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Hispanics/Latinos are the 'largest ethnic minority group' of the United States, representing 16.3% of the total U.S. population or 50.47 million people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census). Some 140 TV stations, 600 radio stations and 550 magazines, newspapers and websites cater exclusively to U.S. Latinos, predominantly in their native language Spanish (Latina magazine). The multiple dimensions of a pan-ethnic, transcultural Latino identity affect the U.S. on every level, shaping what scholar Geoffrey Fox has called a "Hispanic nation" (1996).
The seminar will introduce the most prevalent and famous icons and archetypal figures of history, culture, society, politics, folklore, literature, art, media, sports, economy, music, academia, religion, entertainment and popular culture. In this manner, students will learn about the historical, social, political and cultural conditions that have shaped these figures' biographies and stories.
The list of names includes, e. g., La Malinche, Gregorio Cortez, José Martí, Emiliano Zapata, Francisco "Pancho" Villa, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, La Virgen de Guadalupe, Desi Arnaz, César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, Roberto Clemente, Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, Celia Cruz, Jaime Escalante, Sandra Cisneros, Rita Moreno, Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos, Carlos Santana, Selena, Luis Valdez, La Llorona, Joaquín Murieta, Zorro and many more.
The reading material will comprise literary texts (poetry, fiction, drama etc.) and art as well as media texts (TV, film, print media, Internet etc.). Historical documents and academic writing will additionally help to fathom the past and present conditions of Latinas/os in U.S. American culture.
Course Readings
- A reader containing all relevant texts will be made available after the first class meeting
Course Requirements
- Regular attendance & completion of all reading assignments
- Your participation in class will enter into your seminar grade (10%)
- For Studienbuch credit (Proseminar "Cultural Studies seminar/Landeskunde"), Erasmus Credit and Studium Liberale: take the midterm + end-of-term exam or give a presentation + take the end-of-term exam
- For additional "Schriftliche Hausarbeit" Studienbuch credit: Write a 10- to 12-page research paper
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