UNITY AND DIVISION IN THE LATINO/A POLITICS
CES 359/POLSCI 375:
M& W 1:25 – 2:40 PM
Todd Hall 204
Prof. José Alamillo
COURSE DESCRIPTION :
Chicano/as and Latino/as are often stereotyped as the "sleeping giant" or politically apathetic. On the contrary, despite been historically excluded from "formal" political activities and institutions, Chicano/as and Latino/as have long been politically active, as organizers, participants, and leaders in their respective communities, workplaces, and political organizations. This course provides a broader perspective of the term, "political,"(typically reduced to electoral politics) that examines the exercise of power from more institutionalized contexts such as the economy, the state, and political groups to more informal structures of everyday life and culture. We will consider the "politics of ethnicity" as it relates to Chicano/as and Latino/a groups within urban and rural community settings and explore how this diverse Latino/a populations continues to be divided along class, racial, gender, sexual orientation and citizenship lines. These divisions present challenges for existing Chicano/a organizations that emerged out the Chicano/a and Puerto Rican Movements. Finally given the current political environment we will explore whether it is necessary to build a “Latino bloc” a nexus of diverse groups that differ by nationality, race, citizenship status, class, gender, sexuality, and political views.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
· To develop an understanding of the historical origins and development of Latino/a politics
· To introduce students to the divergent political ideologies of the Latino/a population that is divided by class, race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, language, and citizenship status.
· To examine the role of non-electoral Latino/a politics in shaping public policy and social change
· To evaluate whether Latinos and Latinas can come together as a “bloc” and address pressing political issues of the current moment.
REQUIRED TEXTS :
1) David Gutierrez, Walls and Mirrors: Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants and the Politics of Ethnicity (University of California Press, 1995)
2) Lisa Garcia Bedolla, Fluid Borders: Latino Power, Identity and Politics in Los Angeles (University of California Press, 2005)
3) Jose Ramon Sanchez, Boricua Power: A Political history of Puerto Ricans in the United States (New York University Press, 2007)
4) Michael Jones-Correa, Between Two Nations: The Political Predicament of Latinos in New York City (Cornell University Press, 1998)