Two courses—one of which has been my favorite so far at Whittier—helped deepen my understanding of Latinx culture.
These were "paired courses," two classes from different disciplines that share a topic or theme. Having this pair from different fields of study can show you various ways of approaching a subject.
To meet my paired course requirement, I enrolled in ART 371: Modern and Contemporary Latinx Art & Visual Culture and SPAN 270: Violence and Disruption in Latin America Culture. I would have not taken these classes if it weren’t for this pair requirement, but I am so glad I did because it helped me connect two different perspectives on this culture.
As a Latinx student, I really enjoyed learning about art and culture in Los Angeles, and visual art that depicted what was once Mexico. I was introduced to a range of media and materials used by Latinx artists and topics such as large scale public murals, intersections of art and politics, and performance and conceptualism, which mainly focuses on ideas and purposes rather than the works of art, that are then translated with whatever form or material the artists choose.
This was also one of my favorite classes because we had artists, curators, and historians as guest speakers in our Zoom sessions. It was really nice to learn the different points of views of Latinx art. My favorite guest speaker was Guadalupe Rosales, who runs an archive Instagram page of the ’90s era in Los Angeles. I have been following her page for some time before the class started, so I was ecstatic to learn I was going to be able to hear her share some knowledge on her craft.
The art class was paired with SPAN 270, Violence and Disruption in Latin America Culture. This class was very different, as it addressed the representation of contemporary violence in Latin America through literature, film, and culture. We covered topics such as class, gender, race, and geopolitical imbalances in the contemporary world. We read books weekly that were fiction and nonfiction that portray the reality of narco-violence. My favorite book was Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement. Even though it was fiction, it represented the real issue of human trafficking happening in Mexico.
I recommend taking either of these classes, even if you are not a Latinx student. Learning about different Latino cultures interpreted through art forms, and reading about how violence is depicted in Latin America through the media was a great way to shape opposite ends of Latinx culture.
