The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the Hispanic population will reach 111 million by 2060. But who are Hispanics? What does that label mean and how does it relate to the terms Latino/a and Latinx? Can those labels accurately reflect the various communities they seek to represent? Returning to these questions through the semester, we will critically analyze the evolution of the term Hispanic and its impact on discussions of race, ethnicity, and citizenship expectations in the United States. We will engage ethnographic and historical analyses, legal perspectives, and geographic studies that explore Hispanic, Latino/a, and Latinx identity formation across the United States and in transnational as well as hemispheric contexts. One of the goals of this course is to not only identify how political and economic shifts have shaped these labels but also connect those processes to ongoing debates around immigration reform, border security, and American identity.
This course fulfills the "Introductory Course" requirement for AMCS majors and minors.
Course Attributes: EN H; BU Hum; AS HUM; FA HUM; AR HUM
