This course will explore literature and visual culture by and about African Diasporan Latino/as and consider the place of African Diaspora in Latinidad. Latino/as are frequently imagined as descendants of European and Indian peoples, while Latin America is figured as a home to mestizos, Indians and whites, yet African Diasporic communities and influences are present throughout Latin America and among Latino/as in the U.S., making the latter a multi-racial population. How does Latino/a literature, musical and visual culture address this multi-racial reality? How do these texts re-define Latino/a or African-American? We will discuss race, ethnicity and culture in African Diasporan Latino/a texts; examine how these fit into African-American and Latino/a paradigms of identity, nation, culture; explore diasporic influences in Latino/a literature and culture; research the historical record of African Diaspora in the Americas; learn about multi-racial Latino/a groups; and consider a few of the connections between Latino/as and African-Americans in historic and contemporary periods.
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
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