malas 600d/latam 580 sem:latina/o vis culture

8/10/2019 MALAS 600D/LATAM 580 SEM:LATINA/O VIS CULTURE

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MALAS 600D/LATAM 580

SEM:LATINA/O VIS CULTURE

Mondays

4:00pm-6:40pmNE-175

Office Hours.AL-669

Monday 11 AM -12 PM & 2-3 PM

Friday 11 AM -12 AM

And by appointment

San Diego State University

Professor: Dr. Felipe Q. Quintanilla

Email:[email protected]

Office phone number: 619 594 5177

In this course we will observe and study a wide range of culture artifacts through the lens of a

persistent question mark (?) in the context of American culture. Our objective, appropriately

speaking, is to consider the panicin Hispanic, the Mexicanin Mexican American, the Spic,

the Xican@, the Boricua, the Pan-Latin@ and everything in between, as imagined for us in andaround mainstream visual representation and beyond. We will follow a loose historical chain of

events, but always with a keen interest in the mining of meaning behind those walking

stereotypes and models of identity speaking to us from across the page, stage and screen. From

the lusty and blood-thirsty imaginaries of Manifest Destiny, to a type of coming-of-age in theaftermath of the Second World War; from the arid/wet spaces of the borderlands to the huelga

fields of el movimiento; from the mean streets of the inner-city to the hellish landscapes of the

future; we will critically engage with the ways in which the Latin@ has been incorporatedinto

the national cultural fold, as well as with the ways in which the Latin@ has sometimes managed
https://sunspot.sdsu.edu/map/display.cgi?new_loc_id=1042mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://sunspot.sdsu.edu/map/display.cgi?new_loc_id=1042


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to crash that party, making us question, in the process, the national currencies at the intersection

of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and citizenship.

Goals and Objectives:

Using vocabulary from cultural studies analysis, the student will identify major trends

and representative creators who have shaped the construct of Latinidad in the US

context. The student will recognize varied theoretical approaches to cultural studies analysis.

Both in class discussion and in written assignments, the student will examine the filmic,

historical, and social contexts as well as the form (or aesthetic structure) of the cultural

artifacts studied in class.

Required TextsBeltrn. Latina/o Stars in U.S. Eyes.

Ramirez-Berg. Latino Images on Film.

Nericcio. Tex[t]Mex.

Hernandez. Los Comex Codex.

*All additional readings will be available electronically on BB.*

Grade Breakdown

Final exam...30%Mid term exam15%

Final paper...23%

Journal....22%

Dramatic interpretation..10%


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Mid term and final examThere will be one in-class midterm exam (15% of the final grade) on the first half of class on Oct

20, 2014. It will be made up of short comprehension questions and a short-essay question.

The final exam (30% of the final grade) is structured in the same manner but is of wider

extension. It is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 15 (1600-1800) and it will cover the material covered

throughout the course.

Please go to the course website for sample questions and the grading rubric for the essay portions

of the exams.

Final Paper

In three parts (all formatted according to MLA standards):

1. The proposal consists of a three page document; it must include a description of the chosen

topic, the intended focus, and a possible thesis. An exploratory list of scholarly primary and

secondary sources should be included. The proposal will be discussed at a private conferencewith the professor during office hours or any other adequate time. *Due at the beginning of class

on Sept 29, 2014.*

2. The first draft (8 pages) should include a strong introduction that lays out a clear plan of actionfor the final paper. This draft should also then carry out the first half part of the stated plan. *Due

at the beginning of class on Oct 27, 2014*

3. The final paper (10-12 pages) is due on the last day of class. Playing off the proposal and first

draft, the final paper should reflect a strong focus on works by one or two of the authors studied

in class. This should be an original critical essay consisting of the students own interpretation,

but drawing on scholarly secondary sources (a minimum of 3) that are relevant to the argument.

*Due at the beginning of class on Dec 10th

, 2014*

The argument must be clear, coherent, and well supported while engaging closely with the text/s.

The thesis or main idea/s must be clearly stated in the papers introduction. The paper is not a

summary.

*Late paper or commentary submission will be automatically penalized 10 points for each day

beyond the due date.*

Journal

At the beginning of each class (with no possibility of extensions unless justified by medical orcompassionate reasons), each student will hand in a personal reflection on the reading/s of the

day. The text (400-500 words) should demonstrate the students understanding of the readings.

