THE U.S. & LATIN AMERICA FROM THE COLONIAL ERA TO THE PRESENT: A CRITICAL SURVEY

CHICLA/HISTORY/LACIS/POLISCI 355

Provides a critical examination of the history of labor and working people in the Americas, from the colonial era to the present. It focuses on the experience of the United States and Mexico, offering a comparative perspective on their distinct but also shared (and increasingly linked) histories. The seminar proceeds chronologically, highlighting major episodes in the evolution of labor systems in the two countries, beginning with the colonial labor systems implemented by the Spanish and British empires following the European conquest of the Western Hemisphere. Among other topics, we will examine the pivotal role of slavery and other forms of forced labor, the impact of the industrial revolution, the emergence and expansion of corporate capitalism and the labor unrest it provoked in the post-civil war U.S., the role of labor in the Mexican Revolution and its aftermath, the impact of the Great Depression and labor incorporation on the post-WWII social and political order of both countries, the breakdown of that order and the move to neo-liberalism in the 1970s and 1980s, and the emergence of an increasingly integrated North American production system and its consequences for labor and working people on both sides of the US-Mexico border.

CHICLA/EDPOL/LACIS 342

Examines educational inequality across the Americas through the lens of imperialism, different forms of colonialism, and capitalism. By exploring the logics and actions of different education stakeholders, critically examine how educational policy across the hemisphere has a shared history of oppression and contestation.

CHICLA/HISTORY 153

Examines the historical, social, and legal experiences of Latinas/Latinos/Latinxs in the US since the mid-1800s with emphasis on Mexican migrations. Latinxs became an important part of the US population through western expansion, conquest, and immigration. We will learn about the 3 main Latinx groups in the US: Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans, but will also learn about other Latinx communities. We begin with an examination of conquest by studying the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that annexed roughly half of former Mexican territory and the Spanish-American War that resulted in the possession of Puerto Rico. Then, we examine the history of Latinx immigration to understand the experiences of Mexicans, Central Americans, South Americans, and people from the Caribbean who have immigrated to the US in search of economic opportunities and political asylum. This course serves as an introduction to the varied experiences of Latinxs in the US in order to understand their unique histories.

AFROAMER/ANTHRO/C&ESOC/GEOG/HISTORY/LACIS/POLISCI/SOC/SPANISH 260

Latin American culture and society from an interdisciplinary perspective; historical developments from pre-Columbian times to the present; political movements; economic problems; social change; ecology in tropical Latin America; legal systems; literature and the arts; cultural contrasts involving the US and Latin America; land reform; labor movements; capitalism, socialism, imperialism; mass media.

HISTORY/INTLST/LACIS 242

A broad overview of Latin American history in the modern period, since independence but with a primary focus on the twentieth century. Particular emphasis will be placed on the socioeconomic, cultural, and political structures and processes that shaped and continue to influence life in Latin America. Key issues such as colonialism, nationalism, democracy, and revolution will be examined critically in light of broad comparative themes in Latin American and world history. Among the topics to be explored in detail will be the Mexican and Cuban revolutions, populism and dictatorship, socialism and neoliberalism, and drugs and migration.