AteAFPRL 356-01
(“W” Course)
Spring 2026
Professor Lázaro Lima
Meeting Time: Mondays, 2:30pm-5:15pm (in person)
Location: Baker Building BTB240 (151 East 67th Street)
Office Hours: Mondays, 5:30pm-6:00pm | Tuesdays, 4:30pm-5:30pm | or by appointment
Communication: [email protected] ([email protected]) and Brightspace e-mail list
Course Website: https://www.lazarolima.com/afprl-356-spring-2026.html (as linked)
Syllabus (as linked)
FINAL EXAM (as linked). Complete this take-home exam and return it via email as instructed below the day of the final exam, Monday, May 18, 2026, between 2:30-4:30. No late submissions will be allowed. Follow the instructions as indicated on the document.
Monday, May 11, 2026
0. Today is our final meeting time for AFPRL 356: Latinx Literatures and Expressive Practices (W). We will 1) complete group presentations (see below), and 2) we will review for the final take-home exam. After today's meeting, you will receive instructions for submission of the final exam via email.
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
If you were absent when group topics and presentations were discussed and assigned 1) contact the group you were placed into (absent students are listed in BOLD below), and 2) immediately work with the group in order to identify the group's topic and how to contribute to the presentation. If you were absent and your name is not listed below contact me immediately ([email protected]).
Group 1: Nicole SA; Mariah R.; Yaiden P.; Elohim M.; Katherine C.
Group 2: Famanh D.; Yamile A; Carolina C.: Lisseth M; John G.
Group 3: Jessica E.; Jahmaiya J; Leslie G. R.; Joel A; Leslie S. H.
Group 4. Marl Anthony G.; Mariana O. M.; Genisis E.; Patricia M.
Monday, May 4, 2026
0. Today we will analyze and discuss Gloria Anzaldúa, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” TLR (1987) during the first half of class. This reading constitutes the last "formal writing assignment" and the first draft is due today, 5/4 (see prompts below). The second half of class we will work in groups to prepare for the group presentations. When we meet next week on 5/11 we will have group presentations and review for the take-home final exam.
1. Read and prepare, Gloria Anzaldúa's “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” TLR (1987). As usual complete a basic TCI for your notes after reading the text. The reading constitutes the last "formal writing assignment."
Instructions. In complete sentences answer the following prompts using MLA style (including standard font, pagination, and double-space between sentences):
Your Name
Class name and Number
Professor's Name
Date
Formal Writing Assignment 2: Gloria Anzaldúa's text, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue"
In complete sentences answer the following prompts using MLA style (including standard font, pagination, and double-space between sentences). Hand in the assignment at the start of class:
1. Identify the genre of Anzaldúa's text, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue," and provide at least three exemplary passages (including page numbers) that support your answer.
2. How does Anzaldúa rebel against the imposition of "proper" English and/or Spanish. Provide at least three exemplary passages (including page numbers) that support your answer.
3. What are the names of the main authors and texts that Anzaldúa reads and why were they transformative for her? Provide at least three exemplary passages (including page numbers) that support your answer.
4. Shame and "linguistic terrorism" are two of the main themes in “How to Tame a Wild Tongue." Describe how Anzaldúa attempts to overcome shame and "linguistic terrorism"
2. Group presentations: If you were absent when group topics and presentations were discussed and assigned 1) contact the group you were placed into (absent students are listed in BOLD below), and 2) immediately work with the group in order to identify the group's topic and how to contribute to the presentation. If you were absent and your name is not listed below contact me immediately ([email protected]).
Group 1: Nicole SA; Mariah R.; Yaiden P.; Elohim M.; Jamaine G-H; Katherine C.
Group 2: Famanh D.; Yamile A; Carolina C.: Lisseth M; John G.
Group 3: Jessica E.; Jahmaiya J; Leslie G. R.; Joel A; Leslie S. H.
Group 4. Marl Anthony G.; Mariana O. M.; Genisis E.; Patricia M.
Keywords
Spanglish -
Chicano Spanish -
Pocho -
Pachuco/Caló -
Zoot Suit Riots - Beginning June 3, 1943, mobs of sailors and soldiers, often armed with clubs, hunted down anyone in a zoot suit—or any Mexican-American—in downtown LA, movie theaters, and bars, sometimes attacking Black and Filipino residents as well.
Gender Assignment - Political shifts in 2025 until our present have attempted to establish compulsory understandings of "gender assignment" not through medical determination, but as a rigid regulatory and administrative act. As of early 2026, federal guidance seeks to define legal sex exclusively as that assigned at birth, aiming to remove gender identity from federal documents and workplace policies. Gloria Anzaldúa's writing is a key to understanding the far-right hysteria sover gender assignment and it's complex meanings through time, race and gender categories.
Realia
Zoot Suits - Young Mexican Americans, known as "zoot-suiters" or pachucos, who wore distinctive baggy suits with broad-shouldered jackets and balloon-leg trousers, viewed as a countercultural style.
Zoot Suit Fashion -
Monday, April 27, 2026
0. We will discuss Rodolfo Corky Gonzáles' “I Am Joaquín” TLR (1967) and it's relation to the Chicanx Civil Rights Movement. We will also compare and contrast Latinx "protest poetry" in order to distinguish it from other Latinx poetic aesthetics by focusing on Ada Limón's, "The Conditional" (2013).
Additionally, we will have another opportunity to pick up one extra credit point for attendance at this EVENT.
1. Workshop Class: We will discuss upcoming group presentations. We began the semester with a truism: Significant waves of immigration from Latin America and the Caribbean to the U.S. can only be attributed to three accelerants:
-Military intervention by the U.S. in the country or region of immigration origin
-U.S. corporate intervention
-A combination of both U.S. military and corporate intervention
Presentation groups will pick:
1) A Latin American, Caribbean, or related region to focus on,
2) Determine the historical timeline for immigration to the U.S. from that country or region.
3) Explain the military and/or corporate type of intervention and why it occurred (both explicit and implicit reasons),
4) Relate the above to any of the texts studied in class. That is, how have "aesthetic agencies" (e.g. literature, art, poetry, etc.) responded to these interventions?
Keywords
Protest Aesthetics
Protest Poetry
Realia
"Uncle Sam offers Stars and Stripes" (1898) -
"Uncle Sam's Burden -- The Philippines, Porto Rico [sic], and Cuba stereograph
Cornelius Rhoads Letter
Cornelius Rhoads, exonerated (NYT)
Cornelius Rhoads, Time Man of the Year
"Gas Masks" reporting form the new Gibraltar (PR) and PR soldiers
Asynchronous Class: Monday, April 20, 2026
0. We will not meet in person today (check your email). Instead we will have an asynchronous class. Use the class period to complete the asynchronous assignment.
New Topic: Poetry, Protest, and Historical Memory from the Chicano Renaissance, to the Puerto Rican Poets Café, and Beyond
1. Read Rodolfo Corky Gonzáles, “I Am Joaquín” TLR (1967). You will have a short quiz on this reading when we meet next week.
