Interdisciplinary introduction to the basis for a Latina/Latino ethnicity in the United States. Topics include immigration and acculturation experiences and their commonalities and differences, comparison of Latina/Latino experiences to those of other racial, ethnic and immigrant groups, and the potential for a pan-ethnic identity.
General overview of international migration to the United States, using Latin American migration to the U.S. as the focal point. Topics discussed include the history of international migration to the United States, the relationship between history and the contemporary context, the development of U.S. immigration policy, the incorporation of Latino immigrants in U.S. society, and immigrant and community responses to migration. Same as SOC 221.
Interdisciplinary exploration of the racial politics of reproduction in the United States with an emphasis on how ideologies of race, class, and citizenship shape meanings and experiences of reproduction, pregnancy, and motherhood. Topics include contraception, sterilization abuse, and abortion. Students will also learn how women of color have both been affected by the racial politics of reproduction and how they have advanced the movement for reproductive rights and justice in the United States. Same as GWS 235.
Provides an introduction to Latina/o popular culture in the United States. Specific modes of popular culture might include mass media, music, film, video, performance, and other expressive forms. Lecture and readings are in English. Same as ENGL 224 and SPAN 240.
Survey of literature by and about people of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and other Latina/o descent in the United States. Taught in English. Same as ENGL 225 and SPAN 242.
Same as SPAN 248. See SPAN 248.
Examination of the history of Mexican Americans living within the United States from the Spanish Conquest to the twentieth century. Explores the process of migration, settlement, assimilation, and discrimination with emphasis on continuity and change in Mexican cultural development. Same as HIST 279.
Same as AAS 300 and GWS 305. See AAS 300.
Same as AAS 310, AFRO 310, EPOL 310, and EPS 310. See EPOL 310.
Explores the history of racial classification in the U.S. with special attention to the census and the role of the state more generally in defining race. Emphasis on how race-mixing has been understood in American culture, and on the current literature on "multiracials" and the future of "race" in the U.S. Readings are drawn from interdisciplinary sources, but examined from a sociological perspective. Same as AAS 355 and SOC 355. Prerequisite: Any lower division LLS or SOC or AAS course.
Examines Latina/o, Asian-American, African-American, and Indigenous stories of displacement, (im)migration, and settlement. We will analyze the negotiated and contested narratives about race, gender, and sexuality that the texts evidence in order to form interpretive arguments that address the ways in which the texts unsettle ideas about the nation, nation building, and national belonging. Same as AAS 357, AIS 357, ENGL 357, and GWS 357.
Focuses on how Chicanas/Latinas describe their own experiences and how they both understand and negotiate their sense of self, and centers on the new crop of memoir and autobiography, as represented in the most recent texts by well-established Chicana writers, such as Sandra Cisneros, Gloria Anzaldúa and Ana Castillo. We will also discuss the professionalization of the field of Latina/Latino Studies in the work of Tey Diana Rebolledo. Additionally, students will study the writing of self with a focus on gender, sexuality, and genre.
Addresses the theoretical, methodological, and ultimately political implications and questions generated by a range of ethnographic materials on Latina/os. Specifically explores culture and power (e.g., racism, sexism, and activism) through ethnographic methods and modes of representation, including literature. Fundamental to the course is the requirement that students engage in ethnographic practice, producing ethnographic research on Latina/os at the University of Illinois. Same as ANTH 370. Prerequisite: Any lower division course in LLS or ANTH.
Examination of the migration and settlement of Latina/o populations (Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, and Central and South Americans) in U.S. cities. Focus on the historic, economic, social and political factors that influenced these migrations and the choices migrants made to come to the United States and to urban areas in particular. Study of the regional variation among Latina/o groups, and coalition building and collaborative ventures between Latina/os and other communities of color in urban areas. Same as HIST 379.
Special topics not treated in regularly scheduled courses; designed especially for advanced Undergraduates. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated in the same or subsequent terms as topics vary to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite: One course in Latina/Latino Studies and consent of instructor.
Explores the experiences of Chicanas and Latinas through the lens of contemporary sociological research. Topics to be discussed include: community formation and activism, Chicana/Latina feminisms, sexuality, religion, health, family, immigration, education, work, media, and artistic expression. Readings emphasize the link between the structural inequalities of society, and the day-to-day lived experiences of Chicana/Latinas. Same as GWS 392 and SOC 392. Prerequisite: Any 100, 200, or 300-level LLS, GWS, or SOC course.
Explores how racial stereotypes rely on sexual stereotypes by examining the intersections of ethnic studies, gender and women's studies, and queer studies. Interdisciplinary course that draws from critial legal studies, sociology, anthropology, literary criticism, and history. Same as AAS 465, AFRO 465, and GWS 465. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Any lower division course in LLS, AAS, AFRO, or GWS.
This interdisciplinary seminar examines the social determinants of US racial and ethnic health inequalities through the lens of (im)migration. Topics to be addressed include: conceptualizations of race and ethnicity, immigrant-adaptation theories, discrimination, place, and the intersections of race, ethnicity, poverty, immigration, gender and health. Same as CHLH 473, SOC 473, and SOCW 473. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.
This capstone seminar, designed for advanced majors in LLS, will guide students through the process of writing a senior research paper relevant to the field of Latina/Latino Studies. Students will develop research skills through discussions, writing exercises, and workshops. 4 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. Prerequisite: LLS 385; senior standing; and enrollment as a major in Latina/Latino Studies.
Research project leading to a thesis. 2 or 4 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated in separate terms to a maximum of 4 undergraduate hours. May be taken by honors students in partial fulfillment of department honors requirement. Prerequisite: Senior standing; enrollment as a major in Latina/Latino Studies; a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25; a minimum 3.5 grade point average in the major; and consent of supervising professor.
3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated up to a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours or 12 graduate hours.
Independent study on special topics not treated in regularly scheduled courses. Approved for letter and S/U grading. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours.
Examination of specific topics in Latina/Latino Studies. Topics vary. May be repeated in the same or subsequent semesters to a maximum of 12 hours.