Latina/o/x NY

Latina/o/x populations constitute over 19% of the U.S. population as of 2020, one of the fastest

growing groups in the U.S. with a long and rich history in the U.S while maintaining transnational ties.

In this course students are invited to critically analyze the social histories of and contemporary

experiences of a diverse range of Latino/a/x populations from across the Americas. Over the course of

the semester, we will discuss how Latino/a/x populations come to reside in and transform New York

City, how Latina/o/x populations contend with everyday life and, how they shape and reshape the

communities they resettle in. Although the focus is on New York City, we will also examine the

movement of peoples from the Caribbean and Latin America. Topics include histories of migration,

labor recruitment, citizenship, coloniality and racialization, neoliberalism and the rise of

financialization in NYC, environmental racism, community formation and Latino/a/x political

activism. We will critically examine a variety of text and genres ranging from anthropological,

historical, poetry, documentary, films, media, and art to shift away from homogeneous categorization

of Latino/a/x populations to understanding populations as dynamic and complex. Students are

invited to bring their stories to class as this is a collaborative learning environment.