History of Latino Social Movements Department of Latino and Hispanic Caribbean Studies History Department

History of Latino Social Movements Department of Latino and Hispanic Caribbean Studies History Department Course Description Representing approximately 48 million, Latinos are the large

History of Latino Social Movements Department of Latino and Hispanic Caribbean Studies

History Department Course Description

Representing approximately 48 million, Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States, itself the second-largest Spanish-origin population in the hemisphere, after Mexico Yet while their presence has been reflected in all aspects of American life for much of the last two centuries most have been perceived as non–Americans belonging to an inferior culture

Paradoxically, to many Americans Latinos have become somehow “American” while still

remaining “ethnic Others.” In order to fully appreciate the complexity of this historical social position, students will explore, through an interdisciplinary approach, the unequal distribution

of power, privilege, and participation in the United States In doing so, this course examines efforts by Latina/o subgroups to achieve first-class citizenship, societal inclusion, cultural relevance, illimitable job mobility, and self-determination under conditions of institutional discriminatory practices and policies After a summarizing look at early Latina/o experiences with U.S foreign policy, we will review the circumstances under which Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, Dominican Americans, and Central/South American heritage citizens became to varying degrees racialized ethnic “minorities.” Through confrontation, negotiation, organizational networking, and political alliances, Latinos sought educational reform, reshaped public space, and influenced the terms of exchange, while paving the way for social accommodations in an environment that previously negated their existence As a result of legislation, litigation, and other forms of social mobilization activities such as strikes, boycotts, walkouts, sit-ins, marches, the state of Hispanic America has not only gained greater access to the American Dream, but has surfaced from the shadows of the historical black/white binary construction of race—a dynamic we will delve into throughout the semester

Objectives: Perspectives, Tools, and Applications

The course will follow an advanced thematic format, encouraging a reciprocal and cooperative learning environment for synthesizing and analyzing Through lectures, readings, discussions, film analysis, and in-class exercises, moreover, students will engage in the intellectual

exploration of the structures, systems, ideologies and so-called “natural” social order that sustained Hispanic discrimination We especially need to understand how men and women of Latina/o heritage have coped in cultural and social terms with an oftentimes hostile American society In addition, students will carefully survey the ways in which Latinos demonstrated social agency through pioneering and precedent-setting desegregation court cases, grassroots community organizing and far-reaching public campaigns Special attention will be given to the emergence of the Chicano Movement of the late sixties and seventies, its relation to other social movements of that period (Puerto Rican Civil Rights Movement, etc.), its leaders (i.e César Chávez, Reies López Tijerina, Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzáles, José Angel Gutiérrez, etc.) and its cultural production (i.e murals, poetry, scholarship, theater, film, etc.) The course also seeks to discuss social movements of the last dozen years as well as their foundational issues that

continue to galvanize both long-standing Hispanic communities and newly evolving Latina/o neighborhoods Along the way, students will develop a deeper understanding of the ways in which social movements differ between generation, subgroup, and region Indeed, students will foster a growing awareness about movement distinctions around themes such as race, place, class, nationality, gender, and short and long-term goals Taken together, students will anchor part of their analysis on how segments of Hispanic communities coalesced and either worked in

concert or competition with other historically underrepresented groups Overall, students will learn about the formation and transformation of Latino/a communities; identify the main leaders and ideological underpinnings of major social movements; demonstrate knowledge of Latino/a responses to intimidation and marginalization and the resources various social

movements have employed to eliminate second-class citizenship; look at how ideas of justice and equality are articulated in relation to particular economic, political, and cultural contexts; and grapple with determining how successful social movements have been at reversing negative social forces Finally, the course will aid in the development of university level methods of interdisciplinary inquiry, fact-based interpretation, analytical writing, critical thinking skills, identifying and forming arguments, problem-solving abilities, organizing evidence, public speaking poise, successful test-taking techniques, teamwork, and improving the ability of

students to communicate

Requirements

The requirements are designed on the assumption that students will take full responsibility for their own fate in the course Your participation in this class constitutes a contract between us so all students should try to participate in debates and discussions Except in the cases of

emergencies, no incompletes will be granted It is essential for students to fulfill all the