2. View documentary, "Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement, Part 1, “Quest for a Homeland” (as linked). Background: As noted in class last week, the documentary captures the major figures of the Chicanx civil rights movement and the literature that flourished as a result. It does so through important oral interviews, archival film footage, and related historical material.
Asynchronous assignment. Answer eight (5) of the following prompts in complete sentences after viewing the documentary. You will hand in your responses at the start of class when we meet Monday (number the questions you choose to answer in the assignment).
According to the historical documentary:
1. Research "the Supremacy Clause" of the U.S. Constitution. What does it state? (Before to attribute your source correctly.)
2. What were the goals of "The Alianza," who was its leader, and what were the legal grounds for their goals?
3. What does the "Tierra Amarilla Land Grants" refer to?
4. What was "the Crusade for Justice" and what did it advocate?
5. What were some of the most significant differences in leadership style between Rodolfo Corky González and Reies López Tijerina?
6. What was "the Poor Peoples' Campaign" and what did it advocate?
7. How did the Poor Peoples' Campaign align with Martin Luther King's Black Civil Rights Movement?
8. Why did Chicana women demand equal-footing in the Chicanx civil rights movement?
9. What was "the Chicano Moratorium" of 1970 and why was it considered the apex of the Chicano Civil Rights Movement?
10. Why was Rubén Salazar so important to the public voice of the Chicano Movement?
Keywords
New Mexico Statehood - Before becoming the 47th U.S. state on January 6, 1912, New Mexico was "The New Mexico Territory" the (organized in 1850) and formerly a province of Spain and later Mexico. Prior to 1912 "The New Mexico Territory" included modern-day Arizona. It was acquired from Mexico in 1848 through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, serving as a vast U.S. territory for 62 years prior to statehood (as linked).
Aztlán -
Chicano/Chicana/Chicanx -
Poor Peoples Campaign -
Rubén Salazar -
Reis López Tijerina -
Monday, April 13, 2026 MIDTERM EXAM IS DUE TODAY
0. Complete the midterm exam and submit it at the beginning of class (no late submission allowed). The midterm is linked here: MIDTERM EXAM. As you prepare for the midterm, keep in mid that a cut-and-paste response from our class website will not result in full credit -- so use your own words, in your own style ( I already know your writing style after reading/editing your written work). Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions.
NEW TOPIC: Latinx Modernisms and the Archive: From Impressionism to Belated Modernity
1. Read and prepare TCI for Arturo A. Schomburg's essay, “José Campeche, 1752-1809” in TLR (1934)
Activity
In-class analysis of Campeche’s major paintings from the Museo de Puerto Rico and the Smithsonian Museum (as linked)
Realia
Campeche paintings: Museo de Puerto Rico and the Smithsonian Museum (as linked)
How to interpret visual works (as linked): https://daily.jstor.org/how-to-look-at-art-and-understand-what-you-see/
Keywords
Arthur A. Schomburg
Monday, April 30, 2026
0. Today we'll review for the midterm in addition to the completing the readings below (the readings below won't be on the final).
1. *José Martí, "Our America," El Partido Liberal (1891) [electronic version: “Our America"]. Read introduction to Martí in TLR.
2. Mark Cary, “Principled and Pragmatic: Canada’s Path” (Prime Minister Carney addresses the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos, Switzerland, January 20, 2026)
3. Review for Midterm. The midterm will be a take-home exam. It will be posted after we meet today (3/30).
KEYWORDS
Pantheism - Pantheism is a philosophical concept that purports that the divine ("God") is manifested in the universe such that nature, life, existence and everything perceptible is a manifestation of the divine. Evil and disharmony, for example, therefore represent an absence of the divine and must recalibrated and redressed so that equilibrium is achieved, balance and harmony is achieved.
Modernism -
Modernismo -
Global South -
Empire -
Monday, March 23, 2026
0. Today we will discuss Joan Didion's version of California and analyze why it's unrecognizable from MARB's description. We will also begin a new topic, "Critiques of Empire from the Global South to the Global North," with readings from José Martí and Prime Minister Mark Carey. Additionally, we will discuss the midterm exam.
1. Joan Didion, “Notes from a Native Daughter” from Slouching Toward Bethlehem (1990). Prepare TCI for this essay and contrast with MARB's The Squatter and the Don.
Be prepared to discuss: How does Didion describe the history of California in comparison to MARB's description? (provide three examples and include page numbers).
New Topic: Critiques of Empire from the Global South to Global North
1. *José Martí, "Our America," El Partido Liberal (1891) [electronic version: “Our America"]. Read introduction to Martí in TLR.
Informal Writing Assignment 4: After reading Martí's "Our America," summarize his views on the topics listed below. You should dedicate at least one full paragraph to each topic and cite passages that support your analysis.This informal writing will be the basis for Formal Writing Assignment 2.
(1) Race,
(2) Education
(3) Just Governance
2. Mark Cary, “Principled and Pragmatic: Canada’s Path” (Prime Minister Carney addresses the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos, Switzerland, January 20, 2026)
KEYWORDS
Pantheism - Pantheism is a philosophical concept that purports that the divine ("God") is manifested in the universe such that nature, life, existence and everything perceptible is a manifestation of the divine. Evil and disharmony, for example, therefore represent an absence of the divine and must recalibrated and redressed so that equilibrium is achieved, balance and harmony is achieved.
Modernism -
Modernismo -
Global South -
Empire -
Realia
Walt Whitman “Song of Myself” (1892) [as linked, sections 1-3, 19, 46 and 47]; and Whitman's "Pioneers! O Pioneers!" (1865) (as linked and view Levi's video interpretation of "Pioneers! O Pioneers!" here)
Monday, March 16, 2026
0. Today we will complete our discussion of Percival Everett’s, “The Appropriation of Cultures” (1996) and begin a new course unit on the topic of “Foundling Fictions: Assimilation, Racial Passing, and ‘American’ Cultural Amnesia.” This is a good moment in the semester to review all the topics we’ve studied thus far and the representative texts associated with those topics.
Reviewing the texts and their corresponding topics allows you to more clearly see how you are building your understanding and expertise about Latinx communities and literary cultures. Here's a quick review of the units and topics covered thus far, along with the corresponding primary texts we have studied are and related goals:
I. Introduction to Latinx Literary and Expressive Practices
John Calhoun, “Conquest of Mexico” (aka, “The Government of a White Race”) (1848).
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
Denice Frohman's poetry-performance, "Accents" (2018).
Paola González and Karla Gutiérrez,"At the Wall, US/Mexican Border, Texas, 2020.”
E. Esperanza, Detained: A Boy’s Journal of Survival and Resilience (2025).
Goal: understand the basic historical themes associated with Latinx literatures and expressive practices.
II. Cultural Industries: Race, Ethnicity, and the Question of Representation
Harold Augenbaum and Margarita Fernández Olmos, “Introduction: An American Literary Tradition” TLR (xi-xx)
Goal: understand how Latinx literatures and expressive practices are framed with the U.S. literary cannon (periodicity, canonicity and critique).