The students may focus on particular aspects they have found to be interesting and/or on the

connections to texts from the course and beyond. Feel free to explore your creative side by adding

your own illustrations or poetic/philosophical/theoretical flourishes! Having collected these

reflections, the professor will comment and assign a pass/fail grade, and return them to the

students at the beginning of each subsequent week. The students are asked to hold on to these

entries in order submit them all together towards the end of the term as part of their individual


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writing portfolio. Along with these entries, the student is asked to submit an evaluation (4-5

pages, double spaced, MLA formatting) of the themes and topics they have encountered

throughout the course, of their own writing and thought processes throughout their term.

Dramatic interpretation

Based on one of the literary or filmic text seen in class, the students will form (3-4 person) groupsin order to put together a (5-8 min) filmic dramatic interpretation to be presented to the class on

the last day of classes. You may make use of as many resources as you see fit (cell phones,

camcorders, DSLRs, animation, puppets, photographs, voice over narration, interpretative dance

etc.). Each group must also provide a four page (double spaced, times new roman, 12 font size)

justification and discussion of the development of the project, the form, the content and relevance

of the interpretation to the original text. Students will be motivated to upload their creations to

social media such as Youtube.com or Vimeo.com.

Grade Scale:100-90% -- A

89 -80% -- B

79 -70% -- C

69 -60% -- D59 -00% -- F

In order to earn an Ain this course, students have to comply with the following criteria:

near perfect attendance & excellent and consistent preparation in class;

active and thoughtful participation in individual and group activities;

outstanding ability to move easily from theory to application; that is, to apply the concepts,

terms and strategies studied in class;

high levels of competency during exams, oral presentations, class discussions and written

assignments;

Electronic devices:Not allowed in class. Computers should be off unless I request you to usedthem in the context of a special activity. If you have a disability that requires special equipment

please communicate with me ASAP.

Students with DisabilitiesIf you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is

your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at(619) 594-6473.To avoid any delay

in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as

possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based

upon disability cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an

accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Due dates for Graded assignments:Exams: If you missed an exam you will be able to take a make up only if you have a document

excuse of an extraordinary circumstance, otherwise you will receive a 0 for the exam.

Final paper: Due in class. Grade lowered 10 points per day is late. After 3 days max. grade will be

C.

Group work ethics and evaluation: Collaborative learning is one of the most powerful tools we

have to provide students with a comfortable environment in which they can explore, discuss and

rehearse their ideas. However, the many advantages cited can be neutralized by certain


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behaviors. Students will have to abide to the following rules: 1. Always bring your written

assignments. 2. Come to class prepared to discuss your readings. 3. Write down the questions

or problems you encountered while reading the texts. 4. Do not monopolize the discussion. 5.

Offer constructive criticism without being judgmental. 6. If there are problems of any nature in

your group, bring them to my attention as soon as possible. 7. Build the group as a "community

of learners" by meeting outside of class to talk about assignments or prepare for exams.

Drop/Add Policy:It is the students responsibility to add/drop class. Please refer to SDSUs Schedule of Classes for

deadlines and procedures.

Course Calendar

Week 1- Aug 25 Intro to class

Intro to class.

Screening: From Dusk till Dawn.

Week 2- Sept 1 HolidayLabor Day.

Faculty/staff holiday. Campus closed.

Week 3 Sept 8 Race, Class and the Birth of a US Nation

Screen before class:Martyrs of the Alamo

The Alamo

Screening in class: Come and take it day.

Scenes from:Birth of a Nation.Dir. W. D. Griffith.

Reading: Anzalda. Borderland/La Frontera. (BB)

Ramrez-Berg. 1-86

Hall. The Spectacle of the Other.(BB)

Week 4 Sept 15 Black and White Delights and WWII

Screen before class: Flying down to Rio.

Mexican Spitfire

Screening in class: Medal for Benny.

Scenes from: The Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse.

Bataan.

Reading: Beltran. 17-39.

Ramirez-Berg. 87-108.

Nericcio. 153-172.
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Week 5 Sept 22 Border tales and Manifest Destiny.

Screen before class:The Ballad of Gregorio CortezThe Oxbow Incident.

