CHILATST 130: Latinx Geographies

Course Description

Latinx geographies are multiple and relational - they are the spatial manifestations of how Latinx peoples produce and experience the places they inhabit. These geographies are multisensory and tangible, made up of the layered dimensions of the places and peoples we exist in relation to. In this course we will explore the spatial theories and methods generated by Latinx communities, unpacking why space matters and exploring the diverse ways that Latinx peoples, quite literally, make space. We will consider these geographies across space and time, thinking transnationally and intersectionally through multiple layers of conquest and empire, and exploring how the Latinx diaspora produces space across the hemisphere. We will ruminate on what makes up a Latinx geographic method, considering the role of storytelling, song, refranes, food, art, music, and testimonio in the weaving of Latinx geographies. Students will be invited to weave their own conceptions of Latinx geographies in the course, developing a final project that traces the spatial and creative methods that emerge from their lived genealogies.