Introduction

=Welcome! ¡ Bienvenido! = Contact Information Profesor Maria Arroyo maria.arroyo@kctcs.edu

Why this course? According to a 2011 [|Pew Hispanic Center] study, Hispanics are the largest and youngest minority group in the United States. One- in-five schoolchildren is Hispanic. One-in-four newborns is Hispanic. Never before in this country’s history has a minority ethnic group made up so large a share of the youngest Americans. By force of numbers alone, the kinds of adults these young Latinos become will help shape the kind of society America becomes in the 21st century. Clearly, America will continue to be a Latino country and is already the second or third largest Spanish speaking country in the world!

To comprehend these changes in America's present and future, we can begin by reading and thinking about the stories, poems, and novels written by Latino writers. These writers share their experiences, perspectives and insights into life in America at this important historical moment. This course introduces this literature, its themes and its relationship to other cultural traditions in America. As a humanities course, we start with the literature and use it discover aspects of American history and society, Latino origins, cultural beliefs and practices as these contribute and shape American daily life.

Interestingly, although most Latino writers are bilingual, their stories are written in English (any thoughts why?) - but this does mean you don't have to read Spanish to appreciate this literature. Something to think about: The Human Race Machine