Researching Cultures: Afro-Central American Literature and Culture

While Afro-Latin Studies have flourished in other regions of Latin America, Afrodescendants and their contributions in Central America have been submerged in a deep mutism. Some countries, such as El Salvador, have gone as far as to officially deny the presence of Afrodescendants in the nation while others characterize Afro-Central Americans as an anomaly or as foreign. Nonetheless, Afro-Central Americans possess a long, rich and complex history within the region which although often denied, is very much present. This course introduces students to the contemporary literature and culture of people of African descent in Central America in their attempts to visibilize themselves, rescue their history and to properly represent their roots and culture. We will analyze how this history and culture is represented in the literature of authors such as Gerardo Maloney from Panama, Xiomara Cacho Caballero from Honduras, Isabel Estrada Colindres from Nicaragua, and Wingston Gonzalez from Guatemala, to name a few. In addition, students will also have the opportunity to engage with music, podcasts, art and films which feature and/or are produced by self-identifying Afro-Central Americans. This course has a substantial, mandatory and graded written communications component and is taught in Spanish. It also fulfills the Writing Intensive (WI) requirement for Arts and Sciences students. Prereq. Spanish 303 and at least one Debating Cultures (32XX). Students who have taken more than four Spanish Debating/Researching classes are not allowed in this course and must proceed to a Major Seminar (4XX).
Course Attributes: EN H; AS HUM; AS LCD; AS WI I; FA HUM; AR HUM; AS SC

Researching Cultures: Afro-Central American Literature and Culture

SPANISH 3624

Section 01