Home | Degree Requirements  | Courses of Instruction | Departmental Courses Approved | Spring 1998

Courses of Instruction

 
In the listing below, the designator LAS (Latino Studies) is understood to precede all course numbers for which no designator is indicated.
 
 
W1600x Latino History and Culture 3 pts. Not offered in 1997-98. An introduction to the historical experience of the Latino peoples of the United States from a comparative cultural perspective. Are "Latinos" or "Hispanics" one people, with a common and shared history of life in the U.S.? Through readings and discussion of major primary and secondary texts, this course studies the varied histories of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican and other Latin American peoples in the U.S., with a special view toward convergences and congruencies along political and cultural lines. In addition to written sources, selective use will be made of visual and musical examples.
 
W3010y Introduction to Latino Studies 3 pts. F. Rivera-Batiz. MW 4:10-5:25. An interdisciplinary course examining the Latino experience in the United States. Focus is on the methods and perspectives utilized by social scientists in the field of Latino Studies. Major demographic, social, economic and political trends are discussed. Key topics covered include: the evolution of Latino ethnicity and identity; immigration and the formation of Latino communities; schooling and language usage; tendencies and determinants of socioeconomic and labor force status; discrimination, segregation and bias in contemporary America; racial and gender relations; and political behavior among latinos. The course is policy-oriented and covers issues such as immigration policy, affirmative action, welfare reform, bilingual education, and civil rights legislation.
 
 
W3699x Migration and Community: The Latino Experience. 3 pts. C. Sanabria Tth 4:10-5:25. A survey of the major Hispanic migration movements to the U.S. during the twentieth century. Consideration will be given to Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban and Dominican settlements in this country. In each case, attention will be drawn to the political, social and economic forces that influenced migration, the history of the movement of those groups in the U.S., their impact on society, and their current socioeconomic status in the U.S.
 
 
Latinos in New York: Historical and Sociological Perspectives. 3 pts. C. Sanabria. TTh
4:10-5:25. The principal objective of this course is to study the history and changing composition of the Latino population of New York City from the 1920s to the present. A second major aim is to consider the contemporary socioeconomic status of Latinos in New York, within the context of the city’s changing economic structure, and in relation to the situation of other ethnic and racial minorities in New York and other cities.
 
 
Latinos in Black and White: Race, Ethnicity and Identity in the Americas. 3 pts. M. Jimenez Roman This course looks critically at traditional models of race relations in the Americas, the historical development and expressions of "blackness," "brownness," and "whiteness," at regional, national and international levels, and their contemporary articulations and ramifications. A primary focus will be the social and political dimensions of ethnicity and race in relations between Latinos and African Americans.
 
 
Seminar: Topics in Latino Studies. 3 pts. Presents selected issues examining the Latino experience in the United States. Students are shown alternative research methodologies, including quantitative data analysis, ethnographic research, and interpretive strategies. Students submit a paper at the end of the term using one of the research methods studied (Course to be proposed).