Latin American and Latinx Studies Minor
This minor explores Latin American and Latinx political and cultural theory and practice in both historical and contemporary contexts throughout the Americas. By way of an interdisciplinary approach to Latin American and Latinx intellectual and artistic traditions, students will critically engage with the legacies of colonialism, migration, and globalization that continue to pervade ways of being and interacting. By looking at Latin American and Latinx culture on and across borders and in a range of contexts, this minor addresses the intersectionality of identities constructed between Latin America and the United States.
The required core course is PL 230 The United States and Latin America or IN 229 Introduction to Latinx Studies. The remaining 12 credits are chosen from the following courses, and at least one must be at the 300 or 400 level. Students are encouraged to study abroad and courses will be pre-approved on a case-by-case basis.
Courses
- HI 310 - Demystifying Revolutionaries: Race, Imperialism, and Transformative Change in Latin America*
- IN 229 - Introduction to Latinx Studies (if not used as core course)
- IN 339 - The Latinx Body and Power
- IN 360 - Visual Art, Theatre, and Culture in Barcelona, Spain
- IN 374 - Latinx Media and Pop Culture
- LI 213 - Latin American Literature and Cinema
- LI 214 - US Latinx Literature
- LI 310 - Advanced Topics in Latin American Literature**
- LI 324 - Latin American Short Fiction*
- LI 362 - Topics in US Latinx Literature**
- LI 424 - Imagining the Caribbean*
- PL 230 - The United States and Latin America (if not used as core course)
- PL 310 - Collective Action and Identity Politics*
- PL 322 - Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation*
- VM 311 - Latin American Cinema*
- VM 402 - The Other in US Film and TV* (topic)
* Note prerequisites
** Check current course listings for specific topics
Students are encouraged to continue Spanish language study and study abroad in one of Emerson’s LALS-affiliated Global Pathways Programs: Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Jamaica, & Spain.
Faculty
Maria Agui Carter, assistant professor in Visual and Media Arts, is an award-winning writer, director, and producer of dramatic and documentary films and series screened internationally that focus on women, LatinX, diversity, and social justice. Her course The Other in US Film and TV examines industry and cultural bias in film and TV exploring issues such as race, gender, sexuality, and disability in portraying identity.
Kaysha Corinealdi, assistant professor in History, is a historian of modern empires, nationalism, and migration. Her areas of focus include Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States. She teaches the course Demystifying Revolutionaries: Race, Imperialism, and Transformative Change in Latin America.
Rosario M. de Swanson, associate professor, specializes in 20th-century Latin American Literature, women writers, Afro-Latin American writers, and the literature of Equatorial Guinea. Her research and teaching focus on literature and culture as a form of resistance and on questions of representation at the intersection of cultural production and transnational junctions through the lens of language, poetry, literature, and cultural production. At Emerson, she teaches Latin American literature and culture, gender studies, and Spanish language.
Sebastian Ferrada*, assistant professor in Latinx Studies, specializes in queer of color critique, focusing on the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and language in the experiences of Latinx communities in the US. They teach courses on queer Latinx communities, as well as Latinx bodies, culture, and power.
Mneesha Gellman, associate professor in Political Science, does research on comparative democratization, cultural survival, and social movements in the Global South and the US. She is the author of Democratization and Memories of Violence: Ethnic Minority Rights Movements in Mexico, Turkey, and El Salvador. She teaches The United States and Latin America.
Vinicius Navarro, associate professor in Visual and Media Arts, is a film and media scholar whose interests span the fields of Latin American cinema, documentary, and digital culture. He has also written on global television formats. He teaches a course on Latin American cinema.
Mirta Tocci, affiliated faculty in Interdisciplinary Studies, works in multidisciplinary installation art and scenography and has presented on three continents, including the cities of Buenos Aires and Barcelona. She teaches a Global Pathways Program in Barcelona.
Please note this may not be a comprehensive list, as our affiliated faculty rotate on a semesterly basis. Please refer to the semester registration listings to identify any additional faculty participating in the minor.
* Minor Coordinator
