honors classes & Conversion

Course Description

Often dubbed “America’s fastest growing minority population,” Latinos have firmly established themselves as a community within the United States that has made undeniable political, artistic, and economic contributions to the larger American cultural landscape. Our course is a literary journey into the world of contemporary Latino life in the U.S., which begins with the experience of immigration and ends with the dilemma of acculturation. Students will dissect modern Latino communities through readings of poems, short stories, non-fiction, and novels by celebrated Latino writers working today. We will study the effect American culture has had on Latinos, as well as the effect Latinos have had on American culture.

Our texts begin at the U.S./Mexico border and then travel to some of our country’s most Latino-populated urban centers. Cities in California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey will be represented and explored throughout the semester. Course topics include the immigrant experience, poverty, cultural traditions, cultural assimilation, sexual identity, gender identity, and Latino perspectives of the American Dream. Students are expected to bring an open mind, commitment to course workload, and an inquisitive spirit. All texts are in English.