AIIS 1122 - FWS: The New Aztlán: Aztec Roots in Chicano Art and Literature

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

First-Year Writing Seminar.

C. Stockton-Juarez.

In this class, we will investigate the ways in which contemporary Chicano/a literature and art negotiates its ambivalent and sometimes mythologized connections to an indigenous past. Through a variety of texts and art such as Aztec codices, Bless me Última, So Far from God and the works of Frida Kahlo and modern Chicano/a artists, students will hone skills in analytical writing from a multidisciplinary approach, and make important connections between culture in the present and the ancient past. AIIS First-Year Writing Seminar courses use indigenous knowledge systems and provides opportunities to critically examine, define and write extensively on those issues.

Outcome 1: Critically evaluate writing and art from a variety of perspectives.

Outcome 2: Identify the proper format and style for writing from these perspectives - such as anthropological and art historical writing.

Outcome 3: Gain appreciation for Chicano art and literature and will be able to make thoughtful comments on the cultural synthesis it encompasses.