This course is a survey of U.S. Latinx literature that introduces students to the major trends in the tradition. While Latinxs are people of Latin American descent who live in the U.S., the term describes a broad range of racial, cultural, and political backgrounds. Latinxs have played a central role in the U.S. since its inception, influencing the history, politics, and culture of the United States. Latinx literature draws on literary traditions that span more than 400 years, but our course will focus on more contemporary forms of the tradition, its canon, and how authors are currently “queering” this canon. Our course emphasizes the historical and aesthetic networks established in the Latinx literary canon that continue into the present, while also exploring the relationship between genre and socio-historical issues. We begin with readings from contemporary scholars who attempt to define what Latinx is and can be, establishing a foundation for thinking about the shifting definitions of “Latinx” in the U.S.
You can see a sample syllabus here.