Screening in class: Fort Apache.

Reading: Nericcio. 1-38Ramirez-Berg. 128-152

Ramirez-Berg. Manifest myth-making: Texas History in the

Movies.In The Persistence of Whitenness. (BB)

Gutierrez-Jones. The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez and the English

Language Amendment.In Chicanos and Film:

Essays on Chicano Representation and

Resistance.(BB)

Week 6 Sept 29 Social problem film

Hand in essay proposal.

Screen before class:The Ring.

Stand and Deliver

Blackboard Jungle.

Screening in class: Bordertown.

Reading: Ramirez-Berg. 111-126

Betran. 62-85 & 108-130.

Week 7 Oct 6 Screening Desire and Miscegenation

Screen before class:Touch of Evil

Duel in the Sun

Screening in class: Lone Star .

Reading: Beltrn. 1-16

Nericcio. 39-80

Week 8 Oct 13 Working the middle-class.

Screen before class: I Love Lucy episodes (Library Reserves)

Be a Pal(Season 1)

Cuban Pals(Season 1)

Lucys Mother-in-Law(Season 4)

The Ricardos Visit Cuba(Season 6)

Screening in class: Chico and the Man episodes: TBA
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Reading: Beltran. 40-60 & 86-107.

Week 9 Oct 20 Masculinity, Machismo and la vida loca.

MIDTERM EXAM (first half of the class)

Screen before class:Blood In Blood Out.

Screening scenes from: American Me.

Reading: Jillson and Barrera. Race, Class and Gender in Aztlan: How

Hollywood Destroys Chicana/ o Identity.(BB)

Aldama. Penalizing Chicano/a Bodies in Edward J. Olmos's

American Me.(BB)

Dever. Neomelodrama as Participatory Ethnography: Allison

Anders Mi vida loca.(BB)

Week 10 Oct 27 Mextasy

Essay firs- draft is due at the beginning of class.

Leture and discussion with Dr. William Nericcio.

Reading: Nericcio. 81-152.

Week 11 Nov 3 Queering Latinidad

Screen before class: Brincando el charco. (Library Reserve)

Screening in class: La Mission.

Reading: Sandoval-Sanchez. Imagining Puerto Rican Queer Citizenship:

Frances Negrn-Muntaner's Brincando el

charco: Portrait of a Puerto Rican.(BB)

Alcalde. What It Means to be a Man?: Violence and

Homophobia in Latino Masculinities On and Off

Screen.(BB)

Reistma. Quo Vadis, Queer Vato? Queer and Loathing in Latino

Cinema.(BB)

Week 12 Nov 10 Coming of Age

Screen before class:Salt of the Earth.

Screening in class: Los vendidos.

Zoot Suit.

Reading: Fregoso. Introduction.& Intertextuality and Cultural Identity

in Zoot Suit (1981) and La Bamba(1981). In TheBronze Screen. (BB)

Week 13 Nov 17 Rasquachismo & The Manipulation of Stereotypes
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Screen before class:Cutlture Class: A Bowl of Beings.

Screening in class: Born in East L.A.

Reading: Fregoso. Humor as Subversive De-construction: Born in East

L.A. (1987). In The Bronze Screen. (BB)List. Self-Directed Stereotyping in the Films of Cheech Marin.

In Chicanos and Film: Essays on Chicano Representation

and Resistance.(BB)

Week 14 Nov 24 Final Frontiers

Screen before class: Machete.

Screening in class: Blade Runner.

Scenes from: Battle Star Galactica.

Reading: Ramirez-Berg. 153-182. & 219-271Beltran. 131-155.

Week 15 Dec 1 Final Frontiers cont-

Screen before class:El Tigre, The Adventures of Manny Rivera.

Reading: Hernandez. Los Comex Codex.

Nericcio. 191-206.

Week 16 Dec 8

Final paper is due at the beginning of this last class.

Creative challenge screenings.

Week 17 Dec 11-17 FINALS WEEK16 Dec 8

Final Exam

Monday, Dec. 15

1600-1800

*Instructor retains the right to adjust the course design throughout the term.*Any major changes to the course syllabus will be announced in class, communicated to all

students electronically, and incorporated into an updated and posted version of the syllabus.
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malas 600d/latam 580 sem:latina/o vis culture

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