Minors must take 2 core courses (6 credit hours). The following are available Spring 2023:

HUM 252-2 / LAXC 252: Global Cultures: Latinx Feminisms in Pop Culture

Verónica Davíla- Ellis  | MW,  1:50PM - 3:05PM (Section 2, cross-listed with LAXC 252)

Following the guiding principles of the Cluster Two, this course introduces students to the history of hemispheric Latinx Feminisms through the study of popular cultural performances produced by communities of Latin American descent across the Americas. We will engage with the most pressing issues tackled by feminist movements since the 1960’s and follow through their development into the present moment, WE will do this by looking at the multiple ways in which popular culture has provided spaces to debate, teach, innovate, and question in tandem with both grassroots and institutionalized forms of social movements. By providing a historical overview of the development of these discourses and movements alongside the cultural production of migrant, displaced, and colonized communities, students will be able to critically engage with the theoretical and social lines of dissension and allyship between US hegemonic women’s movements and grassroots women of color, queer and trans Feminisms. Additionally, students will learn how to interpret and critically analyze performances by Latinx cultural producers, finding meaning both in mainstream and commercial culture as well as in the marginalized and independent cultural products, and understanding the various narratives of belonging across racial, ethnic, and gender groups in the Americas. Some of the questions we will be tackling are How are Latinx feminisms different from Western, European, and White US feminisms? How does popular culture help engage audiences with social issues, while responding to the heterogeneous experiences of communities of Latin American descent in the United States? What value does popular culture hold in our society?

HUM 252-4/5 / LAXC 252: Global Cultures: Latin America/Introduction to LAXC

Bill Van Norman | TTH, 12:45PM - 2:00PM (Section 4) | TTH, 2:20PM - 3:35PM (Section 5)

HUM 252 Global Cultures focuses on cultural expressions and change over time ofthe Americas from conquest to the present day. This course will be constructed around three days(Columbus Day, Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead, and the feast day for the Día de la Virgen /Our Lady of Guadalupe). Themes included in our explorations of these days include change overtime, history ‘from below,’ or social history, history and public space, power relations, syncretism,mestizaje, rituals, transculturation, gender, rural and urban cultures. We look at both popular andelite expressions of popular culture to underscore the strong social class divisions in the region thatgive rise to competing visions of national identity. We look at the blending of cultures that arise outof Indigenous, African, and European in the Americas. We consider the Americas as a geographyboth with and without national political borders.

SPAN 308: Latin American Cultures

Tomás Regalado-López | MW 3:25-4:30pm 

A study of the geographical, historical,and cultural development of Latin Americafrom pre-Columbian times to the present. Instruction is in Spanish.

Minors must complete 4 electives. The following are available this Spring:

EDUC 310: Teaching in a Diverse Society

Diana Meza | TTh, 11:10am–12:15pm (Section 1)
Diana Meza | TTh,  12:45PM - 2:00PM (Section 2)
Ruthie Bosch | MW,  11:10AM - 12:25PM (Section 3)
Ruthie Bosch | MW,  9:35AM - 10:50AM (Section 4)

This course will examine how personal and professional values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors affect teaching and learning. The pre-service teachers will develop an understanding of similar unique characteristics of Pre-K to 12 grade students and their families, including culture, race, ethnicity, heritage language and learning abilities, gender socialization and sexual orientation.

GEOG 339: Geography of the Caribbean

Mary Kimsey | MWF,  12:40PM - 1:30PM

This course is designed to give students a general geographical overview of the islands states and territories surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. Students will study physical landforms, weather and climate, environmental issues, population characteristics, history, local and regional politics, and economic aspects of political units in the region.

HIST 401-2: Slave Trade & Capitalism

Bill Van Norman | MW, 1:50–3:05pm

There is no group of people in the world more urban-minded than Latin Americans. Historically, cities in this region played an all-encompassing role that included administration as well as the reproduction of capital and responsibility for virtually all cultural activities. This class explores that history alongside plans for further urban development, cultural activities and architectural design.