requirements of the course otherwise an official grade may not be issued or a passing grade may

be unachievable All written assignments except in-class exams and quizzes should be

computer-generated, double-spaced and numbered with standard one-inch margins The

malfunction of any aspect of computer systems cannot be accepted as a legitimate reason for incompletion of any course requirements The ground that has to be covered content-wise is demanding, expansive, and exciting—and takes a significant commitment of time, talent and tenacity Thus, this course will require a reasonable reading load so students should expect to spend at least one hour of reading and reviewing for every hour of classroom instruction I hope that you are prepared to be challenged and to challenge the readings! The course will consider both primary sources (texts written by someone directly connected with the events and issues in question) and secondary sources (texts produced from an analysis of primary documents) to help us develop and engage our critical and analytical faculties

Many readings are available in downloadable form in PDF format by clicking “resources” upon logging in with your university “NetID” into the Sakai Course Management System website at: sakai.rutgers.edu while additional readings are online accessible or will be circulated via

handouts

Learning Goals

 Students will learn about historic patterns of second-class citizenship as well as efforts both legally and legislatively to overcome such patterns

 Students will learn about the emergence of Puerto Rican political and social agency of the 1960s and 1970s

 Students will learn about the Chicano Movement, and the roles of its leaders (i.e César Chávez, Reies López Tijerina, Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzáles, José Angel Gutiérrez, etc.) and its cultural production (i.e murals, poetry, scholarship, theater, film, etc.)

 Students will learn about social movements since 2000, especially with respect to labor inequities and broader legislation targeted at immigration policy and ethnic studies reform

 Students will develop a deeper understanding of the ways in which social

movements differ between generation, subgroup, and region.

 Students will develop greater critical thinking skills, identifying and forming arguments abilities, public speaking poise, and teamwork tools

Inclusion and Accommodation

Just as important is the effort by Rutgers University to provide equal educational access for students with disabilities (i.e physical, sensory, cognitive, systemic, learning, and psychiatric) in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with

Disabilities Act of 1990 If you have special needs that require adaptations or accommodations, please make arrangements with the Services for Students with Disabilities at Rutgers University This may include special testing arrangements, note-taking, sign language interpreting, reading services, large print materials, and other appropriate support services

Grading

The quality of your work is the major evaluative factor Final grades will be determined by student compliance with all the course requirements and overall performance in the course Grades derive from the following components that are explained further below:

Assessment Value

 Preparation, Participation, and Attendance, including presentations/improvisation 25%

 Five Quizzes 25%

 Four short papers 25%

 Research Assignment 25%

Improvement will be taken into consideration with borderline cases

Regrettably I cannot discuss details of grades via email pursuant to university policy

Final grades will be posted at the end of the semester on the university’s registrar’s system

Preparation, Participation, and Attendance:

Given the student-driven and collaborative nature of LHCS classrooms and the general necessity

of in-class presence for effective learning, the Department of Latino and Hispanic Caribbean Studies maintains a formal attendance policy, which is generally applied equally by all

professors Therefore, registered students should avoid missing classes, and those that do are responsible for material covered in the lectures, readings and films, and for any announcements made in class Individual student class participation is highly important Learning in the

classroom is not a passive activity It depends on thoughtful student questions as well as a willingness to engage in discussion Thus, you are expected to listen, share insights, highlight specific passages in your readings for classroom analysis, raise provocative questions, respond to the ideas of your class colleagues and, in general, maintain the integrity and flow of the

conversation In return, I will provide you with feedback on your progress and present material

to you in a coherent and organized manner In short, students will be expected to offer their own views on the readings and possibly to revise them upon confrontation with alternative views I appreciate that students have distinct styles of participation and different levels of comfort with public speaking As such, your participation grade will reflect not necessarily how many times you speak in class, but how you share in developing a lively and respectful conversation

