Fall 2006

Sonoma State University

Chicano And Latino Studies (CALS) 219

Chicano/Latino Identity and Heritage

Salazar 2019                                          Tues-Thurs 4pm - 5:15

Dr. Ron L—pez

Phone: 664-3039

Email: ronald.lopez@sonoma.edu

Office: Carson Hall 63

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 3pm - 3:50 (and by appointment)

Class Time and Place: Tuesday and Thursday, 4pm - 5:15pm, Salazar Hall, 2019

 

Course Description

A survey of the Chicana/o and Latina/o experience in the United States. The course is an introduction to Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies through the social sciences in order to explain the individual's status and place within the group and society. This includes how Chicanas/os and Latinas/os have adapted to the various cultural, social, economic, and political elements of the US. This course will provide students with a working, comparative knowledge of different Latino groups and their histories. Satisfies ethnic studies requirement in GE, category D1 (Individual and Society).

 

Required Texts (Available at North Light Books in Cotati)

1. Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America

Juan Gonzalez, Penguin Books 2001                                   ISBN 0-14-025539-7

2. Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis

Dennis J. Bixler-M‡rquez, Carlos F. Ortega, Rosal’a Sol—rzano Torres, and Lorenzo G. LaFarelle

Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company                                    ISBN 0-7872-8662-1

3. The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child

Francisco JimŽnez, University of New Mexico Press,            ISBN 0-8263-1797-9

 

Optional Texts

La Nueva California: Latinos in the Golden State, David E. Hayes-Bautista

The Hispanic Condition: The Power of a People, By Ilan Stavans

Occupied America, by Rudy Acu–a

Massacre of the Dreamers: Essays on Xicanisma, by Ana Castillo

ÒÁMi Raza Primero!Ó (My People First!), by Ernesto Ch‡vez

Between Borders: Essays on Mexicana/Chicana History, Adelaida R. Del Castillo, editor

From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth Century America, Vicki L. Ruiz

Mexican American Labor: 1790-1990, Juan G—mez-Qui–ones

Memories of Chicano History: The Life and Narrative of Bert Corona, Mario T. Garc’a

Anything but Mexican: Chicanos in Contemporary Los Angeles, Rodolfo F. Acu–a

Chicana Feminist Thought: The Basic Historical Writings, Alma M. Garc’a, editor

 

Evaluation                                                                                            Grading

Community Essay                       5 points                                                 A          90 - 100            

Bibliography                              20 points                                               B          80 - 89                         

Midterm #1                                20 points                                               C          70 - 79

Term paper                                 20 points                                               D          60 - 69

Final Exam                                20 points                                               F          0 - 59

Attendance, participation   15 points                                                          

 

No Cell Phones

All Cellular telephones, Pagers, walkie-talkies, Electronic devices (radios, music players, etc) or other gadgets must be turned off completely before students enter the classroom. Students who

 

A Note on Reading

Reading is a practice that is common to all great civilizations. Most mentioned are the ancient civilizations of the Middle East and North Africa. However, many Indigenous American civilizations (the Maya, Aztecs, Teotihuacanos, Toltecas, Soque, and Incas, among others) also independently produced systems of writing and mathematics, with the Maya independently producing and applying the concept of Zero to architecture, cosmology, and calendar systems). Still, writing is a learned behavior. It is a skill that requires regular use to maintain efficiency. You need to read your assignments regularly and to have read the material by the beginning of the week for which it is assigned. Films viewed in class are to be considered required ÔtextsÕ, so notes should be taken and films should be ÔreadÕ for their content.

 

Attendance and Participation is Very Important

Classroom lectures and discussion will cover the readings and help in understanding the material. Your regular attendance and participation is important for your understanding of the material and thus your grade. Those students who want a "good" grade will not miss class. Students absent the first day may be dropped. Students who are repeatedly absent may be dropped. However, it is the studentsÕ own responsibility to drop the class. Absences, even when due to emergency, may affect your grade.

 

Classroom Decorum is Based on Common Sense - and These Rules

Please show respect and courtesy for fellow students. When you talk in class you cannot listen - and neither can the person to whom you are talking. Students sitting near you are also affected. When someone asks a question, be sure you hear the question. Listen to the discussion or the answer. This is not an opportunity to chat. This material may appear on the test or a quiz. Cursing at or insulting other students, or using sexist, racist, homophobic, or derogatory language, will not be tolerated, will affect your grade, and will probably result in the offending student being dropped from the class.

 

Assignment #1: My Community

This is your first week paper. You are to write a paper of not less than three (3) and not more than five (5) pages. It should be typed/printed or written very neatly if you do not have easy access to a computer. In this essay you are to describe yourself and your community. What kind of community do you think of as your ÔprimaryÕ or Ômost importantÕ community. This may be your church, an Ôon-lineÕ community, your peer (friendship) group, your local neighborhood or barrio, or your family. Your community may be many things. Please be clear and answer the following questions. What is your community? Who are you within your community? How do others perceive you, how would they describe you? Please be detailed. Do as well on this assignment as you can. You should turn this assignment in on the second day of class. If you enter the class late, you must turn the assignment in on the following Tuesday or you will be dropped from the class.

 

Assignment #2: Annotated Bibliography

This assignment is meant to provide you with an opportunity to engage in directed library research.

The Bibliography must be on a Chicana/o - Latina/o topic. Some Latin American topics, if they pertain to the class, may be accepted, but only with approval of the instructor. The topic must be narrowly defined, and not too broad. For example, ÒImmigrationÓ is too broad of a topic: ÒCentral American ImmigrationÓ would be better. Your Annotated Bibliography must contain at least ten (10) but not more than twenty (20) citations. It must include at least two books, two journal articles from a social science/humanities journal, two magazine or newspaper articles, and at least two articles from electronic (on-line) journals. You must decide on your topic by (or before) Thursday September 15 and you must turn it in on or before Thursday September 29. You may always turn assignments in early.

