Latina/o Literature and
Literature of the Americas at the
University of Northern Colorado

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.