DESCRIPTION

This course will focus on heterogenous communities living in what has become known today as the United States but whose ancestry and living experiences connect them to those Latin American countries previously under Portuguese and Spanish colonial control. We will primarily investigate the struggles, negotiations, and forms of resistance unleashed by colonial rule and continuing structures of coloniality that have led many to cross into, and sometimes out of, US political borders. Undoubtedly, we will consider how and why such borders have been drawn, shifted, made porous, and/or hardened at different historical moments. And, we will uncover how hierarchies of difference such as ethno-race, gender, sexuality, language, and religion have affected the experiences of displacement, migration, resettlement, community building, remittances, and return.

The concept of the Borderlands as a way to rethink the static understandings of the frontier and the border has become foundational in Latinx Studies. One question organizing our course is what constitutes the borderlands. One of our aims is to detach the concept of borderlands from its most common geopolitical referent, the US-Mexico zone, to investigate other nodes of encounter and struggle. Another aim is to expand the concept of borderlands beyond formal political arenas and territorial boundaries to examine the clash and mesh between different peoples’ mores, values, languages, and racial, gendered, and sexual formations, among others.

For this purpose, we begin our journey with a brief exploration of Indigenous communities in North America and their lives through the early moments of Spanish conquest and colonization. We will examine US imperial formations in the nineteenth century as the US forged expansive and tight webs of economic and political interests beyond its juridical borders. We will spend most of our time in the twentieth century as we uncover how broader community designations such as Spanish, Hispanic, Latino/a, and Latinx have emerged, have been deployed for different reasons, and what are their limits. We will probe the authoritarian regimes, civil wars, climate-related disasters, and economic shifts in the Americas that have prompted political boundaries to be drawn and shift as well as pushed peoples to move. We will examine the various cycles of agricultural labor, manufacture, and service work that have made Latinx bodies, labor, and affect constitutive of life in this political jurisdiction we know today as the United States. The course also aims to explore the most well-known nodes of Latinx sociality in the United States such as New York City, Miami, Chicago, El Paso, Los Angeles, and others that emerged at different times. Ultimately, this course argues that the factors prompting movement are not isolated events on one side or another of an always-shifting political border but that these are symbiotic, hemispheric, and global dynamics occasioned by distinct modalities of colonialism, imperial formations, and capitalism.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Trace the formation of the academic field of Latina/o/x Studies by identifying the inquiries driving the field and the limitations prompting change.
Learn about key events, dates, and figures that can help illuminate broader political, socio-cultural, and economic dynamics that have led to the imagination of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the US as distinct spaces.
Investigate other forms of mapping peoples, cultures, and experiences that implode national histories either through both regional or hemispheric foci.
Explore and trace the complex and controversial politics around immigration in the US.
Discuss the racialization of concepts such as “illegality,” “undocumented,” “deportability,” “migration crisis,” “diaspora,” and “border.”
Analyze primary sources by using close reading techniques to discern the context of production and the author’s intentionality as well as that which is revealed beyond the author’s intended purpose.
Critically assess secondary sources by identifying the main questions, arguments, approach, methods, and evidence.
Learn and understand basic academic vocabulary and working definitions of concepts/processes at the heart of contemporary social and cultural historical research: colonialism, coloniality, empire, nation-formation, state-building, borderlands, race, gender, sexuality, class, hegemony, post-colonialism, de-colonization, and many others.

CLASS MATERIALS

Books

For this class, you are required two books:

Omar Valerio-Jiménez and Carmen Teresa Whalen, Major Problems in Latina/o History: Documents and Essays(Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning, 2015). I have made PDFs of the selections assigned which will be posted on Canvas.

This is a very expensive book if to purchase (so, please, do not) but you can rent a printed or digital copy for the quarter for a moderate price ($23.49) at https://www.cengage.com/c/major-problems-in-latina-o-history-1e-valerio-jiménez/9781111353773PF/.

Cecilia Márquez, Making the Latino South: A History of Racial Formation, (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2023). You can purchase this book through our UW Bookstore or other vendors. It is also available digitally through our library: https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99162719362501452

All other additional material, such as journal articles or book chapters, are also electronically available. These will be available in PDF on our Canvas website or available directly through our UW library. In either case, I will let you know and will provide the necessary links or the PDF copy. For this purpose, see below in this syllabus, under the section Weekly Schedule, and in our Canvas website, in your Modules section.

