ENG 3334
U.S. Multiethnic Literature
Jennifer McFarlane-Harris
MWF 10:30-11:50 a.m.
Utilizing a combination of fiction, autobiography, poetry, film and song, this course explores the connections between ethnic identity, literature and culture in the United States. We will read works by African American, Asian American, Indigenous, Chicana/o and Latina/o authors. As we examine these works, we will focus on how they speak to the larger human experience, as well as how they reflect the specificities of being part of a historically underrepresented group. We will look at the tensions and debates surrounding a number of key themes, including American belonging; citizenship and rights; social categories of race, gender, class and sexuality; labor; political activism; assimilation and multiculturalism. Class requirements will include written assignments, group work and discussion.