Introduction to Comparative Ethnic Studies ((3))

Catalog description

This course will provide an overview into the field of Ethnic Studies by introducing students to the construction and development of race and ethnicity in US society, and how it relates, connects, and operates with other forces such as gender and class. Specifically, our class will be invested in finding the historical, political, economic, and social forces that have rationalized structural inequalities. Since this class is designed to interrogate the master narrative of U.S. history and culture, much of our readings and discussions will center the experiences and voices of First Nation American Indians, Black America, Latinx and Chicanx peoples and Asian Americans, to better assess notions of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In fact, we will see how racialized concepts are central to American life, recognizing their connectedness to other forms of domination. Through course readings and discussions, as well as class lecture and film screenings, we will familiarize ourselves with power relations as they pertain to the social construction of racial and ethnic identities.