Introduction to Chicano History

4 credits · Undergraduate

This course introduces the history of ethnic Mexicans in the United States. This includes a discussion on what is considered the “long 16th century” or the period roughly between the late 1400s up until the 1650s, the construction of race and racial difference during the colonial, Mexican, and US period, the formation of the Mexican Borderlands in the 19th Century, and the formation of a Chicana/o identity during the latter half of the 20th century up until the present. Through this course, we will explore important currents that have shaped the experiences of Mexican communities in the U.S., including ideas of race, gender, and class, processes of cultural adaptation, community formation, state violence, and migration, just to name a few.