This course will explore the legal treatment of Latinx people in the United States. Central to this examination will be: (1) the legal and social construction of race and racism as it pertains to Latinxs; (2) the racialized legal history of diverse ethnic groups including Chicanxs, Puerto Ricans, Cuban-Americans, and others; (3) constitutional and statutory civil rights law governing and impacting substantive areas such as education, employment, voting, public accommodations, speech, and immigration; and (4) the relationship between race, language, and notions of citizenship. A pervasive theme throughout the course will be the significance of race in the current era. This inquiry will be analyzed under modern civil rights perspectives of Traditionalism (e.g., advocating for colorblindness and "reverse" racism claims); Reformism (e.g., supporting modest reforms like limited affirmative action); and most pronouncedly Critical Race Theory (e.g., recognizing continued systemic subordination and envisioning structural reforms to increase racial justice). Students will produce and present an original research paper. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar, or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, will be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.

Note that this information may change at any time. Please visit the MyBU Student Portal for the most up-to-date course information.