III. Comparative “American” Literary Histories and the Decolonization of the Curriculum
Toni Morrison, “Recitatif” (1983)
Richard Rodríguez, “Aria” TLR
Percival Everett, “The Appropriation of Cultures” (1996)
Goal: Compare and contrast how canonical texts from the African American literary tradition intersect with a canonical Latinx literary memoir, Richard Rodriguez’s “Aria”.
Today well begin a new topic:
“Foundling Fictions: Assimilation, Racial Passing, and “American” Cultural Amnesia”.
1. Read María Amparo Ruiz de Burton’s (“MARB”), The Squatter and the Don (1885), TLR (or as linked here). ONLY READ: Chapter One "Squatter Darrell Reviews the Past" and Chapter Two, "The Don's View of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.” Complete a brief TCI of this text for your notes. It will form the basis of our class discussion and in-class activities.
Informal Writing Assignment 3: Answer the following prompts. You will hand in your responses at the start of class.
Instructions: In full sentences, briefly answer four (4) the following prompts and provide evidence for your answers (use quotes and their corresponding page numbers).
1. What is the central conflict introduced in the first two chapters of MARB's novel, The Squatter and the Don?
2. Describe the history of how the novel was "discovered." (See introto text in TLR or research this if you are using the electronik version of the text linked above.)
3. How are the Alamars described physically? (List examples)
4. How are the squatters described? (List examples)
5. To whom (what audiences) is MARB interested in reaching? Whose "gaze" dominates in MARB's text?
6. Identify and be prepared to discuss which Articles of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo are addressed in these two chapters.
Realia
Photos of Didion and MARB photo and bio sketch
Keyword
Redress - To repair, remedy or make whole that which has been broken; to compensate for a past grievance
Monday, March 9
0. We will complete our discussion of Richard Rodríguez’s “Aria” (TLR) and continue with the assigned readings. Note that we are behind on the readings due to the snow date interruptions, etc. At the end of class we will have our first quiz (short 15-minute quiz, see below).
1. Percival Everett, “The Appropriation of Cultures” (1996). Prepare a TCI for this text.
2. Myriam Gurba, “Pendeja, You Ain’t Steinbeck: My Bronca with Fake-Ass Social Justice Literature,” Tropics of Meta (2029). Before reading the essay, familiarize yourself with the American Dirt controversy (as linked below in the Realia section) and research the essay's author, Myriam Gurba. Be prepared to identify Gurba's purpose in writing this essay as well as the stakes involved for Gurba.
Realia
American Dirt controversy -
"School Begins" (1899) WiKi media
"Uncle Sam Offers Stars and Stripes" (1898)
Keywords
Cultural Appropriation -
Quiz: We will have a short 15-minute quiz. The short quiz will be based on the keywords. Review the keywords that we’ve focused. The quiz will ask you to 1) define the keyword and 2) list the author and text that exemplifies the keyword along with how the text you’ve chosen exemplifies the keyword.
Example: Keyword: “Historical Memory”
As discussed in class lectures, “Historical Memory” refers to the narratives of the past constructed by groups, communities, and/or nations to define their identity. These narratives often alter the truth (the story as of what actually happened in the past) by rearranging events (the discourse) in a way that paints the dominant group as heroic or superior.
Monday, March 2
0. Your first formal writing assignment will be due today. The instructions, rubric and related information can be found here. We will also pick up where we left off as noted below. Additionally, today you will receive feedback on the last informal writing assignment you submitted last week (that grading and symbols correction key is linked here).
1. Richard Rodríguez, “Aria” TLR. Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers. By now you should be writing TCI's on all the assigned readings in your notebooks/electronic notebooks.
-In preparation for our discussion and the group work we engage in today, consider how Rodriguez and Morrison differ in how they approach questions of race, education, belonging, language and redress.
Keywords [we will focus on keywords that we did not cover in depth last week as highlighted in bold]
Chicano/Chicana/Chicanx - People of Mexican American ancestry in the United States. Unlike the term "Mexican American", these identity terms signal political identity that refuses assimilation -- the "hyphen" between Mexican and American.
Ethnic Markers/Racial Markers - Ethnic markers are cultural, behavioral, or physical traits—such as language, dress, religion, food, or customs—used to define group membership, signify identity, and differentiate "in-group" from "out-group". Racial markers are physical, cultural, or social indicators—such as skin color, hair texture, facial features, or language—used to categorize individuals into racial groups.
Redress - To repair, remedy or make whole that which has been broken; to compensate for a past grievance
Intersectionality - Is a concept from Critical Race Theory (CRT) that provides a lens through which to understand that all forms of oppression of (racial, class, gender, religion, etc.) overlap to create cumulative experiences of discrimination and privilege. It purports that a single identity alone cannot be examined in isolation (Kimberley Crenshaw).
Identity v. Identification -
Social Identity Theory -- Social Identity Theory, developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner in the 1970s/80s, posits that individuals derive a significant part of their self-concept and self-esteem from the social groups to which they belong. It explains intergroup behavior by emphasizing how people categorize themselves into "in groups" (us) and "out groups" (them), leading to favoritism, bias, and potential conflict.
Realia
Climate clips of school "forced bussing" in 1970s -
Civil Rights Era Videos -
1973 Brooklyn School Integration -
Bill Moyers, Documentary: [Warning: this documentary includes racial/ethnic slurs do not view until we've discussed context in class (47:45)]
Rosedale: The Way it Was (1976). Racial tensions soared as the Spencers, a middle-class black family moved into Rosedale, a Queens white working-class neighborhood. Bill Moyers examines the fear, hatred and courage generated as the have-nots of our society battle for a tiny piece of the good life.
MONDAY 2/23 CUNY has moved to remote instruction. Consequently, our class will meet via Zoom on Monday 2/23 at the usual meeting time (see link below).
0. The informal writing assignment due on Monday 2/23 at the start of class should be emailed to me before the start of class (see the syllabus for distinction between “informal” and “formal” writing assignments). See Brightspace announcements (or check your HC email) for instructions.
Zoom Link:
Informal writing assignment instructions:
1. Email your writing assignment to: [email protected]
2. On the subject line in your email use the following format:
First Name Last Name Writing Assignment #2 (e.g., “Joe Wilson Writing Assignment 2”)
3. Copy your responses to the email.
4. Also attach your responses to the email using the template listed on the class website.
Monday, February 23
NEW TOPIC -- Comparative “American” Literary Histories and the Decolonization of the Curriculum
0. Check-in question: Are you building community with your classmates (in our course or in your other classes)? If not, reach out to others (in our class and other classes). Friendships and intellectual affinities help keep you focused and make it easier to achieve your goals!.
1. *Toni Morrison, “Recitatif” (1983). Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers. The questions below will help you guide your analysis. [This first formal writing assignment is now due on 3/2]
Instructions for informal writing assignment 2: Provide short written answers in complete sentences to the following prompts (12 point font, double spaced, numbered pages, MLA Format). Use the template linked here for your answers. You will hand this assignment in at the start of class when we meet again on Monday (2/23).
-Research the meaning of the title "Recitatif". What does it mean?
-Why do you think that Morrison uses a musical composition (the "recitatif") as the title to this short story?
