Professor: Mariselle Meléndez Office number: FLB 4032 Office phone number: 333-8058 E-mail: melendez@uiuc.edu Office hours: Mondays: 10:00-11:00 am Wednesdays: 11:00-12:00pm Class Web site: http://www.sip.uiuc.edu/melendez/blackidentities/ Spanish 390: "The Limits of Racial Formation: Constructing Black Identities in Spanish American Colonial Texts" This course examines the dynamics of identity construction of the black subject in colonial Spanish America and its intrinsic relations to issues of race, gender, and sexuality. We will explore the racial politics of Church and State and the evolution of racial constraints as seen through legal documents, chronicles, religious literature, poetry, newspapers, and visual documents. The course focuses on how black bodies were categorized and constructed within specific political and cultural contexts by colonial authorities and other intellectual sectors of the population, such as creoles and mestizo writers. On the other hand, we also study how these subaltern subjects destabilized the colonial order in their search for freedom and power. Works to be studied date from the early sixteenth century to the late eighteenth century. Part of the class will be devoted to the study of theoretical articles on the concept of race and issues of subjectivity, identity and racial construction. We will conclude our readings with Edgardo Rodríguez Juliá’s novel, La noche oscura del niño Avilés (1984), which narrates an eighteenth-century black revolt in the city of San Juan and the subsequent seize of the city by the black slaves. Our readings of this novel will concentrate on the novel’s metacritical nature, specifically the manner in which colonial historiography is rewritten and re-invented with blacks being protagonists at the center of historical “facts”. Class discussion, papers, and written assignments will be in Spanish. I. TEXBOOKS REQUIRED: 1. Packet of photocopies (UP CLOSE) 2. Books on reserve at the library (see *): a. Bhabha, Hommi. The Location of Culture. b. Canny, Anthony & A. Pagden (eds). Colonial Identity in the Atlantic World. 1500-1800. c. Sturken & Cartwright (eds). Practices of Looking. Meléndez 1 d. Winant, Howard. Racial Conditions.Politics, Theory, Comparisons. 3. Cruz, sor Juana Inés. Obras completas. 4.. Rodríguez Juliá, Edgardo. La noche oscura del niño Avilés. II. Requirements: Class participation 20% Exam I (November 5) 30% Presentation 10% Paper (10 pages) 40% 100% III. CLASSROOM POLICIES: 1. Attendance is expected. More than one unexcused absence and your final class participation grade will be lowered. 2. You should be in class on time. Recurrent tardiness will affect your class participation grade. 3. Class participation is essential. Active participation is expected every week. It is also very important to bring to class the textbooks that we are using. This will make easier for you to follow the discussions. 4. The final paper should be turned in on Friday, December 12 at 1:00 PM. In fairness to all the students in class, late papers (if accepted) will suffer a grade penalty. Details about what is expected in the paper will be given early in the semester. 5. Details of the presentation will be given the first week of class. 6.Academics codes of honor. Every student is expected to follow the codes of honor and academic ethics as set forth in the University’s Codes of Policies and Regulations.Please see:http://www.uiuc.edu/admin-manual/code/rule-33.html.Infraction of these rules will result in dismissal from the course. 