Note: If you have problems accessing the digital readings in the UW library, contact the library staff directly, you can chat online with the librarian on duty. Remember, to access readings through the UW Library databases while off-campus, you need to do a remote log-in. These databases are available only to registered UW students, so the website needs to recognize you as a UW user.

If you need further reading to help contextualize material, see the following text, all available in digital format through our UW database:

Ramón A. Gutiérrez and Tomás. Almaguer, The New Latino Studies Reader: a Twenty-First-Century Perspective (Oakland, California: University of California Press, 2016)
Ana Y. Ramos-Zayas and Mérida M. Rúa, Critical Dialogues in Latinx Studies: a Reader (New York: New York University Press, 2021)
Juan González, Harvest of Empire: a History of Latinos in America, second revised edition, (New York: Penguin Books, 2021)

You are assigned to watch several films. Most, except one, are available for streaming through our library.

Salt of the Earth (1954), Dir. Herbert Biberman, https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99162393354701452
Zoot Suit Riots (2022), Dir. Joseph Tovares, https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/db578v/cdi_alexanderstreet_marcxml_AcademicVideoOnlinePremiumUnitedStatesASP5077037_marc
90 Miles (2001), Dir. Juan Carlos Saldívar (POV-PBS)
The Takeover (2021), Dir. Emma Francis-Snyder (https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/takeover/)
The Infiltrators (2019), Dir. Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99162417558901452

Note: The instructor reserves the right to change and add readings as deemed appropriate over the quarter. It is the student’s responsibility to keep up with these changes, which will be announced in class and through email.

Library Resources: If you need help identifying research resources, please, contact our history librarian, Aubrey Williams (http://aubreyjw@uw.edu). On her webpage on the UW Suzallo Library website (https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/history), you will also find links to the History Writing Center, the Odegaard Writing Center, Citations tools, etc. Please, do not hesitate to reach out to her if you need help with this or another course.

History Writing Center: Dr. Julie Osborn, is our Writing Specialist. I encourage everyone to make an appointment to consult on ideas for your papers and improve your writing. Email for an appointment at http://histwctr@uw.edu. The Center is located in Smith 210C.

ASSIGNMENTS

Active engagement in the class is graded. It is evaluated in several ways:

PARTICIPATION (1pt. per week; 10 pts. total)

Participation comprises:

Timely and regular attendance to lecture
Sustained attention during the lectures
Pertinent involvement in in-class discussions
Amicable engagement with peers during in-class activities
Diligent and respectful communication (in-person or written) with TA and professor
Promptness with assignment deadlines
Knowledge of assigned materials
Attend office hours

The presentation of your work is very important. The formatting guidelines for this course are:

Upload Word documents only
Typed
Double-spaced
Font size 12
Font type: Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial
One-inch margins
Include name, date, title, and page numbers
Use in-text citations (author, date, page) for material assigned in the class
Use Chicago-style citations when footnoting materials not assigned in the class (https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html)

Quizzes (2 pts. each; 4 pts. total)

These are Learning Checks to encourage engagement with materials. They are comprised of multiple-choice or T/F questions. They are open-book exercises and not timed. However, you only have one opportunity to choose your answer. There are 2 quizzes in the quarter. You can answer a quiz anytime between the day the module becomes available to the due date.

Quiz #1, Syllabus, 4/4/2025, 11:59 pm

Quiz #2, Maps 4/4/2025, 11:59 pm

Reading Reflections (varied value, 7 are 3 points, 2 are 2 points; total 25 points

These are low-stakes, short thinking exercises on Canvas to demonstrate your engagement with and understanding of the reading. We are looking for an illustration of reading done not perfection.

RR #1 4/8/2025, 12:00 pm RR #6 5/13/2025, 12:00 pm

RR #2 4/15/2025, 12:00 pm RR #7 5/20/2025, 12:00 pm

RR #3 4/22/2025, 12:00 pm RR #8 5/27/2025, 12:00 pm (2 pts.)

RR #4 4/29/2025, 12:00 pm RR #9 6/3/2025, 12:00 pm

RR #5 5/6/2025, 12:00 pm (2 pts.)

In-Class Exercises (1 pt. each: 9 total)

Every Thursday, we have low-stake writing based on in-class, small-group discussions of readings or primary sources.

