Latin American and Latine Studies

This course asks how territorial boundaries have evolved into a dispersed, interior regime of surveillance and control over the course of American history. Beginning with colonial-era treaties and other practices of boundary-making in early US history, we will turn to examine U.S.–Mexico borderlands as a region shaped not only by movement, exchange, and cultural intermingling, but also by the evolving power of the state and the contested processes of border?making. Special emphasis will be given to the intertwined histories of Indigenous, Mexican, Black, Chinese, and Euro?American communities and to examining how borders are produced, negotiated, and lived, while developing critical reading and writing skills in history.

Through the lens of musicology and ethnomusicology, this course explores folk/vernacular, popular, and classical music from various Latin American locales and Latino societies in the U.S. Lessons and readings include genres, instruments, and performance practices as well as contextualization with history, politics, and entertainment. Course also interrogates what defines Latin American and Latino musical identities. The course includes in-class, hands-on performances. No ability to read music is required.

This course explores the politics of Latin America by looking at the political history and contemporary politics of various countries in the region. We will explore how the strength of states, variations in regime type, and pervasive inequality – on the axes of class, race, and gender/sexuality – have affected and continue to affect politics in Latin America.

Migration in and from Latin American territory represents one of the main social, political, and economic challenges of our times. However, the displacement of individuals and communities has a long history. This course explores the migratory movements of indigenous communities during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Students will identify the various motives and cultural consequences of the indigenous migration phenomenon in and from Latin America by analyzing stories, novels, and films. This course addresses issues related to racism, discrimination, territorial appropriation, gender inequality, colonial traces, and ecological deterioration, among others. This course meets the educational goals of Hamilton College, with particular emphasis on the following: intellectual curiosity and flexibility, analytic and aesthetic discernment, disciplinary practice, communication and expression, understanding of cultural diversity, and ethical, informed, and engaged citizenship.