4/19/2024 12:08:45 PM	ENGL 22 Course Outline as of Fall 2015	Reinstated Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  ENGL 22	Title:  ETHNIC AMER. LIT.
Full Title:  Ethnic Diversity in American Literature
Last Reviewed:9/14/2020

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

A study of ethnic literature in America. Reading, discussion and analysis of trends in the literature of three of the following United States ethnic groups: Native American, European American, Asian American, African American, Latino American, Middle Eastern American. The course will emphasize the cultural issues that shape each ethnic literature, as well as its special contributions to American literature overall.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Completion of ENGL 1A or equivalent

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

A study of ethnic literature in America. Reading, discussion and analysis of trends in the literature of three of the following United States ethnic groups: Native American, European American, Asian American, African American, Latino American, Middle Eastern American. The course will emphasize the cultural issues that shape each ethnic literature, as well as its special contributions to American literature overall.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:Completion of ENGL 1A or equivalent
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Fall 2015	Inactive:
Area:	E G	Humanities American Cultures/Ethnic Studies
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	C2	Humanities		Fall 2015
	C2	Humanities		Fall 1992	Fall 2010
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	3B	Humanities		Fall 2015
	3B	Humanities		Fall 1993	Fall 2010
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 2015	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 2014	Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Not Certificate/Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1.  Describe and apply principles of literary analysis to a variety of literature by and about ethnic Americans, considering culture, subtext and context.

2.  Articulate the major theoretical and analytical issues relevant to understanding a cultural group's unique experience in the United States.

3.  Write critical analysis and response papers about various ethnic American literatures.

 

Objectives:

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

 

1. Identify central themes and concerns of the writers studied.

2. Articulate the political, psychological, social, and cultural issues that inform the literature.

3. Analyze the effects of the literary techniques used in the works.

4. Compose coherent written analyses of literary works.

5. Evaluate the merit, power, and significance of each work in comparison to other works and on its own terms.

Topics and Scope

The following presents a sample of six possible ethnic traditions.  There might be minor adjustment in topics with a different selection of ethnic traditions.

 

European American

1. First-generation experiences and the literature they have spawned.

2. Old-country backgrounds: escape from persecution (religious, political, cultural, racial), customs of ethnic cohesion, folklore, relevant history (political or demographic), religion.

3. Adaptation to American economic, cultural, and political conditions.

4. Reception by earlier arrivals from other ethnic groups (racism, ethnic conflict, competition for work, stereotyping).

5. Second- and third-generation experiences and the literature they have spawned (rejection of one's ethnic traditions; rediscovery of them; rising fortunes within American society; etc.)

6. Contemporary experiences and the literature they have spawned.

 

Asian American

1. First-generation experiences and the literature they have spawned.

2. Old-country backgrounds: escape from persecution (religious, political, cultural, racial), customs of ethnic cohesion, folklore, relevant history (political or demographic), religion.

3. Adaptation to American economic, cultural, and political conditions.

4. Reception by earlier arrivals from other ethnic groups (racism, ethnic conflict, competition for work, stereotyping).

5. Second- and third-generation experiences and the literature they have spawned (rejection of one's ethnic traditions; rediscovery of them; rising fortunes within American society; etc.)

6. Contemporary trends in Asian American literature.

 

Native American

1. Ancient Tales and Traditions: creation myths, the oral tradition.

2. Tribal culture, backgrounds: differences among various tribal traditions and how they show up in key tales and tale-telling traditions. Elements of culture  shared among tribes (depending on specific region selected).

3. The Coming of the White Man, and the literature it spawned (approx. 1790-1890).

4. Adaptation to European American cultural traditions: Indian poetry, tales and fiction  that adopt features of the European written literary tradition (approx. 1850-present). Relevant economic, cultural, political and educational backgrounds.

5. Recent and contemporary trends in Native American literature.

 

African American

1. Slave narratives

2. Folk traditions

3. The Harlem Renaissance

4. The evolution of Black American identity via literature

5. Contemporary trends in African American literature

 

Latino/ American

1. Forms of expression peculiar to the Latino/a experience.

2. Political, cultural, historical, aesthetic phenomena in Latino/American literature.

3. Old World vs. New World perspectives.

4. The Chicano/a literary tradition.

5. Contemporary trends in Latino/a American literature.

 

Middle Eastern American

1. First-generation experiences and the literature they have spawned.

2. Old country backgrounds: escape from persecution (religious, political, cultural, racial), customs of ethnic and religious cohesion, ancient civilizations, relevant history (political or demographic).

3. Reception by earlier arrivals from other ethnic groups (racism, ethnic and religious conflict, competition for work, stereotyping).

4. Influence of high profile events on Middle Eastern communities (Middle Eastern conflicts, September 11th).

5. Second and third-generation experiences and the literature they have spawned (rejection of one's ethnic traditions, re-discovery of them).

6. Contemporary trends in Middle Eastern American literature.

Assignments:

Students will:

 

1. Read up to 50 pages per class session, including background readings in history, anthropology and the social sciences, in addition to the primary reading of literary works

2. Participate in class discussion and group work

3. Produce research projects or papers

4. Write close literary analyses (two to four papers, 1,000-2,000 words each) of selected works so as to appreciate the distinctive narrative and poetic characteristics of ethnic tradition

5. Participate in classroom discussion that will explore their cultural biases and backgrounds to appreciate the ethnically-based views of others

6. Exams

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 40 - 60%
Written homework, research projects and papers, annotated bibliography, essays
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 20 - 40%
Multiple choice, matching items, completion, essay exams, quizzes
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 10 - 20%
Participation in class discussion; attendance

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

For African American literature:

Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison, Random, 1963.