Participation does not simply mean showing up for class

I will assume that you will be in class every week, and that you will come prepared Being prepared means the following:

 that you do not come late to class

 that you are alert and paying attention throughout the entire period

 that you take notes during lectures, multimedia presentations, and discussion

 that you have done the reading(s) we are to discuss and bring them to class

 that you are prepared to participate in class discussion with an eye toward adding meaningful and knowledgeable comments

 that you are prepared to field questions from the instructor either while

presented to the collective class or called upon individually Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class, so it is your responsibility to be

punctual in order to sign the roll sheet Students that do not accrue more than one class absence (for whatever reason) will be in a position to earn the full grade percentage value of

“preparation, participation, and attendance” as long as classroom contributions reflect a

reasonable degree of enthusiasm and interest Conversely, more than ten percent class absences without official university approval, resulting in unexcused absences, will appreciably affect student’s final grade If a student misses more than 30% of this class, he or she cannot receive a passing grade In other words, if you miss class 5 or more times for the semester, you will likely fail regardless if high-achieving grades exist on your course dossier Any arrivals or early

departures of 25 minutes or more will be counted as an absence Every three tardy arrivals and/or early departures under 25 minutes will count as one unexcused absence The professor reserves the right to determine whether you were in class long enough on any given day to warrant being counted as present In the event of serious illness or a life crisis, please contact me

to discuss the situation Students participating in University-sponsored intercollegiate athletics, called to active military or jury duty, or obligated by college recognized religious holidays will

be excused from class without penalty and allowed to make-up missed work Written

confirmation of such commitments must be brought to my attention prior to the anticipated class absence If you must be absent, it is your responsibility to contact a fellow student in order

to find out what was done in the class you missed and what is due for the next class Otherwise, feel free to come to office hours in order to get a brief review If it is discovered that you have been recorded as present when, in fact, you were not in class, you and any other person involved

in that deceit will receive a final “preparation, participation, and attendance” grade of F and a letter will be sent to the Dean of Students Students who register are considered enrolled in the course regardless of attendance Lack of attendance does not constitute a basis for withdrawal from courses

Group Presentations and Improvisation:

Each student will be assigned to a group during the early stages of the semester Each group will

be responsible for preparing, moderating, and leading given discussions on pre-determined dates In this classroom leadership role, groups should seek to define and question the reading’s main arguments, possibly select “quotable” passages, while explaining their significance You should come to your group willing to listen openly and to consider a range of different points of view Participation takes many forms (i.e., verbal, listening, preparation, reflection)

Presentations are not summaries of the readings Rather, they are meant to provide a brief analysis of the historical context from which the material arose, discuss the aims and issues you see in the reading, and finally present the questions you feel will provoke and promote

discussion A written outline of your main points is strongly encouraged Your insights will help outline our conversations, while serving to further our collective understanding about topics and issues discussed in class So let us learn from and with one another

Quizzes:

There will be five quizzes throughout the course of the semester The quizzes may or may not focus on the entire week’s readings Each quiz will consist of four questions Two questions will

be broad-based dealing with the central themes in the readings The remaining two questions will center on details that only students who do a close reading of the assigned texts will be able

to effectively answer The quizzes are designed to measure students’ weekly effort throughout the semester Generally, no make-up coursework will be allowed; however, arrangements may be made if an extenuating situation arises Naturally, the determination for a make-up assignment

is left to the professor’s discretion Answers will be evaluated on specific knowledge of the topic; development of conceptualization; thoroughness of responses; quality and relevance of details, examples used to support a given thesis; organization; and written presentation

Short Papers:

Writing assignments are designed so that students think not only about the issue, but also about the social assumptions that shape our thinking about the issue Mindful of this, students must write four short papers (i.e two-three pages each double-spaced) The exact topic of the paper is

up to the individual student; the only requirement is that students show some reflection on the most recent course subject matter and some comprehension of the assigned readings Due on specified dates; these short papers are vehicles through which students can express their

viewpoints They will also help provide the basis for class discussion Please do not simply summarize or paraphrase a reading, but rather demonstrate how you interacted with the

material Please note that piecing together fragments of notes taken from the reading does not constitute paper writing Your papers will require analysis of relationships, not mere recitation

of facts or stories

Before you submit assignments, I recommend that you print it out, let it sit for a few days, and then read it carefully and make whatever corrections are necessary You may find that passages that make sense on a computer screen immediately after you have written them look quite different on paper a few days later

