing projects that explore Latinx letters in terms of literary techniques and geographical, political, and social themes. Required Texts Print: The Mixquiahuala Letters, by Ana Castillo, Bilingual Press/Penguin, 1986/1992 Diary of an Undocumented Immigrant, by Ramón “Tianguis” Pérez, Arte Público Press, 1991 The Tattooed Soldier, by Héctor Tobar, Penguin/Picador, 1998/2014 America Vol. 1: The Life and Times of America Chavez, by Gabby Rivera and Joe Quiñones, 2017 Film: Short Eyes, directed by Robert M. Young, screenplay by Miguel Piñero, 1977

~ The required print texts are available at The Duck Store.~ ~Additional required readings will be posted to Canvas~

Grade Breakdown 5% Biographical reflection 25% Midterm essay exam 10% Quizzes 25% Discussion board posts

35% Final portfolio (10% genre translation, 25% analytical reflective essay)

Learning Outcomes The goals of this course are:

1. To further students’ appreciation for and understanding of how Latinx authors and artists have used reading and writing to construct culture. 2. To increase students’ abilities to critically read and analyze texts related to Latinx life and its representation in the United States. 3. To engage students in rigorous discussions about issues of culture, identity, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, history, community, and textual conventions. 4. To provide students opportunities to increase their abilities to write creatively, reflectively, and analytically.

Quarter: Summer 2019 Professor: Dr. Marcel Brousseau (he, him) Day/Time: 6/24-7/21 Online Email: mbrousse@uoregon.edu CRN: 42475 Digital office hours: W 12-1:30 PM

and by appointment

From America, Joe Quiñones, 2017

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Assignments and Course Work • Expected Workload: This is a 4-credit undergraduate course. Expected student engagement hours are approximately 120 per term. The breakdown according to assignments and requirements are as follows: 1) Reading/viewing and discussion board posts: 80 hours; 2) Biographical reflection/free write: 1 hour; 3) Quizzes: 1 hour; 4) Midterm: 13 hours; 5) Final portfolio: 25 hours. • Readings and video lectures: There are readings assigned for every day of class. There will also be ten brief video lectures posted on Canvas to correspond with various readings, concepts, and themes. You are required to complete the reading on the day that it is assigned, and also to watch any video lectures that are listed to accompany the readings. Please note that while many of the readings will be made available as PDFs on Canvas, you are responsible for acquiring the four assigned print texts. • Biographical reflection: This reflective writing assignment asks you to provide a short, three-paragraph introduction of yourself to me and to the rest of the class. You will post these on the “Introduce Yourself!” page located in the Modules tab on Canvas by the end of the third day of class. • Quizzes: We will have four quizzes on Canvas during the term. These quizzes are an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you are keeping up with the reading for the course. • Discussion board posts: There are discussion forums on our Canvas site that require you to post one discussion response to Canvas for every night of reading. Your response must address the assigned reading(s) and be intended to inspire discussion. Late posts will only be eligible for partial credit. More guidelines are available on Canvas. • Midterm essay exam: The exam gives you the opportunity to exercise your critical reading, writing, and analysis skills based upon literary concepts. It will require you to craft persuasive arguments citing evidence from course readings. Grading criteria for the exam will be provided when it is assigned. • Final portfolio: Your final portfolio will allow you to work creatively and analytically with questions of genre and form. Your task will be to choose a work that we read this quarter and to translate it into another genre. Then, you will write an analytical essay that reflects upon your creative process and further analyzes your subject in accordance with the themes and concepts of this course. A discussion board will also be used to help develop ideas. More details about the project are available on Canvas. • Grading: Grades will be determined on the basis of the following rubric. A+ = 98-100 A = 93-97

A- = 90-92 B+ = 87-89

B = 83-86 B- = 80-82

C+ = 77-79 C = 73-76

C- = 70-72 D+ = 67-69

D = 63-66 D- = 60-62

F = 0-59

Course Policies • Participation and student success: Students are expected to engage rigorously and conscientiously with this class by reading assigned texts carefully and closely, regularly contributing to the Canvas discussion board, watching video lectures, and staying current with assignments. • Canvas: You are responsible for effectively utilizing email and Canvas in order to submit assignments and participate in the course. To access Canvas, go to http://canvas.uoregon.edu/ • Respect: Respect for each other is necessary to facilitate discussion and to create a safe online space that allows students to share their thoughts. Active participation in our online discussion board