HON 200-2: Multicultural Leadership

Gabriel Driver, Fawn-Amber Montoya | Th,  5:30PM - 8:00PM

Multi-Cultural Leadership II: Application and Praxis. DESCRIPTION: This team-taught course will expand on the Hon 200 multicultural leadership Fall 22 course. It will address one's background and culture impacts their leadership style. Students will design individual and group projects that reflect current strategies for leadership that focus on diverse histories and cultures. In addition, there will be a specific focus on poetry, creative writing, and cultural interactions of Black and Latinx populations. This course is the second half of a 2 part course. Please get in touch with the instructors if you did not take the 1st part of the course and would still like to enroll.

HON 300-12: Latinx Voices

Fawn-Amber Montoya | MW,  11:10AM - 12:25PM

The class will focus on the experiences of Latinos in the United States and neighboring countries. Students will explore ideas of Latinx culture within the context of literature, music, and film. *This course will have a mandatory field trip to the Dominican Republic during spring break.

LAXC 299: Internship in Latin American, Latinx, andCaribbean Studies

Kristin Wylie | TBA 

The LAXC Social Media and Outreach Internship (1-3 credit hours) entails four primary roles: creating and promoting content for LAXC social media accounts, cultivating collaborative relationships across LAXC and with LAXC affinity groups (i.e. Latinx Student Alliance, Madison Hispanic Caucus, Scholars Latino Initative, other student and community organizations), and promote the LAXC minor through social media accounts, class visits, and attending student organizations' events, and holding weekly office hours in the LAXC-MHC space, Moody 102.

SPAN 365: Spanish for Health Professionals I

Diana Galarreta-Aima | TTh, 11:10am–12:25pm

This course focuses on the basic Spanish language and vocabulary required in the fields of medicine and health sciences. Students practice their oral Spanish skills in various simulated medical situations in preparation for future professional application in the medical environment.

SPAN 375: Spanish for Health ProfessionalsII

Diana Galarreta-Aima | TTh, 12:45–2:00pm

This course provides future medical professionals with further practice in Spanish in the medical context. Students learn advanced medical vocabulary and anatomical terminology, develop their reading comprehension skills, and acquire greater fluency through student presentations and classroom discussions on the latest medical techniques and advances.

SPAN 395: Latin American Poetry

Tomás Regalado | MW, 5:00–6:15pm

In this course, students will read and analyze representatives of Latin American poets.Students will report on selectedauthors. Instruction is in Spanish.

SPAN 404: Spanish in the US

Jennifer Lang-Rigal | TTh, 2:20–3:35pm

This course will study the present situation of Spanish in the United States, how Spanish has been shaped by social forces in the US and how Spanish, in turn, shapes these forces. Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: SPAN 320 or 321 or permission of the instructor.

SPAN 476: Culture and Medicine in Latin America

Diana Galarreta-Aima | TTh, 2:20–3:35pm

This course enables students to acquire greater linguistic proficiency and cultural competence in the medical context through classroom discussions and reading comprehension. Students analyze how different kinds of inequalities (e.g., gender, racial, economic, etc.) affect healthcare in Latin American countries; examine popular and religious beliefs applied to medicine in Latin America; and research a medical challenge or success in a specific Latin American or Caribbean country.

Note: Students must take coursework in at least three disciplines, with no more than 9 hrs from a single discipline.

Courses count for credit with permission of LAXC adviser. Contact Dr. Becca Howes-Mischel (howesmre@jmu.edu) for a course directive. The following are available this Spring:

ENG 221-2: Literature / Culture / Ideas [C2L] The Fantastic Feminine: History, Gender and Wonder

María José Delgadillo | MW,  9:35AM - 10:50AM

In this class we’ll read the work of Latin American women writers from the 20th and 21st centuries. While the class is centered around historical and social processes, we will focus onauthors who have crafted narrative pieces that subvert what testimony and history mean, through theuse of research and archives; but also–and most importantly–of the fantastic, wonder, and horror. Be aware that due to the topics, both fictional and historical, some of the writing will includedepictions of violence. May be used for general education credit.