Research Assignment and Presentation:

Each student will have to undertake a research project on a topic related to the main themes of the course The topic of the project will be chosen in consultation with the instructor The project

is expected to be of a high analytical quality It should have the potential for being deposited in the Department of Latino and Hispanic Caribbean Studies’ student library By the mid-point of the semester you will be aware of different potential areas for your research Once you identify the topic or area you are interested in, as well as the works, scholars, and methodology that seem to be the most adequate for your research, please make an appointment to see me I will be delighted to provide suggestions and options that can help you focus the topic of your paper A handout will be provided that ultimately outlines the guidelines with an overall game plan to perform admirably

By no later than March 29 you are kindly asked to submit a one paragraph statement of why you have chosen a given subject This précis should reflect a manageable research question, and from

it, workable thesis statement Two weeks later, you will hand in a preliminary bibliography consisting of selected works that speak directly to your research project All written work must

be cited using a standard referencing system (parenthetic references or foot/end notes) with the bibliography at the end Each student will present their findings to the class in a 10-15 minute oral presentation at the end of the semester The oral presentation may not be simply a

haphazard recitation of your project: but rather an opportunity for you to share and discuss with the class the results of your research and reflection on the topic Be sure to practice your

oral presentation before you come to class so that you are familiar with your research and can present it within the allotted time The object of the presentation dynamic is to give you practice

in graduate-level activities, while learning more about our interconnected histories I will

provide a more thorough description of this assignment in class

Besides exploring a slice of Latino life, the project will give you an opportunity to produce a historical timeline that you can build on and possibly present at local or national undergraduate conferences The assignment is also an exercise in creating a research project marked by

intellectual engagement and critical reflection

Integrity of coursework

My sincere apologies to students who do not need this statement but RU leadership maintains that faculty explicitly advise students what they ought to know about Department and

University guidelines on plagiarism and the submission of written work You are kindly

reminded that academic misconduct including but not limited to fabrication, falsification, multiple submissions, plagiarism, or complicity in academic dishonesty will not be tolerated, and your enrollment is an agreement to abide by the rules of appropriate citation and scholarly behavior Rutgers University has created a set of standards of academic honesty and procedures governing violations of these principles

To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use:

 another person’s idea, opinion, or theory

 any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings—any pieces of information—that are not common knowledge

 quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words

 paraphrases of another person’s spoken or written words

You need to cite your source, even if:

 you put all direct quotes in quotation marks

 you changed the words used by the author into synonyms

 you completely paraphrased the ideas to which you referred

 your sentence is mostly made up of your own thoughts, but contains a reference

to the author’s ideas

 you mention the author’s name in the sentence

For a more in-depth description of official Rutgers University policy on academic integrity, please visit: http://teachx.rutgers.edu/integrity/policy.html The Rutgers University Writing Program, moreover, maintains a website that defines and discusses plagiarism at:

http://wp.rutgers.edu/courses/201/plagiarism_policy/ For LHCS polices, including a

departmental academic integrity statement, please go to

http://latcar.rutgers.edu/academichonesty.html Finally, for a complete Department of History statement on plagiarism, please review: http://history.rutgers.edu/undergrad/plagiarism.htm Again, plagiarism is only one type of academic dishonesty In the pursuit of attaining a desirable grade many other scholastic acts, such as various forms of cheating, breach the university’s code

of ethics Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner during an examination; illicitly obtaining examination questions in advance; using someone else’s work for assignments as if it were one’s own; providing a paper or project to another student; purchasing papers online; inappropriate citation of sources (i.e citing a journal article

when the information came from wikipedia); providing an inappropriate level of assistance; or any other dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course Unless

otherwise indicated, all assignments must be completed independently, and anyone contributing

to the academic dishonesty of another will be subject to university disciplinary action

Office Hours

You are invited and encouraged to meet with me at any time that is mutually convenient My office hours and location are given above If this time is not conducive for you, we can set up some other time Please do not adopt the view that conferences are only for addressing problems

or that reaching out is an imposition I will be pleased to chat with you about your ongoing progress in the course, and will be happy to help you at any time along your academic journey

