SPA 261 - Race and Ethnicity in the Americas

This course explores the formation of race in the Americas by examining cultural and political contexts in the United States, Latin America, and the Hispanophone Caribbean. The course will be structured around the following questions: How have racial categories been used to establish difference within societies across the Americas? How have race and ethnicity shaped these societies? What are the intersections among race and ethnicity, gender, class and nation? We will explore these questions through the works of Black and Indigenous writers and artists, historical texts, essays and documentaries, among other materials. We will focus on key concepts such as mestizaje, negritud, castas, transculturation, racial democracy and eugenics.
Lecture
Credits: 3
Offered in the Fall Semester