ENG 367: Latinx Literature

Jason Baltazar |TuTh,  11:10AM - 12:25PM

This course is a study of literature by U.S. Latinx authors. The course explores the way writers from a variety of racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds who identify as Latinx use the written word in service of narrating counter-histories, identity formation, and aesthetic and imaginative engagement with the world.

JUST 356: Refugees & Humanitarian Response

Daniel Beers | W, 4:10–6:40pm

This course will examine the practical and ethical challenges facing refugees and humanitarian actors in the contemporary world. We will survey the causes of forced migration, explore global trends in displacement and humanitarian aid and analyze the laws and institutionsthat facilitate (or inhibit) refugee protection. We will consider the challenges that refugees face throughout their journey, from border crossings, to refugee camps, to resettlement communities, as well as the practical and ethical tradeoffs that humanitarian actors must weigh in providing assistance and protection. The course will include a community engagement component related to refugee resettlement in Harrisonburg.

POSC 366: Politics of Race & Ethnicity

Rachel Torres | MW, 1:50–3:05pm

This course is centered on the politics of race and ethnicity within the United States of America. More specifically, it discusses how the U.S. government has and continues to shape patterns of racial inequality through public policy. By the end of this course, students will develop a broad, conceptual understanding of how racism is woven into the fabric of our country.

POSC 367: U.S. Immigration and Refugee Law

Jennifer Byrne | TTh, 12:45pm–2:00pm

This course provides a historical context to the current conversations regarding immigrant integration, immigration policy and immigration reform. The course will focus on the development of our nation’s immigration policies, and the role that the social construction of race and gender has played in shaping decisions regarding immigration and citizenship. The course will also focus on international and forced migration, including the laws that govern those seeking refuge and asylum, and asylum policy in the U.S.

SCOM 248: Intercultural Communication

Michael Broderick | TTH, 9:35AM - 10:50AM (Section 1)

Michael Broderick| MWF, 11:10AM- 12:25PM (Section 2)

Reslie Cortés | MWF,  1:50PM - 2:40PM (Section 3)

Kristiana Baez | TTH, 3:55PM - 5:10PM (Section 4)

The study of human communication in a variety of cultural settings and contexts. Emphasis on developing understanding and analytical skills regarding communication between people from different racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds in both domestic and international settings. Consideration of relevance and application to social, business and political environments.

THEA 303: Community-Engaged &Activist Theatre

Rachel Rhoades | Th, 2:20pm–3:35pm, Su 2:30pm–4:00pm

The art and ethics of community-based professional practice and public advocacy areat the core of the course. This course offers the opportunity for JMU students to contribute to the local refugee resettlement community in a partnership with five Harrisonburg non-profits while also developing vital skills for their professional futures. This would be an opportunity for developing empathy and critical insights on global issues, improving inclusive practice across fields, and utilizing performing arts to educate and inspire our community to support our local refugee and newcomer population. Students will also engage with material on topics such as trauma-informed practice, cross-cultural engagement, global citizenship, ethics of non-profit/university partnerships,and immigration justice from readings as well as guest professor speakers from across JMU departments. Students who have worked with our refugee neighbors have described loving the relationships they built, the homemade food folks often bring to add to our own healthy snacks, and the opportunity to learn across cultures, in particular the inspiration that comes from building friendships with people who have such resilience. No theatre experience is necessary! In fact, it is all the more meaningful to go out of your comfort zone along with the community members to take creative risks together.

*To request that a course listed under course directives count toward your LAXCelectiverequirements, contact Dr. Howes-Mischel(howesmre@jmu.edu).

Come back soon for more updates on classes that are being offered in the summer!