-What is the central problem that Toni Morrison's "Recitatif" attempts to address and how is it related to Roberta and Twyla's racial ambiguity?
-In music, when sections of a musical composition transition into another motif they are called "movements." List the five "movements" in Toni Morrison's story and indicate what they have in common.
2. Richard Rodríguez, “Aria” TLR. Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers.
-As you compare these two writers, consider how Rodriguez and Morrison differ in how they approach questions of race, education, belonging, language and redress.
Keywords
Chicano/Chicana/Chicanx - People of Mexican American ancestry in the United States. Unlike the term "Mexican American", these identity terms signal political identity that refuses assimilation -- the "hyphen" between Mexican and American.
Ethnic Markers/Racial Markers - Ethnic markers are cultural, behavioral, or physical traits—such as language, dress, religion, food, or customs—used to define group membership, signify identity, and differentiate "in-group" from "out-group". Racial markers are physical, cultural, or social indicators—such as skin color, hair texture, facial features, or language—used to categorize individuals into racial groups.
Redress - To repair, remedy or make whole that which has been broken; to compensate for a past grievance
Intersectionality - Is a concept from Critical Race Theory (CRT) that provides a lens through which to understand that all forms of oppression of (racial, class, gender, religion, etc.) overlap to create cumulative experiences of discrimination and privilege. It purports that a single identity alone cannot be examined in isolation (Kimberley Crenshaw).
Identity -
Identification -
Social Identity Theory -- Social Identity Theory, developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner in the 1970s/80s, posits that individuals derive a significant part of their self-concept and self-esteem from the social groups to which they belong. It explains intergroup behavior by emphasizing how people categorize themselves into "ingroups" (us) and "outgroups" (them), leading to favoritism, bias, and potential conflict
Realia
Lady Esther Cosmetics - Toni Morrison references this cosmetics brand in "Recitatif" twice. Consider how this helps or hinders in identifying Roberta and Twyla's racial identity.
Monday, February 16 COLLEGE CLOSED
Monday, February 9, 2026 UPDATE: WE WILL MEET IN HUNTER WEST, ROOM 1441
0. We will tie-up loose ends for materials we did not complete due to snow storm. Additionally, we will cover new topics as noted on the syllabus and listed below. Note that the first formal writing assignment is now due on 2/23. We will discuss prompts for the assignment when we meet. Also note below that some materials/texts/activities have been changed so as to make room for our in-class activities. As I've mentioned in class, this is the course's "living" syllabus. This means that changes to our intellectual work schedule listed on the syllabus will be updated here. As always, email me if you have questions by making an appointment via email ([email protected]).
PART 1 [Complete pending materials and related discussions from last week.]
1. Discussion and analysis of D. Esperanza, Detained: A Boy’s Journal of Survival and Resilience (2025) [excerpts].
Keywords [We will discuss the following keywords/concepts when we meet.]
Periodicity, Canonicity and Critique -
TCI Method for Interpreting Texts -
Realia for Analysis [Read these short excerpts below and be prepared to comment/analyze. Provide textual evidence for your analysis and interpretation.]
John Calhoun, “The Conquest of Mexico" (initially titled, "The Government of a White Race”) (1848)
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (1781) - "[...] Their griefs are transient [...]"
Realia for General Knowledge
Leland Stanford and the Transcontinental Railroad
Maps of major railroads
Children's Detention
PART 2. NEW TOPIC -- Cultural Industries: Race, Ethnicity, and the Question of Representation
1.Harold Augenbaum and Margarita Fernández Olmos, “Introduction: An American Literary Tradition” TLR (xi-xx). Highlight the major points made by these authors in the reading. Provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers.
2. Anonymous, “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” TLR. Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers.
3. Optional: Simon Romer, “Lynch Mobs Killed Latinos Across the West. The Fight to Remember These Atrocities is Just Starting” New York Times (2019)
Activity
We will view the following paintings of U.S. westward expansion and discuss clips of the Lone Ranger as an example of the previously covered keywords "national pedagogies" and "historical amnesia":
John Gast, American Progress (1872)
Emanuel Leutze , Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way (1861)
We will view clips of The Lone Ranger (1949)
Keywords
Allegory --
Metaphor/simile --
Metonymy --
"Manifest Destiny" --
Empire --
PART 3. NEW TOPIC -- Comparative “American” Literary Histories and the Decolonization of the Curriculum
1. *Toni Morrison, “Recitatif” (1983). Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers. [The first formal writing assignment will be due on 2/23]
-Research the meaning of the title. What does it mean?
-Why do you think that Morrison uses a musical composition (the "recitatif") as the title to this short story?
-Be prepared to discuss ethnic and racial markers in the story (provide examples).
-What is the central problem that Toni Morrison's "Recitatif" attempts to address and how is it related to Roberta and Twyla's racial ambiguity?
-In music, when sections of a musical composition transition into another motif they are called "movements." List the five "movements" in Toni Morrison's story and indicate what they have in common.
2. Richard Rodríguez, “Aria” TLR. Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers.
-As you compare these two writers, consider how Rodriguez and Morrison differ in how they approach questions of race, education, belonging, language and redress.
Realia
We will watch interview clips in class: Toni Morrison interview with Jana Wendt (1998 [start at 23:00])
Lady Esther Cosmetics
Terms/Concepts That Have Been Discussed [By now you should be able to explain al the terms/concepts below]
Latino, Latina, Latinx -
National Pedagogies -
Historical Amnesia/Historical Memory -
Literary genres -
Monday, January 26, 2026
Introduction to Latinx Literary and Expressive Practices
1. Course introduction and review of basic terminology in Latinx studies
2. Critical cartographies: 1492, 1848, 1898: discussion of pre- and post-US-Mexico War Maps (as linked)
3. General concepts for literary study: Periodicity, Canonicity, and Critique
Activity 1
1. In class viewing of Denice Frohman's poetry-performance "Accents" (2013), and Paola González and Karla Gutiérrez’s "At the Wall, US/Mexican Border, Texas, 2020" (2020).
Discuss: What are the major affinities (e.g., themes, topics, styles, etc.) between Frohman, and González and Gutiérrez’s poetic slams?
Activity 2
1. D Esperanza, Detained: A Boy’s Journal of Survival and Resilience (2025) [excerpts]. Reading and discussion of Detained in relation to thematic and formal qualities of Frohman's "Accents,” and Paola González and Karla Gutiérrez’s "At the Wall, US/Mexican Border, Texas, 2020.”
Keywords
Periodicity, Canonicity and Critique -
Latino, Latina, Latinx -
National Pedagogies -
TCI Method for Interpreting Texts -
Literary genres - Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, and prose are the five main genres of literature. Writers and critiques often further categorize their work into subgenres.
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) -
Realia
John Calhoun, “The Conquest of Mexico" (initially titled, "The Government of a White Race”) (1848)
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (1781) - "[...] Their griefs are transient [...]"
