Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0235 - U.S. Latino/a Carib. Fiction

Contemporary Caribbean-U.S. Latino/a fictions portray authors and protagonists caught in a bind. They face the pressures of assimilation into mainstream American culture. On the other, they are all bound to a language other than American English and to memories of the lands of origin. Due to the proximity of these birthplaces (Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico) to New York, Miami, Chicago, protagonists and authors often idealize la familia as the source of identity and salvation. How are these predicaments resolved? What mechanisms of desire and denial are projected? How are origins re-inscribed? Will be some of the questions that guide our readings and discussions. Possible authors include Edward Rivera, Sandra Cisneros, Junot Diaz, Loida Maritza Perez, Rosario Ferre, Cristina Garcia, and Carlos Eire. This course satisfies the Division I distribution requirement.

Culture, Humanities, and Languages Writing and Research Multiple Cultural Perspectives In this course, students are expected to spend at least eight hours outside of class time.