Latinx Literatures and Expressive Practices
AFPRL 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] and Brightspace e-mail list
Course Website: https://www.lazarolima.com/afprl-356-spring-2026.html (as linked)
Syllabus (as linked)
OUR CLASS WILL MEET IN THE BAKER BUILDING (BTB240, 151 EAST 67th STREET)
Monday, February 23
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 is now due on 3/2]
Second informal writing assignment due February 16th at the start of class. Instructions: 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.
-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
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).
Realia
Lady Esther Cosmetics
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
AFPRL 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] and Brightspace e-mail list
Course Website: https://www.lazarolima.com/afprl-356-spring-2026.html (as linked)
Syllabus (as linked)
OUR CLASS WILL MEET IN THE BAKER BUILDING (BTB240, 151 EAST 67th STREET)
Monday, February 23
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 is now due on 3/2]
Second informal writing assignment due February 16th at the start of class. Instructions: 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.
-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
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).
Realia
Lady Esther Cosmetics
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