Historians assess critically every artifact they encounter, produced in the past (primary sources), written to analyze the past (secondary sources), or from the present. Also, communicating our recently acquired knowledge to others is a critical skill in our intellectual and professional development. Your critical skills will be assessed in the following ways:

Discussion Boards (varied value, one is 3 points, 2 are two points: total 7 points)

These assignments provide the opportunity to engage with other students. Exercises will take different forms. Prompts are provided on Canvas. Students are required to post an initial answer to the prompt one day and on the following day, students are required to post a reply (following the prompt provided) to a peer’s initial post. Discussion Boards are organized in small groups within the roster of students in their discussion section.

DB #1 4/2/2025-4/4/2025, 11:59 pm (3 pts.)

DB #2 5/6/2025-5/7/2025, 11:59 pm

DB #3 5/22/2025-5/23/2025, 11:59 pm

Short Writing Assignments (varied value, one is 10 points, one is 15 points; 25 points total

Short Writing Assignment #1: Film Review of Salt of the Earth (10 points)

due Week 3, Saturday, 4/19/2025, 11:59 pm

Short Writing Assignment #2: Book Review of Cecilia Márquez, The Latino South (15 points)

due Week 9, Saturday, 5/31/2025, 11:59 pm

Final Assignment (20 pts.)

This assignment is a Slide Show Presentation (10-12 slides), with no voice narration. The prompt will ask you to prepare a workshop for staff and lawyers in a legal aid clinic as they are seeing an increase in Latin Americans in their clientele requesting services but have little knowledge of the histories that brought many of them to the US. Drawing from our class materials and discussions, students are to select five themes to develop. Instructions will be provided on Canvas.

due Final Exams Week, 6/10/2025, 11:59 pm

*The instructor reserves the right to provide extra credit work.

Extra Credit Work (2 pts.; 4 pts. total)

Occasionally, students will be encouraged to attend an event related to the general themes of the class. To receive extra credit, students have to provide a short write-up (500 words) with a value of up to two points, depending on quality. The write-up comprises two paragraphs. In the first paragraph, provide the event’s title, time, place, and sponsors. Also, describe the content and argument of the presentation/performance/etc. (demonstrate that you participated for most of the event, not just the first few minutes.) In the second paragraph, reflect on how one or two elements in the event connect with issues discussed in class lectures or readings (provide specific examples in the readings or lectures you are referring to). If students are attending an event that may be related to our class but the instructor is not aware of it, they can bring it to her attention to evaluate if it is suitable for extra credit. Students have two opportunities for extra credit.

LATE SUBMISSION POLICY

All work submitted after the deadline without previous arrangements with the instructor will be deducted half a point off the grade per day.

GRADING PHILOSOPHY AND STEPS TO DISCUSS GRADES

Grading is not an easy process, especially because we are working within a framework in which grades are more often understood as a teacher’s punishment and not as an evaluation of one class exercise. When class members operate within this framework, if certain expectations are not met then anger and conflict ensue. Because this is not how I work in my classes, I ask students to take your graded assignments home, re-read them, write a short paragraph reflecting on the things you did well and which ones you can improve, and then we will set up a meeting to talk about the process. The goal is reflection, discussion, and improvement: I seek a productive engagement where we all can learn and grow. To me, a grade is just the assessment of a set of skills through one particular exercise. It is not a reflection of your value or a measurement of your intelligence. As such we can make many mistakes, discuss them, and do better the next time.

GRADE DISTRIBUTION

In this course, we do not use the final percentage calculations provided by Canvas. To calculate your final grade, add all the points in each of your assignments and extra credit work. Again grading in this course is not based on percentages. The total is 100 points. See my conversion table to the 4.0 scale on Canvas.

Participation 10 pts.

Quizzes 4 pts.

In-Class Exercises 9 pts.

Reading Reflection Exercises 25 pts.

Discussion Board 7 pts.

Short-Writing Exercises 25 pts.

Final Assignment 20 pts.

