Introduction to the Central American Experience

Catalog description

Advisory: Completion of ENGL C1000 or ENGL C1000H. This Ethnic Studies course provides an interdisciplinary introduction to the Central American experience in the United States, emphasizing the historical and transnational connections between countries of origin and diaspora communities. Students analyze colonization, independence, dictatorships, civil wars, and U.S. foreign policy to understand the forces driving migration and displacement. The course examines the lived experiences of Central Americans in the U.S. through themes of race, racism, racialization, equity, white supremacy, decolonization, sovereignty, and anti-racism.  Students analyze cultural productions such as literature, art, and film alongside community-based activism, and organizations that support Central American populations. The course concludes with an applied project that connects historical and cultural analysis to contemporary struggles for equity, self-determination, and social justice affecting Central American populations. (UC, CSU, AVC)