ENG 236.705
Latina/o Literature
Summer, second term, 1999
3 Credit Hours
Professor Marcus Embry
L30 Michener, 351-2111
Office Hours: Before class M-W 10:30-11:15
membry@bentley.unco.edu
asweb.unco.edu/eng/latina
Course Objectives
This course is designed to be an introduction to critical, historical, and cultural issues of Latina/o people in the United States. Rather than focus solely on Mexican Americans, we will also examine Nuyoricans, Cuban-American, Dominicans, and various other immigrant peoples from Latin America. We will examine misconceptions, stereotypes, and assumptions about Latina/os in the US by examining the variety of themes and ideas in their literature and by studying heritage, tradition, cultural identification, creativity, linguistic and stylistic innovations, symbol, and the use and transmission of oral or folk tradition.
Course Requirements
Midterm and Final examinations;
Three Reaction papers;
Class attendance and participation.
Method of Evaluation
Letter grades, A-F
Required Texts. Available at The Book Stop (916 16 St., Greeley).
Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima
Anzaldua, Gloria. Borderlands/La Frontera
Baca, Jimmy. Black Mesa
Garcia, Cristina. The Agüero Sisters
Rivera, Tomas. And the Earth Did Not Devour Him
Rodriguez, Abraham. The Boy Without a Flag
Course Requirements:
Grading:
20% Mid-term Exam
25% Final Exam
45% Reaction Papers
10% Attendance and participation
Reaction papers:
Five pages comparing the assigned texts or an assigned topic. Papers must be in MLA format.
Attendance and Participation:
Unfailing attendance 5%
Frequent relevant comments 5%
Frequent attendance 4%
Occasional pertinent comments 4%
Spotty attendance 3%
Couple, three-four good comments 3%
Crawling in bleeding 2%
Timid silence 2%
Name is mystery 1%
Outbursts, irrelevant comments -1%
Death in class 0%
Reading other texts or newspaper -2%
Rotting in class -1%
Chatting, disrupting neighbors -3%
Yes, Virginia, it is entirely possible to obtain negative points for your behavior. Don't.