If you are having a challenge educational or otherwise that is preventing you from attending class or handing in assignments on time, please communicate with me If I know about a

problem in advance, I will try to work with you Unfortunately in most cases, I will not be able to retroactively address the problem after it has materialized In this spirit, communicate with me promptly so I may help The time to discuss problems is when they are happening, not after the fact or toward the end of the semester I will do everything possible to help you succeed in this course, but ultimately you are in control of your success Please remember that some issues we will discuss in class may relate to your personal experience If you feel uncomfortable making personal connections in class, but feel it important to contribute that connection somehow, please feel free to come to my office to talk with me one-on-one I am here to engage, challenge, and equip you to meet your goals as students and also to hopefully enrich your university experience I will be as accessible as possible and am committed to making this class

comfortable, enjoyable, and effective

I check my email at least once a day, so this is another forum we can communicate Naturally, I will respond to each message I receive in a timely fashion Please sign your name with your message, and indicate which class you are in

It is your responsibility to check your email before class for important updates

You can expect me to work very hard with you and for you I will hand back coursework

promptly, while providing constructive and encouraging feedback on both written and non-written assignments

Grading Scale and Criteria (consistent with the university academic code)

 A(4.0)[93-100]= Work of exceptionally high quality

 B+(3.3)[89-92]

 B(3.0)[81-88]=Work of good quality

 C+(2.3)[77-80]

 C(2.0)[76-70]= Work of a pedestrian nature that meets the requirements of the

assignment by demonstrating a working understanding of a given question

 D(1.0)[65-69]=Work of poor quality that does not meet the minimal requirements of the assignment

 F(0.0)[64-0]= Work of unacceptable caliber that illustrates little or no understanding of the assignment

Schedule of Readings

Week 1

History of U.S.– Latin American Relations: Racialization and Resistance

José Luis Morín, “The Origins of Latinos/as in the United States: An Encounter with the

History of U.S.-Latin American Relations,” in Latino/a Rights and Justice in the United States: perspectives and Approaches (North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press, 2005): 17-41.

Martha Menchaca, “The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Racialization of the

Mexican Population,” in Recovering History, Constructing Race: The Indian, Black, and White Roots of Mexican Americans (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2001), 215-276.

Anani Dzidzienyo and Suzanne Oboler, “The Process of Racialization in the U.S

Context,” in Neither Enemies Nor Friends: Latinos, Blacks, Afro-Latinos (New York: Palgrave

Macmillan, 2005), 12-15

Andres Reséndez, “National Identity and the Shifting U.S.- Mexico Border 1821-1848,”

Journal of American History 86, 2 (September 1999): 668:688.

Ilia Rodríguez, “News Reporting and Colonial Discourse: The Representation of Puerto

Ricans in U.S Press Coverage of the Spanish-American War,” Howard Journal of

Communications 9 (1998): 283-301.

Modern History Sourcebook: Albert Beveridge Campaign Speech, “The March of the Flag,” 16 September 1898

Week 2

When Worlds Collide: Difference, Power, and Discrimination

Juan F Perea, “Los Olvidados: On the Making of Invisible People,” in Critical White Studies: Looking Behind the Mirror eds Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, 258-262

(Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1997

Reginald Horsman, “Anglo-Saxons and Mexicans,” in Latino/a Condition: A Critical Reader,

eds Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, 149-151 (New York: New York University Press, 1998)

Reginald Horsman, “Race and Manifest Destiny: The Origins of American Racial

Anglo-Saxonism,” in Critical White Studies: Looking Behind the Mirror (Philadelphia: Temple

University Press, 1997), 139-144

Carey McWilliams, “America’s Disadvantaged Minorities: Mexican-Americans,” Journal

of Negro Education 20, 3 (Summer 1952): 301-309.