Leland Stanford and the Transcontinental Railroad
Maps of major railroads
MIDTERM EXAM (as linked)
WRITING ASSIGNMENT CORRECTION KEY (as linked)
(“W” Course)
Spring 2026
Professor Lázaro Lima
Meeting Time: Mondays, 2:30pm-5:15pm (in person)
Location: Baker Building BTB240 (151 East 67th Street)
Office Hours: Mondays, 5:30pm-6:00pm | Tuesdays, 4:30pm-5:30pm | or by appointment
Communication: [email protected] ([email protected]) and Brightspace e-mail list
Course Website: https://www.lazarolima.com/afprl-356-spring-2026.html (as linked)
Syllabus (as linked)
FINAL EXAM (as linked). Complete this take-home exam and return it via email as instructed below the day of the final exam, Monday, May 18, 2026, between 2:30-4:30. No late submissions will be allowed. Follow the instructions as indicated on the document.
Monday, May 11, 2026
0. Today is our final meeting time for AFPRL 356: Latinx Literatures and Expressive Practices (W). We will 1) complete group presentations (see below), and 2) we will review for the final take-home exam. After today's meeting, you will receive instructions for submission of the final exam via email.
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
If you were absent when group topics and presentations were discussed and assigned 1) contact the group you were placed into (absent students are listed in BOLD below), and 2) immediately work with the group in order to identify the group's topic and how to contribute to the presentation. If you were absent and your name is not listed below contact me immediately ([email protected]).
Group 1: Nicole SA; Mariah R.; Yaiden P.; Elohim M.; Katherine C.
Group 2: Famanh D.; Yamile A; Carolina C.: Lisseth M; John G.
Group 3: Jessica E.; Jahmaiya J; Leslie G. R.; Joel A; Leslie S. H.
Group 4. Marl Anthony G.; Mariana O. M.; Genisis E.; Patricia M.
Monday, May 4, 2026
0. Today we will analyze and discuss Gloria Anzaldúa, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” TLR (1987) during the first half of class. This reading constitutes the last "formal writing assignment" and the first draft is due today, 5/4 (see prompts below). The second half of class we will work in groups to prepare for the group presentations. When we meet next week on 5/11 we will have group presentations and review for the take-home final exam.
1. Read and prepare, Gloria Anzaldúa's “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” TLR (1987). As usual complete a basic TCI for your notes after reading the text. The reading constitutes the last "formal writing assignment."
Instructions. In complete sentences answer the following prompts using MLA style (including standard font, pagination, and double-space between sentences):
Your Name
Class name and Number
Professor's Name
Date
Formal Writing Assignment 2: Gloria Anzaldúa's text, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue"
In complete sentences answer the following prompts using MLA style (including standard font, pagination, and double-space between sentences). Hand in the assignment at the start of class:
1. Identify the genre of Anzaldúa's text, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue," and provide at least three exemplary passages (including page numbers) that support your answer.
2. How does Anzaldúa rebel against the imposition of "proper" English and/or Spanish. Provide at least three exemplary passages (including page numbers) that support your answer.
3. What are the names of the main authors and texts that Anzaldúa reads and why were they transformative for her? Provide at least three exemplary passages (including page numbers) that support your answer.
4. Shame and "linguistic terrorism" are two of the main themes in “How to Tame a Wild Tongue." Describe how Anzaldúa attempts to overcome shame and "linguistic terrorism"
2. Group presentations: If you were absent when group topics and presentations were discussed and assigned 1) contact the group you were placed into (absent students are listed in BOLD below), and 2) immediately work with the group in order to identify the group's topic and how to contribute to the presentation. If you were absent and your name is not listed below contact me immediately ([email protected]).
Group 1: Nicole SA; Mariah R.; Yaiden P.; Elohim M.; Jamaine G-H; Katherine C.
Group 2: Famanh D.; Yamile A; Carolina C.: Lisseth M; John G.
Group 3: Jessica E.; Jahmaiya J; Leslie G. R.; Joel A; Leslie S. H.
Group 4. Marl Anthony G.; Mariana O. M.; Genisis E.; Patricia M.
Keywords
Spanglish -
Chicano Spanish -
Pocho -
Pachuco/Caló -
Zoot Suit Riots - Beginning June 3, 1943, mobs of sailors and soldiers, often armed with clubs, hunted down anyone in a zoot suit—or any Mexican-American—in downtown LA, movie theaters, and bars, sometimes attacking Black and Filipino residents as well.
Gender Assignment - Political shifts in 2025 until our present have attempted to establish compulsory understandings of "gender assignment" not through medical determination, but as a rigid regulatory and administrative act. As of early 2026, federal guidance seeks to define legal sex exclusively as that assigned at birth, aiming to remove gender identity from federal documents and workplace policies. Gloria Anzaldúa's writing is a key to understanding the far-right hysteria sover gender assignment and it's complex meanings through time, race and gender categories.
Realia
Zoot Suits - Young Mexican Americans, known as "zoot-suiters" or pachucos, who wore distinctive baggy suits with broad-shouldered jackets and balloon-leg trousers, viewed as a countercultural style.
Zoot Suit Fashion -
Monday, April 27, 2026
0. We will discuss Rodolfo Corky Gonzáles' “I Am Joaquín” TLR (1967) and it's relation to the Chicanx Civil Rights Movement. We will also compare and contrast Latinx "protest poetry" in order to distinguish it from other Latinx poetic aesthetics by focusing on Ada Limón's, "The Conditional" (2013).
Additionally, we will have another opportunity to pick up one extra credit point for attendance at this EVENT.
1. Workshop Class: We will discuss upcoming group presentations. We began the semester with a truism: Significant waves of immigration from Latin America and the Caribbean to the U.S. can only be attributed to three accelerants:
-Military intervention by the U.S. in the country or region of immigration origin
-U.S. corporate intervention
-A combination of both U.S. military and corporate intervention
Presentation groups will pick:
1) A Latin American, Caribbean, or related region to focus on,
2) Determine the historical timeline for immigration to the U.S. from that country or region.
3) Explain the military and/or corporate type of intervention and why it occurred (both explicit and implicit reasons),
4) Relate the above to any of the texts studied in class. That is, how have "aesthetic agencies" (e.g. literature, art, poetry, etc.) responded to these interventions?
Keywords
Protest Aesthetics
Protest Poetry
Realia
"Uncle Sam offers Stars and Stripes" (1898) -
"Uncle Sam's Burden -- The Philippines, Porto Rico [sic], and Cuba stereograph
Cornelius Rhoads Letter
Cornelius Rhoads, exonerated (NYT)
Cornelius Rhoads, Time Man of the Year
"Gas Masks" reporting form the new Gibraltar (PR) and PR soldiers
Asynchronous Class: Monday, April 20, 2026
0. We will not meet in person today (check your email). Instead we will have an asynchronous class. Use the class period to complete the asynchronous assignment.
New Topic: Poetry, Protest, and Historical Memory from the Chicano Renaissance, to the Puerto Rican Poets Café, and Beyond
1. Read Rodolfo Corky Gonzáles, “I Am Joaquín” TLR (1967). You will have a short quiz on this reading when we meet next week.
2. View documentary, "Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement, Part 1, “Quest for a Homeland” (as linked). Background: As noted in class last week, the documentary captures the major figures of the Chicanx civil rights movement and the literature that flourished as a result. It does so through important oral interviews, archival film footage, and related historical material.
