ANTH 228 Chicanx Culture and Identity

Through the lens of Cultural Anthropology, this course explores the historical roots of contemporary Mexican Americans (Chicanx). Understanding both the Iberian (Spanish) kingdoms as well as the indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica (Mexico), the course examines the consequences of colonization between Mesoamericans and Europeans. Students learn how Mexican natives and mestizos came to be viewed as “foreigners” in their ancestral homeland and later the United States. This course also examines the efforts of Mexican Americans to achieve equality and self-determination over time and how these efforts impacted their identity and culture.

Credits

4

Cross Listed Courses

ES 228

General Education Requirements

Social Science, Cultural Literacy

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Summarize the basic Cultural Anthropology principles (migration, labor, empire, colonization) of the history of Chicanx people within a social and historical framework both before and after the U.S. was created

2. Examine ways that Chicanx people in the United States have actively shaped their own history and contributed to U.S. history

3. Interpret historical tensions inherent in the panethnic (umbrella) term, “Chicanx”

4. Explain contemporary issues concerning Chicanx populations in the U.S. in relational contexts and projections of identity in American political, ideological discourses, popular culture, and media