This introductory course will explore the effects of migration, urbanization and acculturation on the Latino population in the United States. Special attention will be paid to diversity of Latino groups in the U.S. along with exploration of Latinos in Chicago and surrounding suburban communities. This course will be taught in English.

This course will provide an in-depth study of the various contributions of Latinos in the United States mainstream culture. The history and integration of Latinos in the U.S. landscape in venues such as politics, education, economics and healthcare will be explored. Key individuals who have enabled these contributions will also be identified. This course will be taught in English.

This course will address a specific area of study in latino studies not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course will examine gender, socio-political, historical, economic or artistic issues as viewed by women writers from the Americas in different literary genres: poetry, the short story and the novel. Texts from Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Rosario Ferre, Elena Garro, Liliana Heker, Isabel Allende, Maria Luisa Bombal, Luisa Valenzuela, Elena Poniatowska, Maria Elena Llano, Angeles Mastretta, Esmeralda Santiago, Sandra Cisneros, Ana Castillo, and others, may be included in the course of study. Selected texts may vary, depending on contemporary issues. This course will be taught in English.

This course will expose students to the writings by and about Latinos and Latinas living in the United States, with emphasis on the similarities and differences that form the experiences among diverse Latino sub-groups living in the United States. The majority of the texts selected will emanate from the three major Latino sub-groups in the United States, Mexican Americans or Chicanos, Puerto Ricans or Nuyoricans, and Cuban Americans, written during the 20th and 21st centuries, with additional works from other Latinx identities. Texts will include poetry, short fiction, drama, essays, autobiographies, and novels. By critically analyzing works from a range of genres, students will be asked to examine themes and issues through literary analysis as well as factors that influence the cultural production of these groups. Films may also be introduced to support engagement with the texts. Readings will be in English, and this course will be taught in English.

This survey course will explore the development of Latinx theatre through an intersectional lens. Students will study the works of various Latinx theatre artists, past and present, by examining cultural history, artistic processes and political/social motivations.

This course will address a specific area of study in latino studies not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

The purpose of the Latino Community Internship is to place students in a structured immersive internship experience with local Latino-led or Latino-focused organizations, non-profits, and businesses designed to increase students' marketability to future employers. Students will be asked to integrate and apply concepts in addressing and interpreting opportunities and challenges faced by the U.S. Latino community. Students will acquire professional experience and knowledge about social, political, economic, educational, and cultural issues facing Latinos and Latin Americans. Placements will introduce issues of ethnicity, identity, and transnationalism. Permission of the instructor required.

This course outlines the major political conflicts in contemporary Latin America with emphasis on selected countries. The course traces back these conflicts to the period of democratization in the 1980s and the adoption of free-market policies across the region in the 1990s. It then looks at the current "turn to the Left" in many nations in the region. This course also emphasizes the relationship between people of Latin American origin living in the United States and their countries of origin, on political issues such as drug trafficking and immigration. This course will be taught in English.

This course familiarizes students with the major public policies and political activities affecting Latinos in the United States. Course topics may address issues of immigration, assimilation, identity, mobilization, and voter behavior. Historical trends will be examined.

This course examines the establishment of European empires in the Americas, Latin American wars for independence, and the major developments of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. It explores such topics as contributions of indigenous peoples and those of African descent to Latin American history, themes of empire and imperialism, the construction of national identities, globalization, migration, the relationship between the United States and the countries of Latin America, and the experiences of migrants across the Americas.

This course will address a specific area of study in latino studies not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

The purpose of the Latino Community Internship is to place students in a structured immersive internship experience with local Latino-led or Latino-focused organizations, non-profits, and businesses designed to increase students' marketability to future employers. Students will be asked to integrate and apply concepts in addressing and interpreting opportunities and challenges faced by the U.S. Latino community. Students will acquire professional experience and knowledge about social, political, economic, educational, and cultural issues facing Latinos and Latin Americans. Placements will introduce issues of ethnicity, identity, and transnationalism. Permission of the instructor required.

This course introduces students to rudimentary qualitative research methods including community-based research. Students will produce a final research document based on a research project conducted in the Aurora/Fox Valley Latino/a community during the course of the semester. This document will include a statement of the research problem, supported by some references to a literature review, and an explanation of research methodology. Students will be asked to abide by research guidelines established by the university's Institutional Review Board. This course will be taught in English.

This course will address a specific area of study in latino studies not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.