Honors Introduction to Chicana/o Studies

Catalog description

54 hours lecture per term. This Honors-enhanced course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Chicana/o Studies, with a focus on major theories, movements, and cultural contributions that have shaped the Chicanx experience in the United States. Students engage with foundational frameworks including Borderlands theory (Anzaldúa), Chicana feminism (Moraga, Sandoval, Perez), internal colonialism, cultural nationalism, and decolonial theory, analyzing how these concepts illuminate the formation of Chicanx identities and communities. Readings and case studies include Borderlands/La Frontera (Gloria Anzaldúa), Occupied America (Rodolfo Acuña), and El Plan de Aztlán. Topics include the Chicano Movement, the East Los Angeles Blowouts, El Plan de Santa Barbara, the creation of MEChA and professional academic organizations, critiques of cultural nationalism, Xicanisma and Indigenous identity, immigration and pan-ethnic labels, Chicanx popular culture and art movements, environmental justice, and educational activism from the 1960s to the present. As an honors-level course, students will be expected to synthesize multiple theoretical frameworks, conduct independent research, and critically analyze how Chicanx struggles for equity, liberation, and self-determination connect to broader U.S. and transnational contexts. (Degree Credit) (CSU) (UC) AA GE, Cal-GETC