Hector I Vasquez, “Puerto Rican Americans,” Journal of Negro Education 38, 3 (Summer

1969): 247-256

José Luis Morín, “Discrimination and Latinos/as in the United States” and “Latinos/as

and the U.S Justice System: Both Present and Absent in the System,” in Latino/a Rights and Justice in the United States: Perspectives and Approaches (North Carolina: Carolina

Academic Press, 2005): 43-89

Eduardo Mendieta, “Racial Justice, Latinos, and the Supreme Court: The Role of Law

and Affect in Social Change,” in Race or Ethnicity: On Black and Latino Identity ed Jorge

J.E Gracia (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2007), 206-224

Quiz #1

Week 3

Coping with the Color Line: Segregation, Second-Class Citizenship, and the Hardening of Inequality

Martha Menchaca, “Racial Segregation and Liberal Policies Then and Now,” in Recovering History, Constructing Race: The Indian, Black, and White Roots of Mexican Americans (Austin:

University of Texas Press, 2001), 277-296

Nicolás Kanellos, Herencia: The Anthology of Hispanic Literature of the United States (Oxford:

Oxford University Press, 2002), 152-170

Ruben F Arturo Rosales, Pobre Raza: Violence, Justice, and Mobilization among México Lindo Immigrants, 1900-1936 (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1999), 75-98.

Eduardo Obregó Pagán, “Los Angeles Geopolitics and the Zoot Riot, 1943,” Social Science History 24 1(Spring 2000): 223-256.

Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, “Framing Racism: Newspaper Coverage of the Three Rivers

Incident,” in Mexican Americans & World War II (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2005),

201-220

Darius V Echeverria, “Beyond the Black—White Binary Construction of Race: Mexican

Americans, Identity Formation, and the Pursuit of Public Citizenship,” Journal of

American Ethnic History, 28, 1 (2008): 104-111

Quiz #2

Week 4

A Part, Yet Apart: Latinos, Educational Challenges, and Strides toward Equality

Juan F Perea., "Buscando América: Why Integration and Equal Protection Fail to Protect

Latinos," Harvard Law Review, 117 (March 2004): 1420–1469.

Nicholás Vaca, “Who’s the Leader of the Civil Rights Band: Latinos’ Role in Brown v

Board of Education,” in The Presumed Alliance: the Unspoken Conflict between Latinos and Blacks and What It Means for America (New York: Rayo), 62-84.

Richard R Valencia, “The Mexican American Struggle for Equal Educational

Opportunity in Mendez v Westminster: Helping to Pave the Way for Brown v Board of

Education,” Teachers College Record 107, no 3 (March 2005): 389-423.

Guadalupe San Miguel, Jr., “Providing For the Schooling of Mexican Children,” in Brown, Not White: School Integration and the Chicano Movement in Houston (TX: Texas A & M UP,

2001): 19-34

A Reynaldo Contreras and Leonard A Valverde, “The Impact of Brown on the

Education of Latinos,” Journal of Negro Education 63, 3 (Summer 1994): 470-481.

Sandra Robbie, “Mendez vs Westminster: For All the Children/Para Todos Los Ninos,” documentary film, 2005

Short Paper # 1

Week 5

Invisibility and the Latino Social Problem and its Representation and Reinforcement in Movies and Media Culture

Chon Noriega, “Citizen Chicano: The Trials and Titillations of Ethnicity in American

Cinema,” Social Research 58, no 2 (Summer 1991): 413-438.

Chon A Noriega, Shot in America: Television, the State, and the Rise of Chicano Cinema

(Minneapolis: U of Minnesota Press, 2000): 28-50

John L Marambio and Chad Tew, “Clash in Paradise: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of A

Day Without a Mexican,” Journal of American Culture 29, 4 (December 2006): 475-492 Jorge Ramos, “A Day without a Mexican,” in The Other Face of America (New York: Rayo),

23-26, 179-182

Charles Ramírez Berg, Latino Images in Film: Stereotypes, Subversion, & Resistance (Austin:

U of Texas Press, 2002), 38-86

Week 6

Latinos in Hispanicwood: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Susan Racho, Nancy de Los Santos, and Alberto Dominguez, “The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood Cinema,” documentary film, 2002

Week 7

Empowerment through Resistance: Surviving the Great Depression and Reform in the Post War World II Era

Ruben Zaragosa Vargas, “We Are the Salt of the Earth: Conditions Among Mexican

Workers in the Early Great Depression Years,” in Labor Rights Are Civil Rights: Mexican