Chicano Studies 46 Chicano/Mexican-American Folklore Profe Gustavo Jimenez T/Th 3:00-4:35

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1 Chicano Studies 46 Chicano/Mexican-American Folklore Profe Gustavo Jimenez T/Th 3:00-4:35 Contact Information Phone: (Voic /Texts) Office Hours: Availably by appointment Course Description Introduction to conventional studies of Chicano/Mexicano folklore. Students will analyze and evaluate the various folklore genres: myths, legends, folktales, folk medicine, folk speech, and related topics in both a historical and contemporary social context. Textbook Chicano Folklore, A Guide to the Folktales, Traditions, Rituals, and Religious Practices of Mexican-Americans Author - Rafaela G. Castro Publisher - Oxford University Press, 2001 Price - $25 (New) Student Learning Outcomes 1. Understand the Mexican American evolution of folklore in the United States from 1848 era to the 21st century. 2. Utilize a Mexican American Chicano conceptual framework in their analysis and understanding of folklore. 3. Describe the Americanization process in relation to the formation of folkloric expressions that includes myths, legends, racial and ethnic identity, languages, speech, conceptions, musical norms, folktales/narrative constructions, folk medicine and spatial creation of being a Mexican American folk. 4. Compare and contrast important Mexican American folic expressions from California north and south and throughout the Southwest and along the US/Mexico Border. 5. Identify the important contributions of people of Mexican American ancestry to the U.S. and the formation and expansion of American culture and folklore practices.

2 Important Dates March 31/April 2 - No Class (Your Spring Break) April 7/9 - Possibly No Class (My Spring Break) May 28 - Last Day of Class Course Evaluation Participation (15%) This includes attendance, participating in class discussion, answering questions, insight into class lectures/materials. This class is a college-level course and you will be treated as college students. Typical high school behavior will negatively impact your participation grade. Please be courteous to the professor and other students. Always raise your hand when answering a question or participating in class discussion. Make sure that your phones are turned off and put away. Assignments (20%) You will be getting weekly assignments based on class lectures/textbook/handouts. Some assignments will require that you research a specific topic, either online or library. Always put the source you use (website, book, newspaper, etc ) at the end of your assignment. Failure to do so will result in points being deducted. Late assignments will also be deducted. Copying, plagiarizing, cheating on assignments will result in getting a zero for the assignment. Make sure you type your assignments if available. If not please write neatly only on the front page of college-lined notebook paper. Class Project (15%) You will be required to submit a class project at the end of the semester. You will have the option of doing a research paper, group presentation (no more than two students), or attending a Chicano/Mexican-American event and writing a review. More information will be given at a later date. Exams (50%) There will be four exams given throughout the semester. The exams will be a combination of objective questions (multiple choice, true/false, matching) and subjective questions (short response/essays). Study guides will be give the week before each exam. Make-up exams will be given if you are absent on the day of the exam, with acceptable excuses (medical emergencies, school functions, etc ), but only with proper documentation.

3 Class Content Topic One Define terms relevant the course Identify principal geographical areas Identify the various folklore genres to be discussed in the course Topic Two Examine prominent, dominant and generalized belief systems in the Chicano/Mexicano community Analyze belief systems in relation to gender, race, religion, class, and socioeconomic status Topic Three Discuss the philosophical perceptions regarding how and why folkways develop in society Describe how issues of race, religion, class, gender, socio-economic status are reflected in folkways. Topic Four Discuss the psychological foundations of the development of folkways in society Describe how issues of race, religion, class, gender, socio-economic status are reflected in folkways. Topic Five Compare and contrast several dominant folkways across cultural and ethnic lines Examine how these relate to issues of race, religion, class, gender, and socio-economic status Topic Six Examine various versions of the stories of the Virgin of Guadalupe and La Malinche. Critique the female image in both stories Analyze the influence of religion and social mores in the stories Topic Seven Examine various versions of the stories of La Llorona and Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl. Critique the female image in both stories. Analyze the influence of religion and social mores in the stories Topic Eight Examine various examples of folk riddles, rhymes and folk poetry Assess the relationship between race, religion, class, gender, and socio-economic status. Topic Nine Analyze various folk art and craft forms.

4 Evaluate the association between these forms and race, religion, class, gender, and socioeconomic status. Topic Ten Examine the practice of using traditional herbal remedies. Assess the influence of race, religion, class, gender, and socio-economic status on the use of and belief in traditional herbal remedies. Topic Eleven Examine the practice of using traditional healers. Analyze the role of religion and Mexican concept of disease in the use of traditional healers. Assess the influence of race, religion, class, gender, and socio-economic status on the use of and belief in traditional healers. Topic Twelve Examine the Mexican belief in Saint Days and various typical celebrations. Assess these beliefs and celebrations in relation to race, religion, class, gender, and socioeconomic status Discuss Religious Syncretism and its manifestation in Mexican/Chicano Society. Topic Thirteen Analyze various Mexican celebrations and rituals: Dia de los Muertos, Dia de los Reyes Magos, Dia de la Virgen, Las Posadas, Advent y las pasquas Discuss folk foods and their association with important dates Assess in relation to race, religion, class, gender, and socio-economic status. Topic Fourteen Analyze various forms of traditional, contemporary and popular music/dance forms: Corridos, Rancheras, Pop, Rock En Español. Compare various dance forms by regions in Mexico and the US Southwest. Topic Fifteen Examine various forms of folk games, drama and theater. Assess the influence of race, religion, class, gender, and socio-economic status. Topic Sixteen Evaluate Mexican and Chicano Language patterns: Spanish, English, Codeswitching, Slang, and Calo Discuss the relationship between the various language forms discussed and issue of race, religion, class, gender, and socio-economic status. Topic Seventeen Evaluate Mexican and Proverbs/dichos.

5 Discuss the relationship between the proverbs/sayings/dichos discussed and issue sof race, religion, class, gender, and socio-economic status. Topic Eighteen Evaluate several examples of typical Mexican riddles, rhymes and folk poetry. Discuss the relationship between the riddles, rhymes and folk poetry discussed above and issues of race, religion, class, gender, and socio-economic status. Class Notes This is a college level course that requires a certain amount of commitment. If you run into any problems with the class do not hesitate to contact me. The syllabus can be changed at any time during the course of the semester. You will be notified in class and in writing on any changes made.