Native Son, Richard Wright, HarperCollins, 1993.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, ed. Frederick Douglass, Dover, 1995.

Beloved, Toni Morrison, NAL-Dutton, 1991.

The Color Purple, Alice Walker, Harbrace, 1982.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou, Bantam, 1983.

Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston, HarperCollins, 1990.

For Asian American literature:

China Men, Maxine Hong Kingston, Random, 1989.

Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan, Putnam, 1989.

Fifth Chinese Daughter, Jade Snow Wong, U of Washington Press, 1989.

Yokohama, California, Toshio Mori, U of Washington press, 1985.

A Gesture Life, Chang Rae Lee, Putnam, 1999.

Bone, Fae Myenne Ng, Harper Collins, 1994.

Fish Head Soup and Other Plays, Philip Gotanda, Univ. Washington Press, 1995.

 

For Latino/a American literature:

Barrio Boy, Ernesto Galarza, U of Notre Dame, 1971.

El Teatro de la Esperanze: Anthology of Chicago Drama, ed. Jorga Huerta, Teatro de la Esperanza, 1973.

Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya, Quinto Sol Publ, 1972.

Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories, Sandra Cisneros, Vintage, 1990.

Zoot Suit and Other Plays, Luis Valdez, Arte Publico Press, 1992.

 

For European American literature:

Giants in the Earth, Ole Edvart Rolvaag, HarperCollins, 1965.

The Soul of an Immigrant, Constantine Panunzio, Ayer, 1969.

Shawl, Cynthia Ozick, Knopf, 1989.

The Invention of the White Race, Theodore Allen, Verso, 1994.

My Antonia, Willa Cather, Bantam, 1994.

 

For Native American literature:

The Way to Rainy Mountain, N. Scott Momaday, U of New Mexico Press, 1976.

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, Viking Penguin, 1986.

Love Medicine, Louise Erdrich, HarperCollins, 1993.

Night Flying Woman, Ignatia Broken, U of Minnesota Press, 1983.

Lakota Woman, Mary Crow Dog, Harper Perennial, 1990.

The Woman Who Owned the Shadows, Paula Gunn Allen, Spinster's, 1983.

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, Michael Dorris, Warner, 1988.

Fightin': New and Collected Stories, Simon Ortiz, Thunder's Mouth, 1983.

Bone Game, Louis Owens, U of Oklahoma Press, 1994.

Calling Myself Home, Unda Hozan, Greenfield Review Press, 1991.

In Made Love and War, Joy Harjo, Wesleyan U Press, 1990.

Earth Song, Sky Spirit, Clifford Trafzer, Doubleday, 1992.

Reservation Blues, Sherman Alexi, Warner Books, 1996.

 

For Middle Eastern American Literature:

Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie, 2006.

Four Arab Plays: Works by Leila Buck, Jamil Khory, Yussef, El Guindi, and Lameece Issaq & Jacob Kader,

Michael Malek Najjar, editor, 2013.

One Story, Thirty Stories: An Anthology of Contemporary Afghan American Literature, Eds. Zohra Saed and Sahar Muradi, 2010.

The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseni, 2003.

Persian Girls, Nahid Rachlan, 2006.

Born Palestiani, Born Black: Suheir Hammad, 2008.

The Alchemist's Diary, Hayan Charara, 200l.

The Road From Home, David Kherdian, 1995.

Words Under the Words:  Selected Poems, Naomi Shihab Nye, 1994.

Edges, Leora Skolkin-Smith, 2005.

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, Ayelet Waldman, 2006.

A World Between:  Poems, Short Stories, and Essays by Iranian-Americans, Persis Karim and Mohammad Mehdi Khorrami, 1999.

 

Sample Background Works:

Strangers From a Different Shore:  A History of Asian Americans, Ronald Takiki, Penguin, 1989.

American Mosaic:  Multi-Cultural Readings in Context, Barbara Roche Ricoand Sandra Mano, Houghton Mifflin, 1991.

Ethnic Writers in America, Myron Simon, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1972.

The Sacred Hoop:  Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions, Paula Gunn Allen, Beacon Press,1986.

Blues People:  Negro Music in White America, LeRoi Jones, Morrow, 1971.

A Different Mirror, Takaki, Back Bay Books, 1993.

Reading the Literatures of Asian Americans, eds. Lim and Ling, Temple U. Press, 1992.

Other Destinies:  Understanding the American Indian Novel, Louis Owens, U. of Oklahoma Press, 1992.

Playing in the Dark, Morrison, Vintage, 1992.

Uprooting Racism, Paul Kwel, New Society Publishers, 1996.

Peoples of Color in the American West, Sucheng Chan, et al., eds. D. C. Heath & Co., 1994.

A People's History of the United States, Howard Zinn, W. W. Norton, 1997.

Orientalism, Edward Said, 1979.

Arab American Literary Fiction, Cultures and Politics, Steven Salatia, 2006.

arab American Literature and Culture, Alfred Hornung, 2013.

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