230057 Latina/o Culture in the US (BS) (WiSe 2025/2026)

Latina/o and Chicana/o popular culture has always been innately political. Music, cinema, and literature by Latina/o and Chicana/o artists, directors, and novelists are highly reflective of the political and socio-economic context it is being created in. Issues of migration, assimilation, racism, and marginalization have been covered just as frequently as political empowerment and “Brown pride.” Musical, cinematographic, and literary texts are valuable sources to understand Latina/o and Chicana/o history and culture in the US.
In this seminar, we will explore Latina/o and Chicana/o popular culture and literature in the 20th and 21st centuries. Focusing on various examples from different genres, we will examine how Latina/o and Chicana/o history and identity are being expressed through music, film, and literature. For example, the Chicano civil rights movement is deeply intertwined with Chicano rock and activist theater that influence Chicano musical forms and cinema until today. Moreover, subversive subcultures, such as lowrider culture and gang culture, are tropes in Chicano gang literature, Chicano rap, and cinema. In many cases, these have become emblematic for the cities and regions they occupy, while still impacting their respective countries of origin. Examples are Chicano rap that evolved in Mexican American communities in Southern California and has spread throughout the US Southwest to Mexico and Latin America where it inspired local hip-hop scenes; and Dominican American author Junot Diaz’ work that expresses migratory identities on the East Coast but has also been translated to Spanish.
The seminar is taught in English; oral presentations must be held in English, seminar papers must be written in English. The course is specifically designed for Master students of the programs InterAmerican Studies and British & American Studies.
Required Reading: Will be provided on the ekvv platform for the block seminar until September 19, 2025.
Learning Outcome: Students will acquire tools and methods to decipher Latina/o and Chicana/o popular culture to reflect on Latina/o and Chicana/o history in the US and their global impact.