Asynchronous assignment. Answer eight (5) of the following prompts in complete sentences after viewing the documentary. You will hand in your responses at the start of class when we meet Monday (number the questions you choose to answer in the assignment).
According to the historical documentary:
1. Research "the Supremacy Clause" of the U.S. Constitution. What does it state? (Before to attribute your source correctly.)
2. What were the goals of "The Alianza," who was its leader, and what were the legal grounds for their goals?
3. What does the "Tierra Amarilla Land Grants" refer to?
4. What was "the Crusade for Justice" and what did it advocate?
5. What were some of the most significant differences in leadership style between Rodolfo Corky González and Reies López Tijerina?
6. What was "the Poor Peoples' Campaign" and what did it advocate?
7. How did the Poor Peoples' Campaign align with Martin Luther King's Black Civil Rights Movement?
8. Why did Chicana women demand equal-footing in the Chicanx civil rights movement?
9. What was "the Chicano Moratorium" of 1970 and why was it considered the apex of the Chicano Civil Rights Movement?
10. Why was Rubén Salazar so important to the public voice of the Chicano Movement?
Keywords
New Mexico Statehood - Before becoming the 47th U.S. state on January 6, 1912, New Mexico was "The New Mexico Territory" the (organized in 1850) and formerly a province of Spain and later Mexico. Prior to 1912 "The New Mexico Territory" included modern-day Arizona. It was acquired from Mexico in 1848 through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, serving as a vast U.S. territory for 62 years prior to statehood (as linked).
Aztlán -
Chicano/Chicana/Chicanx -
Poor Peoples Campaign -
Rubén Salazar -
Reis López Tijerina -
Monday, April 13, 2026 MIDTERM EXAM IS DUE TODAY
0. Complete the midterm exam and submit it at the beginning of class (no late submission allowed). The midterm is linked here: MIDTERM EXAM. As you prepare for the midterm, keep in mid that a cut-and-paste response from our class website will not result in full credit -- so use your own words, in your own style ( I already know your writing style after reading/editing your written work). Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions.
NEW TOPIC: Latinx Modernisms and the Archive: From Impressionism to Belated Modernity
1. Read and prepare TCI for Arturo A. Schomburg's essay, “José Campeche, 1752-1809” in TLR (1934)
Activity
In-class analysis of Campeche’s major paintings from the Museo de Puerto Rico and the Smithsonian Museum (as linked)
Realia
Campeche paintings: Museo de Puerto Rico and the Smithsonian Museum (as linked)
How to interpret visual works (as linked): https://daily.jstor.org/how-to-look-at-art-and-understand-what-you-see/
Keywords
Arthur A. Schomburg
Monday, April 30, 2026
0. Today we'll review for the midterm in addition to the completing the readings below (the readings below won't be on the final).
1. *José Martí, "Our America," El Partido Liberal (1891) [electronic version: “Our America"]. Read introduction to Martí in TLR.
2. Mark Cary, “Principled and Pragmatic: Canada’s Path” (Prime Minister Carney addresses the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos, Switzerland, January 20, 2026)
3. Review for Midterm. The midterm will be a take-home exam. It will be posted after we meet today (3/30).
KEYWORDS
Pantheism - Pantheism is a philosophical concept that purports that the divine ("God") is manifested in the universe such that nature, life, existence and everything perceptible is a manifestation of the divine. Evil and disharmony, for example, therefore represent an absence of the divine and must recalibrated and redressed so that equilibrium is achieved, balance and harmony is achieved.
Modernism -
Modernismo -
Global South -
Empire -
Monday, March 23, 2026
0. Today we will discuss Joan Didion's version of California and analyze why it's unrecognizable from MARB's description. We will also begin a new topic, "Critiques of Empire from the Global South to the Global North," with readings from José Martí and Prime Minister Mark Carey. Additionally, we will discuss the midterm exam.
1. Joan Didion, “Notes from a Native Daughter” from Slouching Toward Bethlehem (1990). Prepare TCI for this essay and contrast with MARB's The Squatter and the Don.
Be prepared to discuss: How does Didion describe the history of California in comparison to MARB's description? (provide three examples and include page numbers).
New Topic: Critiques of Empire from the Global South to Global North
1. *José Martí, "Our America," El Partido Liberal (1891) [electronic version: “Our America"]. Read introduction to Martí in TLR.
Informal Writing Assignment 4: After reading Martí's "Our America," summarize his views on the topics listed below. You should dedicate at least one full paragraph to each topic and cite passages that support your analysis.This informal writing will be the basis for Formal Writing Assignment 2.
(1) Race,
(2) Education
(3) Just Governance
2. Mark Cary, “Principled and Pragmatic: Canada’s Path” (Prime Minister Carney addresses the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos, Switzerland, January 20, 2026)
KEYWORDS
Pantheism - Pantheism is a philosophical concept that purports that the divine ("God") is manifested in the universe such that nature, life, existence and everything perceptible is a manifestation of the divine. Evil and disharmony, for example, therefore represent an absence of the divine and must recalibrated and redressed so that equilibrium is achieved, balance and harmony is achieved.
Modernism -
Modernismo -
Global South -
Empire -
Realia
Walt Whitman “Song of Myself” (1892) [as linked, sections 1-3, 19, 46 and 47]; and Whitman's "Pioneers! O Pioneers!" (1865) (as linked and view Levi's video interpretation of "Pioneers! O Pioneers!" here)
Monday, March 16, 2026
0. Today we will complete our discussion of Percival Everett’s, “The Appropriation of Cultures” (1996) and begin a new course unit on the topic of “Foundling Fictions: Assimilation, Racial Passing, and ‘American’ Cultural Amnesia.” This is a good moment in the semester to review all the topics we’ve studied thus far and the representative texts associated with those topics.
Reviewing the texts and their corresponding topics allows you to more clearly see how you are building your understanding and expertise about Latinx communities and literary cultures. Here's a quick review of the units and topics covered thus far, along with the corresponding primary texts we have studied are and related goals:
I. Introduction to Latinx Literary and Expressive Practices
John Calhoun, “Conquest of Mexico” (aka, “The Government of a White Race”) (1848).
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
Denice Frohman's poetry-performance, "Accents" (2018).
Paola González and Karla Gutiérrez,"At the Wall, US/Mexican Border, Texas, 2020.”
E. Esperanza, Detained: A Boy’s Journal of Survival and Resilience (2025).
Goal: understand the basic historical themes associated with Latinx literatures and expressive practices.
II. Cultural Industries: Race, Ethnicity, and the Question of Representation
Harold Augenbaum and Margarita Fernández Olmos, “Introduction: An American Literary Tradition” TLR (xi-xx)
Goal: understand how Latinx literatures and expressive practices are framed with the U.S. literary cannon (periodicity, canonicity and critique).
