Introduction to Latinx Studies

What does it mean to be Latina/o/e/x? What meaning does 'Latinidad' hold in 2026? How has the current regime impacted Latine communities and organizing on the ground? To make sense of Latine presence in this country, we must first think historically and transnationally to understand the US's role as an imperial power throughout the Americas. Together we will read feminist, queer, Afro and Indigenous Latinx writings and critiques to disentangle how the "Latino/a/e/x" identity exists in relation to other identities within the US national project. Additionally, we will analyze the structural inequalities that Latine communities have faced, and trace the emergence of Latinx social movements and political struggles. We will ruminate on the sights and sounds of Latinx cultural production, and consider the role of art in Latine political imaginings. Lastly, we will learn about local Latinx political movements, and consider what liberatory futures are emerging from Latinx communities at present.