SF-1171 Living on and Beyond the Hyphen/Latino Writers in the USA
Hyphenated-Americans of Latino origin come from many places and backgrounds. Often perceived as a divide, an either/or that separates and distinguishes one ethnic group from another, the hyphen can also be viewed as a link that connects, integrates and facilitates the formation of "new" cultural spaces. Through films and written narratives by and about U.S.A. Latino(a)(x)-Americans, students will examine how individuals who live on the threshold between two languages and cultures embrace the challenge of preserving their own identity and moving beyond stereotypes. Each of the Latino/a/x authors that we will read in this course will describe his/her own experiences living in the U.S.A. By examining their views through our own filtered lens we shall try to answer questions like the following: 1. What role does language have in our definition/understanding of cultural identity? 2. How do individuals move beyond the hyphen and stop seeing themselves as hybrids? 3. How can an individual who does not belong to a marginalized group (i.e. one considered less powerful and secondary) understand and empathize with those who do? 4. How does globalization affect the dichotomies that arise in bi-cultural and multi-cultural communities?