Race and Nation in the Spanish Caribbean

For five centuries, the Caribbean has stood at a crucial crossroads in the unfolding history of the Americas, Europe, and the African diaspora. This seminar engages in a comparative survey of the interwoven dynamics of race and national construction in the making of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. The focus of the seminar will be placed on the on-going centrality of race in these island nations. Drawing on a range of readings in history, music, poetry and anthropology, this course will explore the overlapping historical contexts of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.