ENGL 2618 - American Literature and Diversity
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 02, CRN 41575,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Gina Villamizar Vasquez
Email: gvillamizar@ysu.edu
Course Description
This section of American Literature and Diversity explores Hispanic voices within American literature, with particular attention to writers and characters whose experiences are shaped by both Hispanic and U.S. cultural traditions. Through short fiction, essays, and poetry, students will examine how writers represent questions of identity, belonging, language, family, cultural inheritance, memory, and home within the United States.The course approaches these experiences from a variety of cultural and generational perspectives. Emphasis will be placed on close reading, discussion, and comparison, with attention to the different and sometimes competing ways writers portray what it means to belong to more than one cultural tradition.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | Eleven | Sandra Cisneros | |
| Required | My Name | Sandra Cisneros | |
| Required | American History | Judith Ortiz Cofer | |
| Required | Love in L.A. | Dagoberto Gilb | |
| Required | The Jacket | Gary Soto | |
| Required | Tortillas | José Antonio Burciaga | |
| Required | Names/Nombres | Julia Alvarez | |
| Required | Fiesta, 1980 | Junot Díaz | |
| Required | How to Tame a Wild Tongue | Gloria Anzaldúa | |
| Required | The Moths | Helena María Viramontes | |
| Required | The Witch’s Husband | Judith Ortiz Cofer | |
| Required | My Father in English | Richard Blanco | |
| Required | n Cuba I Was a German Shepherd | Ana Menéndez | |
| Required | Woman Hollering Creek | Sandra Cisneros | |
| Required | The Circuit | Francisco Jiménez | |
| Required | Dreaming of the USA | Lilliam Arrieta Carsana | |
| Required | Who Is Hispanic? | Pew Research Center |
No textbook is required. Assigned readings will be provided by the instructor and/or made available through Blackboard.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Class Calendar
| Day | Date | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 8/25 | None | Course Introduction: Course overview and expectations; What Is American Literature? | None |
| Thu | 8/27 | Pew Research Center, “Who Is Hispanic?” | Hispanic Voices in American Literature: Hispanic, Latino, Chicano, Mexican American: terms, histories, and perspectives | Complete assigned reading. |
| Tue | 9/1 | Sandra Cisneros, “Eleven” and “My Name” | Unit I: Who Is American? Belonging, identity, and growing up | Complete assigned readings |
| Thu | 9/3 | Judith Ortiz Cofer, “American History” | Unit I: Who Is American? | Complete assigned reading |
| Tue | 9/8 | Dagoberto Gilb, “Love in L.A.” | Unit I: Who Is American? | Complete assigned reading; Student-Led Discussion 1 |
| Thu | 9/10 | Gary Soto, “The Jacket” | Unit I: Who Is American? | Complete assigned reading |
| Tue | 9/15 | José Antonio Burciaga, “Tortillas” | Unit I: Who Is American? | Complete assigned reading; Student-Led Discussion 2 |
| Thu | 9/17 | Julia Alvarez, “Names/Nombres” | Unit I: Who Is American? | Complete assigned reading; Student-Led Discussion 3 |
| Tue | 9/22 | UNIT I Debate: Who is American? | Small-group preparation and whole-class debate | |
| Thu | 9/24 | In-Class Written Reflection 1 Unit I synthesis and comparison |
Complete assigned readings. Prepare for Written Reflection |
|
| Tue | 9/29 | EXAM 1 | ||
| Thu | 10/1 | Junot Díaz, “Fiesta, 1980” | Unit II: English, Spanish, and everything between: Language, family, and cultural inheritance | Complete assigned reading Student-Led Discussion 4 |
| Tue | 10/6 | Gloria Anzaldúa, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” | Unit II: English, Spanish, and Everything Between | Complete assigned reading |
| Thu | 10/8 | Helena María Viramontes, “The Moths” | Unit II: English, Spanish, and Everything Between | Student-Led Discussion 5 Complete assigned reading |
| Tue | 10/13 | Judith Ortiz Cofer, “The Witch’s Husband” | Unit II: English, Spanish, and Everything Between | Complete assigned reading Student-Led Discussion 6 |
| Thu | 10/15 | Richard Blanco, “My Father in English” | Unit II: English, Spanish, and Everything Between | Complete assigned readings |
| Tue | 10/20 | UNIT II Debate: English, Spanish, and everything between | Small-group preparation and whole-class debate | |
| Thu | 10/22 | Unit II synthesis and comparison In-Class Written Reflection 2 |
Prepare for Written Reflection Complete assigned readings |
|
| Tue | 10/27 | Exam 2 | ||
| Thu | 10/29 | Ana Menéndez, “In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd” | Unit III: Where is home? Family, memory, place, and changing identities | |
| Tue | 11/3 | Sandra Cisneros, “Woman Hollering Creek” | Unit III: Where Is Home? | Student-Led Discussion 7 Complete assigned reading |
| Thu | 11/5 | Final Collaborative Creative Project Workshop | Groups, text selection, brainstorming, and initial project plan | |
| Tue | 11/10 | Francisco Jiménez, “The Circuit” | Unit III: Where Is Home? | Complete assigned reading |
| Thu | 11/12 | Lilliam Arrieta Carsana, “Dreaming of the USA” | Unit III: Where Is Home? | Complete assigned reading Student-Led Discussion 8 |
| Tue | 11/17 | UNIT III Debate: Where is home? | Small-group preparation and whole-class debate | |
| Thu | 11/19 | Unit III synthesis and course-wide comparison In-class Written Reflection 3 |
Complete assigned Readings Prepare for Written Reflection |
|
| Tue | 11/24 | Exam 3 | ||
| Thu | 11/26 | THANKSGIVING — NO CLASS | ||
| Tue | 12/1 | Final Collaborative Creative Project Presentations | ||
| Thu | 12/3 | Final Collaborative Creative Project Presentations; Course conclusion | ||
| Tue | 12/8 | FINALS WEEK | ||
| Thu | 12/10 | FINALS WEEK |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.