ClassInfo

Ernesto Moreno (TA)

UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement

Closed (20 of 20 seats filled)

Experiences of people of Mexican descent in the United States. Important eras in histories of Mexico, the United States, and Mexican Americans. Central role of Chicana/os in U.S. history, culture, and politics. Topics include race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, immigration, migration.

By the end of the course, students will know the basic terms, concepts, principles, methods, and perspectives of Chicana/o history. Students will be able to recognize social, economic, and political variables that have impacted socio-cultural dynamics between Chicana/os and mainstream society and learn how to discern the reliability of primary sources and to critically read secondary sources (historical and other scholarship). Students will demonstrate their knowledge of the subject matter through reflection, discussion, and analytical argumentation in written assignments and oral presentations. Scoring reflects key concepts in Chicana/o historiography.

Write papers in which they critically reflect on how Chicana/o history is a form of counter-discourse written in response to mis-representations or to address gaps in US history. Collaborate with others to present a panel discussion on a common topic Students will be evaluated on these skills through a written exam, class participation, a life history project with multiple research components, and an oral presentation.

The course uses lectures and discussions, exams, a life history research assignment, and class presentations to help students practice skills of critical reflection, creative imagination, historical and social analysis, careful argumentation, and eloquent speech, as well as to help them develop confidence and sophistication articulating the principles of Chicana/o historiography.

The course regularly engages students in small group discussion to address different interpretations of assigned readings, debates within the field, and collectively constructing ideas on the application of theories in the field to develop a shaper understanding of historical methods and its subjective nature. Student-centered class discussions are facilitated by the instructor to advance their awareness of being critical consumers and producers of historical knowledge.

Students write mid-term and final examinations. The mid-term exam consists of identification key terms/definitions and one medium-length essay that asks students to apply concepts, theories, paradigms, and methodologies learned in the class to a question addressing the course subject matter. The final assignment is a cumulative exam consists of 5-10 identification terms/definitions and two essay questions addressing key themes in Chicana/o historiography. Students also complete a life history project that includes the crafting of guided questions for interviewing a family member, an annotated bibliography that engages them with primary and secondary sources, and a presentation on their project. This project requires them to use and apply some of the critical, conceptual, analytical and argumentative skills they gained in understand the constructed nature of historical perspectives.