A dynamic and interactive introduction to Spanish and Spanish American cultures. Covers the basic grammar structures of the Spanish language through extensive use of video, classroom practice, and weekly conversation sessions with a native language assistant. Assumes no previous study of Spanish.

Popular education emerged in the Americas as a liberation project nourished by revolutionary aspirations. The Brazilian educator, Paulo Freire and others envisioned liberatory education by and for the people. What were its origins? This course will examine the historical moments and movements where popular education emerged. Taking up a range of voices and sources, we will consider the principles and practices that animated revolutionary projects and social movements in El Salvador, Brazil, Nicaragua, among other Latin American and Latinx communities.

This seminar explores the diverse experiences of Central American nations in the twentieth century. From a common basis in an export-oriented agriculture, social and political alternatives ranging from social democracy to recurrent military rule, neofascist regimes, and revolutionary socialism have emerged in the isthmus. The course uses materials ranging from autobiography and literature to historical and anthropological studies to understand how this came to be.

Examines the confrontation, assimilation, and transformation of Amerindian, African, and European cultures in Latin America from the sixteenth century to the present. Focuses on the processes in which distinctive self-images emerged in the region and how these images have been challenged and changed over time. Uses films, literature, and folk traditions to complement scholarly analysis of the emergence of a New World mentality.

The course provides an historical and topical overview of Latina/o migration to the United States. We will examine the economic, political, and social antecedents to Latin American migration, and the historical impact of the migration process in the U.S. Considering migration from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, we will discuss the social construction of race, the gendered nature of migration, migrant labor struggles, Latin American-U.S. Latino relations, immigration policy, and border life and enforcement.

Housing is closely tied to quality of life and the health of neighborhoods and communities. As a main goal of the "American Dream," homeownership has important significance on an individual and societal level. For immigrants, this goal is often out of reach as a result of racism and discriminatory housing policies. This interdisciplinary seminar explores Latinas/os/x relationship to housing and homeownership by examining: 1. the history of housing policy in the United States; 2. national identity, assimilation, and housing; and 3.

This course analyzes the concepts of race and racism from an interdisciplinary perspective, with focus on Latinas/os/x in the United States. It explores the sociocultural, political, economic, and historical forces that interact with each other in the production of racial categories and racial "difference." In particular, we focus on racial ideologies, racial formation theory, and processes of racialization, as well as the relationship between race and ethnicity.

We know it's wrong to kick puppies for fun -- morally wrong. But how do we know this? Wait -- do we know it? This class is about moral knowledge: what it is, if we have it, and how we get it (when we do have it). We'll consider question in moral epistemology such as: Can we gain moral knowledge from testimony? What are the implications of the prevalence of moral disagreement? Do our evolutionary origins pose a challenge to our moral beliefs? And, more generally, should we be moral skeptics?

This course uses the traditional approaches of moral philosophy to explore ethical challenges and obligations faced by individuals, businesses, and organizations in an increasingly complex global environment.

The category of race has profound political, economic, and moral significance for people. In the first part of this class, we explore the problem of whether race is real. What would it mean for race to be real? If race is not real, what follows? Can we continue to use the concept of race if it is not real? The second part of the course deals with racism. What is racism? Is it a matter of conscious belief, implicit bias, institutional forces, or something else? What policies are morally appropriate to address racism? For example, are reparations for slavery justified?