ENGL 308 Multi-Ethnic American Literature

America has gone through so many changes in its over 200 years of existence.  This is due to the many diverse groups that have more and more populated the country.  In this course we will examine how different minority groups have interpreted what it means to be ethnic and American.  We will examine native American, Asian American, Latino, and white ethnic immigrant literature to illustrate how these groups navigated their places within American society.  What does American mean to these different groups? These literary works show the contradictions between what America says it is vs. how the different ethnic groups perceive America.  Writers that may be taught are Alice Walker, Junot Diaz, Edward P. Jones, Amy Tan and Octavia Butler.  Through these works and authors students will examine the many different definitions and constructions of American identity.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

ENGL 103

Offered

S (alternating years)