III. Comparative “American” Literary Histories and the Decolonization of the Curriculum
Toni Morrison, “Recitatif” (1983)
Richard Rodríguez, “Aria” TLR
Percival Everett, “The Appropriation of Cultures” (1996)
Goal: Compare and contrast how canonical texts from the African American literary tradition intersect with a canonical Latinx literary memoir, Richard Rodriguez’s “Aria”.
Today well begin a new topic:
“Foundling Fictions: Assimilation, Racial Passing, and “American” Cultural Amnesia”.
1. Read María Amparo Ruiz de Burton’s (“MARB”), The Squatter and the Don (1885), TLR (or as linked here). ONLY READ: Chapter One "Squatter Darrell Reviews the Past" and Chapter Two, "The Don's View of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.” Complete a brief TCI of this text for your notes. It will form the basis of our class discussion and in-class activities.
Informal Writing Assignment 3: Answer the following prompts. You will hand in your responses at the start of class.
Instructions: In full sentences, briefly answer four (4) the following prompts and provide evidence for your answers (use quotes and their corresponding page numbers).
1. What is the central conflict introduced in the first two chapters of MARB's novel, The Squatter and the Don?
2. Describe the history of how the novel was "discovered." (See introto text in TLR or research this if you are using the electronik version of the text linked above.)
3. How are the Alamars described physically? (List examples)
4. How are the squatters described? (List examples)
5. To whom (what audiences) is MARB interested in reaching? Whose "gaze" dominates in MARB's text?
6. Identify and be prepared to discuss which Articles of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo are addressed in these two chapters.
Realia
Photos of Didion and MARB photo and bio sketch
Keyword
Redress - To repair, remedy or make whole that which has been broken; to compensate for a past grievance
Monday, March 9
0. We will complete our discussion of Richard Rodríguez’s “Aria” (TLR) and continue with the assigned readings. Note that we are behind on the readings due to the snow date interruptions, etc. At the end of class we will have our first quiz (short 15-minute quiz, see below).
1. Percival Everett, “The Appropriation of Cultures” (1996). Prepare a TCI for this text.
2. Myriam Gurba, “Pendeja, You Ain’t Steinbeck: My Bronca with Fake-Ass Social Justice Literature,” Tropics of Meta (2029). Before reading the essay, familiarize yourself with the American Dirt controversy (as linked below in the Realia section) and research the essay's author, Myriam Gurba. Be prepared to identify Gurba's purpose in writing this essay as well as the stakes involved for Gurba.
Realia
American Dirt controversy -
"School Begins" (1899) WiKi media
"Uncle Sam Offers Stars and Stripes" (1898)
Keywords
Cultural Appropriation -
Quiz: We will have a short 15-minute quiz. The short quiz will be based on the keywords. Review the keywords that we’ve focused. The quiz will ask you to 1) define the keyword and 2) list the author and text that exemplifies the keyword along with how the text you’ve chosen exemplifies the keyword.
Example: Keyword: “Historical Memory”
As discussed in class lectures, “Historical Memory” refers to the narratives of the past constructed by groups, communities, and/or nations to define their identity. These narratives often alter the truth (the story as of what actually happened in the past) by rearranging events (the discourse) in a way that paints the dominant group as heroic or superior.
Monday, March 2
0. Your first formal writing assignment will be due today. The instructions, rubric and related information can be found here. We will also pick up where we left off as noted below. Additionally, today you will receive feedback on the last informal writing assignment you submitted last week (that grading and symbols correction key is linked here).
1. Richard Rodríguez, “Aria” TLR. Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers. By now you should be writing TCI's on all the assigned readings in your notebooks/electronic notebooks.
-In preparation for our discussion and the group work we engage in today, consider how Rodriguez and Morrison differ in how they approach questions of race, education, belonging, language and redress.
Keywords [we will focus on keywords that we did not cover in depth last week as highlighted in bold]
Chicano/Chicana/Chicanx - People of Mexican American ancestry in the United States. Unlike the term "Mexican American", these identity terms signal political identity that refuses assimilation -- the "hyphen" between Mexican and American.
Ethnic Markers/Racial Markers - Ethnic markers are cultural, behavioral, or physical traits—such as language, dress, religion, food, or customs—used to define group membership, signify identity, and differentiate "in-group" from "out-group". Racial markers are physical, cultural, or social indicators—such as skin color, hair texture, facial features, or language—used to categorize individuals into racial groups.
Redress - To repair, remedy or make whole that which has been broken; to compensate for a past grievance
Intersectionality - Is a concept from Critical Race Theory (CRT) that provides a lens through which to understand that all forms of oppression of (racial, class, gender, religion, etc.) overlap to create cumulative experiences of discrimination and privilege. It purports that a single identity alone cannot be examined in isolation (Kimberley Crenshaw).
Identity v. Identification -
Social Identity Theory -- Social Identity Theory, developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner in the 1970s/80s, posits that individuals derive a significant part of their self-concept and self-esteem from the social groups to which they belong. It explains intergroup behavior by emphasizing how people categorize themselves into "in groups" (us) and "out groups" (them), leading to favoritism, bias, and potential conflict.
Realia
Climate clips of school "forced bussing" in 1970s -
Civil Rights Era Videos -
1973 Brooklyn School Integration -
Bill Moyers, Documentary: [Warning: this documentary includes racial/ethnic slurs do not view until we've discussed context in class (47:45)]
Rosedale: The Way it Was (1976). Racial tensions soared as the Spencers, a middle-class black family moved into Rosedale, a Queens white working-class neighborhood. Bill Moyers examines the fear, hatred and courage generated as the have-nots of our society battle for a tiny piece of the good life.
MONDAY 2/23 CUNY has moved to remote instruction. Consequently, our class will meet via Zoom on Monday 2/23 at the usual meeting time (see link below).
0. The informal writing assignment due on Monday 2/23 at the start of class should be emailed to me before the start of class (see the syllabus for distinction between “informal” and “formal” writing assignments). See Brightspace announcements (or check your HC email) for instructions.
Zoom Link:
Informal writing assignment instructions:
1. Email your writing assignment to: [email protected]
2. On the subject line in your email use the following format:
First Name Last Name Writing Assignment #2 (e.g., “Joe Wilson Writing Assignment 2”)
3. Copy your responses to the email.
4. Also attach your responses to the email using the template listed on the class website.
Monday, February 23
NEW TOPIC -- Comparative “American” Literary Histories and the Decolonization of the Curriculum
0. Check-in question: Are you building community with your classmates (in our course or in your other classes)? If not, reach out to others (in our class and other classes). Friendships and intellectual affinities help keep you focused and make it easier to achieve your goals!.
1. *Toni Morrison, “Recitatif” (1983). Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers. The questions below will help you guide your analysis. [This first formal writing assignment is now due on 3/2]
Instructions for informal writing assignment 2: Provide short written answers in complete sentences to the following prompts (12 point font, double spaced, numbered pages, MLA Format). Use the template linked here for your answers. You will hand this assignment in at the start of class when we meet again on Monday (2/23).
-Research the meaning of the title "Recitatif". What does it mean?
-Why do you think that Morrison uses a musical composition (the "recitatif") as the title to this short story?
-What is the central problem that Toni Morrison's "Recitatif" attempts to address and how is it related to Roberta and Twyla's racial ambiguity?
