The Spanish-Speaking World: Cultural Crossings

Description

Spain and Latin America share not only the Spanish language but also an intertwined history of complex cultural crossings. The cultures of both arose from dynamic and sometimes violent encounters, and continue to be shaped by uneven power relationships as well as vibrant forms of resistance. In Spain, Jews, Christians and Muslims once lived side-by-side during a period of relative religious tolerance and cultural flourishing, known as the medieval convivencia. Military campaigns and the notorious tribunals of the Spanish Inquisition eventually suppressed Jewish and Muslim communities, but legacies of these communities have persisted in Spanish society. The first Spanish encounters with Latin America involved violent clashes between the Spaniards and indigenous peoples, as well as Africans brought to the Americas as slaves. The long aftermath of these initial clashes—wars of conquest, religious missions, colonization, and slavery, all confronted continuously through resistance—gave rise to new, hybrid Latin American communities.

In the 20th century, Spain and several countries of Latin America experienced oppressive dictatorships as well as the resulting emergence of social movements that enabled democratization. The question of regional identity and difference has also defined several countries’ experiences, from Catalonia and the Basque region in Spain, to various indigenous ethnicities from Mexico to the Southern Cone. More recently, the context of economic globalization has given rise to unprecedented levels of international migration, with flows from Latin America to Spain and the U.S., as well as from North Africa and eastern Europe to Spain. All of these cultural crossings have involved challenges and conflict as well as rich and vibrant exchanges.

Students will engage in an intensive study of the Spanish language and explore the literature remembered, imagined and recorded by Spaniards and Latin Americans in historical context. We will critically analyze selected texts from medieval times to the present. Every week will include seminars on readings in English translation, Spanish language classes, a lecture delivered in Spanish and a film in Spanish.

During the fall and winter, we will explore various themes that define and describe key moments in the intertwined histories of Spain and Latin America. These may include national and regional identity, dictatorship and resistance, linguistic crossings and democratization processes. Spring quarter will offer opportunities to study abroad in Quito, Ecuador, or Santo Tomás, Nicaragua, as well as internships with local Latino organizations for those who stay on campus. All classes during the spring will be conducted in Spanish.