Ink and Resistance: Unraveling Latin American Narratives

Catalog description

In El Centro Chicano y Latino at Stanford, there is a mural by Chicana artist Juana Alicia titled The Spiral Word: Codex Estanfor. The mural draws inspiration from the history and literature of multiethnic Latin America, from ancient texts like the Mayan Popol Vuh to contemporary Chicanx poetry. Through close examination of the mural and the texts it references, this course will delve into the shared cultural history of Latin America, the current diversity within the Latinx community in the United States, and future visions centered on ecological renewal. In this seminar-style course, we will analyze short texts by authors directly featured in the mural, including Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Jose Martí, Gabriela Mistral, and the Zapatistas in Chiapas, Mexico. Additionally, we will explore works by other authors who influenced Juana Alicia, such as Jorge Luis Borges and Junot Diaz. Central moments that have shaped the cultural history of the Americas, such as the Zapatista Movement in Mexico and the struggles of Black freedom fighters, will also be examined. By the course's conclusion, we will have explored foundational texts and events that define Latin America's cultural and literary history. Moreover, we will gain insight into how these foundational authors have been interpreted and reinterpreted within both Latinx and Latin American literary traditions.