-In music, when sections of a musical composition transition into another motif they are called "movements." List the five "movements" in Toni Morrison's story and indicate what they have in common.
2. Richard Rodríguez, “Aria” TLR. Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers.
-As you compare these two writers, consider how Rodriguez and Morrison differ in how they approach questions of race, education, belonging, language and redress.
Keywords
Chicano/Chicana/Chicanx - People of Mexican American ancestry in the United States. Unlike the term "Mexican American", these identity terms signal political identity that refuses assimilation -- the "hyphen" between Mexican and American.
Ethnic Markers/Racial Markers - Ethnic markers are cultural, behavioral, or physical traits—such as language, dress, religion, food, or customs—used to define group membership, signify identity, and differentiate "in-group" from "out-group". Racial markers are physical, cultural, or social indicators—such as skin color, hair texture, facial features, or language—used to categorize individuals into racial groups.
Redress - To repair, remedy or make whole that which has been broken; to compensate for a past grievance
Intersectionality - Is a concept from Critical Race Theory (CRT) that provides a lens through which to understand that all forms of oppression of (racial, class, gender, religion, etc.) overlap to create cumulative experiences of discrimination and privilege. It purports that a single identity alone cannot be examined in isolation (Kimberley Crenshaw).
Identity -
Identification -
Social Identity Theory -- Social Identity Theory, developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner in the 1970s/80s, posits that individuals derive a significant part of their self-concept and self-esteem from the social groups to which they belong. It explains intergroup behavior by emphasizing how people categorize themselves into "ingroups" (us) and "outgroups" (them), leading to favoritism, bias, and potential conflict
Realia
Lady Esther Cosmetics - Toni Morrison references this cosmetics brand in "Recitatif" twice. Consider how this helps or hinders in identifying Roberta and Twyla's racial identity.
Monday, February 16 COLLEGE CLOSED
Monday, February 9, 2026 UPDATE: WE WILL MEET IN HUNTER WEST, ROOM 1441
0. We will tie-up loose ends for materials we did not complete due to snow storm. Additionally, we will cover new topics as noted on the syllabus and listed below. Note that the first formal writing assignment is now due on 2/23. We will discuss prompts for the assignment when we meet. Also note below that some materials/texts/activities have been changed so as to make room for our in-class activities. As I've mentioned in class, this is the course's "living" syllabus. This means that changes to our intellectual work schedule listed on the syllabus will be updated here. As always, email me if you have questions by making an appointment via email ([email protected]).
PART 1 [Complete pending materials and related discussions from last week.]
1. Discussion and analysis of D. Esperanza, Detained: A Boy’s Journal of Survival and Resilience (2025) [excerpts].
Keywords [We will discuss the following keywords/concepts when we meet.]
Periodicity, Canonicity and Critique -
TCI Method for Interpreting Texts -
Realia for Analysis [Read these short excerpts below and be prepared to comment/analyze. Provide textual evidence for your analysis and interpretation.]
John Calhoun, “The Conquest of Mexico" (initially titled, "The Government of a White Race”) (1848)
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (1781) - "[...] Their griefs are transient [...]"
Realia for General Knowledge
Leland Stanford and the Transcontinental Railroad
Maps of major railroads
Children's Detention
PART 2. NEW TOPIC -- Cultural Industries: Race, Ethnicity, and the Question of Representation
1.Harold Augenbaum and Margarita Fernández Olmos, “Introduction: An American Literary Tradition” TLR (xi-xx). Highlight the major points made by these authors in the reading. Provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers.
2. Anonymous, “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” TLR. Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers.
3. Optional: Simon Romer, “Lynch Mobs Killed Latinos Across the West. The Fight to Remember These Atrocities is Just Starting” New York Times (2019)
Activity
We will view the following paintings of U.S. westward expansion and discuss clips of the Lone Ranger as an example of the previously covered keywords "national pedagogies" and "historical amnesia":
John Gast, American Progress (1872)
Emanuel Leutze , Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way (1861)
We will view clips of The Lone Ranger (1949)
Keywords
Allegory --
Metaphor/simile --
Metonymy --
"Manifest Destiny" --
Empire --
PART 3. NEW TOPIC -- Comparative “American” Literary Histories and the Decolonization of the Curriculum
1. *Toni Morrison, “Recitatif” (1983). Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers. [The first formal writing assignment will be due on 2/23]
-Research the meaning of the title. What does it mean?
-Why do you think that Morrison uses a musical composition (the "recitatif") as the title to this short story?
-Be prepared to discuss ethnic and racial markers in the story (provide examples).
-What is the central problem that Toni Morrison's "Recitatif" attempts to address and how is it related to Roberta and Twyla's racial ambiguity?
-In music, when sections of a musical composition transition into another motif they are called "movements." List the five "movements" in Toni Morrison's story and indicate what they have in common.
2. Richard Rodríguez, “Aria” TLR. Analyze and interpret this text and provide evidence for your analysis and interpretation by referring to specific quotes and related page numbers.
-As you compare these two writers, consider how Rodriguez and Morrison differ in how they approach questions of race, education, belonging, language and redress.
Realia
We will watch interview clips in class: Toni Morrison interview with Jana Wendt (1998 [start at 23:00])
Lady Esther Cosmetics
Terms/Concepts That Have Been Discussed [By now you should be able to explain al the terms/concepts below]
Latino, Latina, Latinx -
National Pedagogies -
Historical Amnesia/Historical Memory -
Literary genres -
Monday, January 26, 2026
Introduction to Latinx Literary and Expressive Practices
1. Course introduction and review of basic terminology in Latinx studies
2. Critical cartographies: 1492, 1848, 1898: discussion of pre- and post-US-Mexico War Maps (as linked)
3. General concepts for literary study: Periodicity, Canonicity, and Critique
Activity 1
1. In class viewing of Denice Frohman's poetry-performance "Accents" (2013), and Paola González and Karla Gutiérrez’s "At the Wall, US/Mexican Border, Texas, 2020" (2020).
Discuss: What are the major affinities (e.g., themes, topics, styles, etc.) between Frohman, and González and Gutiérrez’s poetic slams?
Activity 2
1. D Esperanza, Detained: A Boy’s Journal of Survival and Resilience (2025) [excerpts]. Reading and discussion of Detained in relation to thematic and formal qualities of Frohman's "Accents,” and Paola González and Karla Gutiérrez’s "At the Wall, US/Mexican Border, Texas, 2020.”
Keywords
Periodicity, Canonicity and Critique -
Latino, Latina, Latinx -
National Pedagogies -
TCI Method for Interpreting Texts -
Literary genres - Poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, and prose are the five main genres of literature. Writers and critiques often further categorize their work into subgenres.
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) -
Realia
John Calhoun, “The Conquest of Mexico" (initially titled, "The Government of a White Race”) (1848)
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (1781) - "[...] Their griefs are transient [...]"
Leland Stanford and the Transcontinental Railroad
Maps of major railroads
MIDTERM EXAM (as linked)
WRITING ASSIGNMENT CORRECTION KEY (as linked)