7. Disabled students should contact the professor at the beginning of the semester. If you have special needs related with disabilities please, contact me and we can discuss it privately. Meléndez 2 IV. GRADE SCALE FOR THE COURSE: 100-97% 96.9-94% 93.8-90% 89.9-87% 86.9-84% 83.9-80% A+ A AB+ B B- 79.9-77% 76.9-74% 73.9-70% 69.9-67% 66.9-64% 63.9-60% 59.9-0%% C+ C CD+ D DF Week #1 August 27 W- Class introduction Week #2 September 1-3 M- LABOR DAY-NO CLASS W- Piedra, José, “Literary Whiteness and the Afro-Hispanic Difference.” (Up Close Packet) + Pagden, Anthony, “Identity Formation in Spanish America” in Colonial Identity in the Atlantic World.* (Reserve) Week #3 September 8-10 M- Bhabha, Hommi. “The Other Question. Stereotype, Discrimination and the Discourse of Colonialism.” In The Location of Culture. (*Reserve) W- Kusnesof, Elizabeth A. “Ethnic and Gender Influences on Spanish Creole Society in Colonial Spanish America.” Colonial Latin American Review 4 1 (1995): 153-76. (*Reserve) Week #4 September15-17 M- Gutiérez Azopardo, Ildefonso. La población negra en América. Geografía, Historia, Cultura. (UP CLOSE PACKET) W- La población negra en América. (Cont.) Week #5 September 22-24 M- Las Casas, Bartolomé. “Sobre la propuesta de que se llevaran esclavos negros a América…” + “Prólogo”, Chapters CII & CXXIX in Historia de las Indias. (UP CLOSE PACKET) + “Probanza de Juan Garrido” (conquistador negro) (UP CLOSE PACKET) Presentation: Meléndez 3 W- Documentos para la historia de la esclavitud en Puerto Rico (1512-1833) (cédulas y testimonios) (UP CLOSE PACKET) Week #6 September 29-October 1 M- Sandoval, Alonso de. Un tratado sobre la esclavitud. Libro primero: pp 47-122, Libro II: pp 231-265. (UP CLOSE PACKET) W- Un tratado sobre la esclavitud. Libro III: pp 375-445, Libro IV: pp 505-524, 546-571, 602-614. (UP CLOSE PACKET) Presentation: Week #7 October 6-8 M- Fray Pedro Simón. Noticias historiales de las conquistas de tierra firme… (Chapts. “Prólogo” Capts. VI, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII);Rodríguez Freyle. El carnero.(capt. IX-Episodio de Juana García) & Dr. Lucas fernéandez de Piedrahíta. Historia general de las conquistas del Nuevo Reino de Granada. (“Aprobaciones”, “Al lector”, Libro I, capt. I; Libro XII, capt.IV) in (UP CLOSE PACKET) W- Cruz, sor Juana Inés. Villancicos (selección) in Obras completas. Presentation: Week #8 October 13-15 M- Vida prodigiosa del venerable siervo de Dios San Martín de Porras por Fary Bernardo Medina. (UP CLOSE PACKET) W- Vida prodigiosa del venerable siervo de Dios San Martín de Porras por Fary Bernardo Medina. (UP CLOSE PACKET) Presentation: Week #9 October 20-22 M- “Relación de la causa de Juana María. Esclava, mulata y hechicera.” (Historia Inquisitorial) (UP CLOSE PACKET) W- “Relación de la causa de Juana María… (UP CLOSE PACKET) Presentation: Week #10 October 27-29 M- Selección de noticias sobre el negro en el Mercurio peruano (1791-1795) & Esteban de Terralla y Landa. Lima por dentro y por fuera. In (UP CLOSE PACKET) Meléndez 4 W- Terralla y Landa. Lima por dentro y por fuera. In (UP CLOSE PACKET) Presentation: Week #11 November 3-5 M- Fray Innigo Abbad y Lasierra. Historia geográfica, civil y natural de la Isla de San Juan de Puerto Rico. “Introducción”, Capts. I, IX, XIV, XX, XXVI, XXVII, XXX, XXXI & XXXIV. (UP CLOSE PACKET) W- EXAM I Week #12 November 10-12 M- “Practices of looking. Images, Power and Politics” (pp 10-43) + “Viewers: Making Meaning” (pp 45-71) in Practices of Looking. (* Reserve) W- Images: Web site: Early Images, Cuadro de Castas, and Trujillo del Perú. + Guaman Poma. Nueva Coronica y Buen gobierno. “Negros” pp- 573-586. (UP CLOSE PACKET) Presentation: Week #13 November 17-19 M- Autobiografía de Juan Francisco Manzano. (UP CLOSE PACKET) W- Autobiografía de Juan Francisco Manzano. (UP CLOSE PACKET) Presentation: Week #14 November24-26 M- THANKSGIVING RECESS-NO CLASS Week #15 December 1-3 M- Rodríguez Juliá, Edgardo. La noche oscura del niño Avilés. W- La noche oscura del niño Avilés. Presentation: Week #16 December 8-10 M- La noche oscura del niño Avilés. W- Final remarks Meléndez 5