 

Assignment #3: Term Paper

The paper must be between 4 full pages and 5 full pages, on a topic related to Chican@ / Latin@ Studies or History. A list of potential topics will be provided. The steps you should follow are: 1) choosing a topic, identifying between 5 and 10 possible sources for the paper, submitting your topic and at least three of your sources, and turning in the final paper. You are strongly encouraged to use the writing center on the ground floor of the library while preparing your paper. You may also bring your paper to me during office hours. Each student must complete the paper to pass the class. The paper topic is due on Tuesday October 25, but you are encouraged to choose your topic early. Your paper is due on Tuesday November 22. Your paper must be on a topic different from your annotated bibliography.

 

Course Webpage

The course will have a webpage on the WebCT system. The Website for the class will be announced to the class at a later time. In the meantime, we will be using a yahoo based email group. Please send an email, using your assigned Sonoma State email address, to: CALS-219-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . Students are expected to Check their course webpage at least twice a week.

 

Midterm and Final Exam

The midterm and Final Exam will be a mixed exam, combining an essay with short answer and/or multiple-choice questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Readings

Please note that this list of readings below is tentative: you will be notified of changes in the reading schedule, supplementary materials and additional optional materials as the semester proceeds. Exam deadlines and assignment deadlines listed below, however, will not change.

 

Week 1:                        August 22, 24   

                        Introduction to this class

Required            Harvest of Empire – Introduction

                        Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis: Introduction, pp v – xiv,

                                    And Significant to Whom? (essay 1) By David GutiŽrrez, pp 3 - 12     

                                                                                                           

Week 2:                        August 29, 31   

                        Tuesday, ÒMy CommunityÓ Essay: Due on August 29                 

                        Required            Harvest of Empire - Introduction, chapter 1

                                                Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - chapter 1 (essays 1-3) pp 3 - 44

                                                                                                                                   

Week 3:                        Sept 5, 7           September 4 - Labor Day Holiday          

                        September 7       Library Workshop - Open to all so be there early to get a seat.           

                        Required            Harvest of Empire - chapter 2

                                                Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - chapter 1 (essays 4, 5)            pp

                        The Circuit, by Jimenez   

                                                                       

Week 4:                        Sept 12, 14

                        Thursday, Sept. 14: Topic for Annotated Bibliography Due         

Required            Harvest of Empire - chapter 3

                        The Circuit, by Jimenez

 

Week 5:                        Sept 19, 21                                           

                        Required            Harvest of Empire - chapters 4, 6

                        The Circuit, by Jimenez

 

Week 6:                        Sept 26, 28                   

                        Sept 28, Library Worshop on specialized research in Chicano Studies

                        Thursday, Sept 28: Library Visit, Chicano/Latino Research         

                        Required            Harvest of Empire - chapter 5

                                                Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - Section 2 (essays 1, 2, 3)

                                                                                   

Week 7:                        Oct 5               

                        Dr. L—pez will be out of town this early in the week. See you on the 5th.

Required            Harvest of Empire - chapters 7, 8, 9

                                                Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - Section 2 (4, 5)

                        The Circuit, by Jimenez

 

Week 8:                        Oct 10, 12         Oct. 9 Columbus Indigenous Peoples Day observance

                        Thursday, Oct 12: Annotated Bibliography Due             

Required            Harvest of Empire - chapter 7

                                                Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - Section 3 (1, 2, 3)

 

Week 9:                        Oct 17, 20                    

                        Required           Harvest of Empire - chapter 8, 9

                        Optional            Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - Section 3 (1, 2, 3)

                                                                                                                                                           

Week 10:           Oct 24, 27                                            

                        Tuesday, October 25: Research Paper Topic Due

                        Required           Harvest of Empire - chapter 10

                        Optional            Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - Section 3 (4, 5, 6, 7))

                                                                                               

Week 11:           Oct 31, Nov 2                           

                                                Tuesday, October 18: Midterm Exam Due

Required            Harvest of Empire - chapter 11, 12 (immigration)

                                                ÒThe Hispanic ChallengeÓ, by Samuel Huntington (available online-details later)

                                                Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - chapter 4 (1, 2, 3, 4)

                                   

Week 12:           Nov 7, 9                                                           

                        Required            Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - chapter 4, (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

                        Film:                To be announced (Mendez vs. Westminster, Escuela, and/or Fear and Learning)

                                               

Week 13:           Nov 14, 16                                            

                        Required            Harvest of Empire - chapter 13

                                                Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - chapter 5 (1, 2, 3)

                        Film:                Fair Trade Slaves (exact date to be announced)

                                                           

Week 14:           Nov 21              Nov. 22 - Nov. 24 Thanksgiving Holiday (campus closed)

                        Tuesday Nov. 21: Research Essay Due

                        Required            Harvest of Empire - chapter 14, Epilogue

                                                Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - chapter 5 (4, 5)

 

Week 15:           Nov 28, 30         Looking forward                      

                        Required            Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis - chapter (6, 7, 8)

Optional            La Nueva California: Latinos in the Golden State, by David Hayes-Bautista

(strongly recommended)

                                                                                   

Week 16:           Dec 5,7                                     

Final Discussions on current issues and challenges for the present       

Readings and additional optional material to be announced later

 

Week 17:           Final Exam Due: Thursday Dec. 14, 5 -6:50pm