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includes being considerate in your comments. There are times when discomfort can be productive, and it is important to have our ideas challenged, but at no time will we tolerate sexist, racist, homophobic, or transphobic statements in the discussion board or in other assignments. • Sensitive material: Many of the readings for this class feature disturbing language and images. You are responsible for all course readings; there are no substitute readings. Take the time to look over the course material and ensure that the violence, sexuality, and mature themes included in many readings will not prevent you from succeeding in the course. • Accessibility Statement: The University of Oregon seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for students with physical, sensory, cognitive, systemic, learning, and psychiatric disabilities. The Accessible Education Center (AEC) works to create and sustain physical, curricular, and informational environments that are informed by and responsive to the diverse characteristics and experiences of students with disabilities and variations of ability. Please notify me if there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in disability-related barriers to your participation. If you will need accommodations in the class, you are encouraged to contact the AEC in 360 Oregon Hall at 541-346-1155 or uoaec@uoregon.edu. The AEC will work with you and I will gladly make arrangements for accommodations. All written information in this course can be made available in alternative format with prior notification to the AEC. • Personal Responsibility Statement: Each student will be responsible for the grades that they earn in this course. Except under exceptional, documented conditions, no requests for grade modification (including those for a grade of “Incomplete”) for personal circumstances outside the purview of the course (e.g., probationary standing, financial aid eligibility, scholarship status, etc.) will be considered. Grade modification requests must be made in writing. Please monitor your grades carefully throughout the quarter. If extra-credit opportunities are offered during the quarter, you will be encouraged to take advantage of them. No additional extra-credit opportunities will be allowed on an individual basis. • Contact: You can contact me by email; my goal is to answer within 48 hours. • Digital office hours: I will be holding digital office hours on Wednesday from 12-1:30 PM on Canvas using the Conferences feature and the Chat feature. I will also be available by appointment. • Academic Integrity: Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own work. Any academic misconduct will be dealt with according to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. The University Student Conduct Code (available at conduct.uoregon.edu) defines academic misconduct. Students are prohibited from committing or attempting to commit any act that constitutes academic misconduct, such as plagiarism. If there is any question about whether an act constitutes academic misconduct, it is the students’ obligation to clarify the question with the instructor before committing or attempting to commit the act. Students should not give or receive (or attempt to give or receive) unauthorized help on assignments or examinations without express permission from the instructor. Students should properly acknowledge and document all sources of information (e.g. quotations, paraphrases, ideas) and use only the sources and resources authorized by the instructor. Additional information about plagiarism is available at researchguides.uoregon.edu/citing-plagiarism. • Syllabus: The instructor retains the right to vary the syllabus and schedule for the course.

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Schedule Readings, lectures, quizzes, discussion posts, and assignments are due by the end of the day on the date they are listed. The syllabus is subject to change; you are responsible for checking Canvas for updates. Week Genre Day Assignment (DB=Discussion board post due)

6/24 M Reading: Syllabus, Canvas website Video lecture: Welcome from the instructor Quiz: Syllabus quiz

6/25 T Reading: Ilan Stavans, “Introduction: The Search for Wholeness” (Canvas) DB

Theory

6/26 W Ralph Rodriguez, “Introduction: What We Talk About When We Talk About Latinx Literature” (Canvas); Mays, “What Are the Genres of Literature?” (Canvas) DB Video lecture: “Genre” BIOGRAPHICAL REFLECTION DUE

Folklore 6/27 R Reading: Jovita González, excerpts from The Woman Who Lost Her Soul and Other Stories (Canvas) DB Video lecture: Jovita González and folklore

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Poetry 6/28 F Reading: Miguel Algarín, “August 31 (St. Marks on the Bowery)”; Julia Alvarez, “Hanging the Wash”; Gloria Anzaldúa, “White-wing Season”; Sandra Cisneros, “For a Southern Man” (Canvas) DB Video lecture: The poets and their poetry

7/1 M Reading: Ana Castillo, The Mixquiahuala Letters (1-64) (Letters 1-18) DB Video lecture: Ana Castillo and the epistolary novel

Epistolary Novel

7/2 T Reading: The Mixquiahuala Letters (65-end) (Letters 19-40) DB Quiz: The Mixquiahuala Letters

7/3 W Reading: Miguel Piñero, Short Eyes (Canvas) DB Video lecture: Miguel Piñero and drama

Drama

7/4 R July 4th Holiday: NOTHING DUE

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Film 7/5 F Viewing: Robert M. Young and Miguel Piñero, Short Eyes (Canvas) DB

7/8 M Reading: Ramón “Tianguis” Pérez, Diary of an Undocumented Immigrant (1-86) DB Video lecture: The saga of Ramón “Tianguis” Perez MIDTERM ESSAY EXAM DUE

7/9 T Reading: Diary of an Undocumented Immigrant (87-163) DB

Nonfiction

7/10 W Reading: Diary of an Undocumented Immigrant (163-end) DB Quiz: Diary of an Undocumented Immigrant

7/11 R Reading: Héctor Tobar, The Tattooed Soldier (1-80) DB Video lecture: Hector Tobar and the novel

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7/12 F

Reading: The Tattooed Soldier (83-150) DB FINAL PORTFOLIO DISCUSSION BOARD POST DUE

7/15 M Reading: The Tattooed Soldier (153-226) DB Quiz: The Tattooed Soldier

Novel

7/16 T Reading: The Tattooed Soldier (227-end) DB

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Short Story

7/17 W Reading: Gil Cuadros, “Chivalry”; Carmen Maria Machado, “The Husband Stitch” (Canvas) DB Video lecture: The authors and their short stories

7/18 R Reading: Gabby Rivera and Joe Quiñones, America Vol. 1: The Life and Times of America Chavez (Issues 1-3) DB Video lecture: Reading comics

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Comics

7/19 F Reading: Rivera and Quiñones, America Vol. 1 (Issues 4-6) DB

5 7/22 M FINAL PORTFOLIO DUE