To pass this course your final grade has to be 65 or above.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Overall, you should use common sense when communicating in person and electronically. In the same way that you would present yourself in person to make a positive and constructive impression, you should always do the same when communicating in writing. Remember that the majority of what we communicate to others is in non-verbal ways (body language, voice inflection, etc.). Unfortunately, all you have in online courses is in a text form. Make sure your digital impression is a clear and positive one.
The classroom is a professional space where we come to work. It does not mean impersonal, inflexible, or unfriendly. However, we all are expected to come prepared with reading and written assignments done, behave diligently, and engage our peers attentively and with respect.
No one should miss deadlines except under extraordinary circumstances. If you have trouble, please, contact me as soon as possible.
Meet deadlines.
All work is submitted electronically.
Students are responsible for successful class discussions. You are expected to read all assigned material on time. Each student has to make an effort to participate in class. Pertinent questions, comments, and/or suggestions are always welcome in class.
Students are expected to behave amicably while engaging with peers in-class exercises.
Write clearly, concisely, and coherently. Not only must you develop a critical argument effectively, but the presentation of your work will also be taken into account. I expect all work to be typed and double-spaced, use font size 12, 1-inch margins, and insert page numbers.
Email protocol: All emails to the instructor and class peers should be written in formal language and professional format. I will reply within 24 hours during weekdays. I do not answer emails during the weekend.

Please, refer to the Netiquette page on Canvas for detailed principles of engagement in any online part of this course. Most of these ground rules apply to in-person too.

STATEMENT ABOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE CLASSROOM

The instructor and teaching assistants are committed to fostering a learning environment that is open and welcoming to all students. The instructors are willing and committed to providing an atmosphere of support and affirmation for all people. Do not display disrespectful behavior toward any individual based upon age, ability, race/color/ethnicity, religious/spiritual, political affiliation, socioeconomic, immigration, marital, military/veteran status, gender identity/expressions, sexual/affectional orientations, relationship status, and/or anything likely to be perceived as disrespectful to someone’s background, culture, or identity. Be mindful and educate yourself about derogatory, but commonly used language. Unprofessional, derogatory, and/or offensive behavior may result in disciplinary action. Please, note that encouraging respect is not meant to prevent serious debate about important issues. Keep in mind, however, that our ultimate goal is to question the logic that creates and maintains the historical marginalization of individuals and communities. If you have serious concerns about classroom climate, please, contact TAs and/or the main instructor immediately.

If you are a student impacted in any way by current anti-immigration policies, ongoing state violence against the public, the carceral system, climate-related disasters, or the pandemic, please, do not hesitate to contact, in strict confidence, the main instructor or/and the TAs to accommodate related emergencies in terms of attendance, late work, extensions, and incompletes.

STUDENT RESOURCES IN TIMES OF NEED

The Department of History has a page on its website with a large variety of resources (funding, emergency funds, health) for students. Please, visit here.

Also, do not hesitate to contact the History Advising Office (histadv@uw.edu) if you need academic support or need further assistance locating other resources at the UW.

STUDENTS ACCOMMODATIONS

If you anticipate or experience barriers to your learning or full participation in this course based on a physical, learning, or mental health disability, please immediately contact the instructor to discuss possible accommodations. If you have, or think you have, a temporary or permanent disability that impacts your participation in any course, please also contact Disability Resources for Students (DRS) at: 206-543-8924 V / 206-543-8925 TDD / uwdss@uw.edu e-mail / http://www.uw.edu/students/drs.

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious -accommodations-request/).

ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Honor Code Statement from the UW Foster School of Business:

“Cheating, attempted cheating, plagiarism, lying, and stealing in relation to academic work is

prohibited.”

Students are expected to adhere to the University of Washington policies on academic integrity, especially regarding plagiarism. Plagiarism can take multiple forms including but not limited to the direct copying of other people’s written words from books, websites, or other students’ essays; the copying of other people’s ideas or interpretations without proper acknowledgment; the copying of the structure of an argument from somebody else’s work. Cases of plagiarism will be punished to the fullest extent that university policy allows. If you have any doubts about what constitutes plagiarism at the University of Washington, please, browse the following link: http://www.washington.edu/students/handbook/conduct.html.

Statement on the Use of AI-based Tools

Artificial intelligence (AI) language models, such as ChatGPT, Bing Chat, GPT4, and “Write with AI” in Google Docs, and online assignment help tools, such as Chegg®, cannot be used for assignments in this course or your actions will be considered plagiarism. The following actions are prohibited in this course:

Submitting all or any part of an assignment statement to an online learning support platform
Incorporating any part of an AI-generated response in an assignment
Using AI to brainstorm, formulate arguments, or template ideas for assignments
Using AI to summarize or contextualize source materials
Submitting your work for this class to an online learning support platform for iteration or improvement.

If you are in doubt as to whether you are using an online learning support platform appropriately in this course, I encourage you to discuss your situation with me.