In-Transit Identities: Migration in Contemporary Latin American Literature and Popular Culture

This course introduces students to issues of migration in contemporary Latin America. Topics to be covered include migrant subjectivities inside and outside national borders; discussions about identity and migrant heritages that will focus on issues such as race, gender, and country of origin; exile and political repression; and bilingualism and migrant childhoods. Students will read, watch, and listen to a selection of fictional narratives, testimonials, poetry, films, podcasts, and songs, exploring the bonds between literature and popular culture. We will conceive of Latin America as a region that both produces and receives migrants, and will focus on specific case studies such as the Venezuelan diaspora, Japanese migration in Peru, and Palestinian migration in Chile. The languages of instruction will be Spanish and English. When materials are not available in English, students are expected to read or listen to them in Spanish.