WESTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY
Department of Humanities
Silver City, New Mexico
ENGLISH 205 – 10136
Hispanic American Literature
Writing Intensive
Fall 2010
Thursdays 4:00 to 6:45
Light Hall, Room 202
INSTRUCTOR:
OFFICE:
OFFICE PHONE:
CELL PHONE:
E-MAIL:
FAX:
OFFICE HOURS:
Patricia M. Cano
Bowden Hall 228
575-538-6512
575-590-3016
canop@wnmu.edu
505-538-6535
Mondays 2:00 to 4:00 & Wednesdays 2:00 to 3:15
Or by appointment
PREREQUISITES: English 102 and 102
REQUIRED MATERIALS, etc:
Required readings on reserve at Miller Library or found on Blackboard
Access to English 205 as a Blackboard-based course
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course gives a panoramic view of the literature written by persons of Hispanic descent who
are citizens of the United States. The major ethnic groups covered are the Mexican American,
the Puerto Rican and the Cuban American. Comparisons and contrasts of the cultures and the
experiences of the these three groups as U.S. citizens will be made by studying their poetry,
drama, short stories, essays. Sample literature written by other Hispanic groups will also be
covered.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS:
By the end of the course the student will be familiar with the biographies and works of the major
American writes of Hispanic descent and the history behind the presence in this country of each
of the Hispanic groups. The student will also be able to analyze pieces of literature beyond the
plot.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Students will analyze and critically interpret significant and primary texts and/or works of
art (this includes fine art, literature, music, theatre, and film.) .
2. Students will compare art forms, modes of thought and expression, and processes across
a range of historical periods and/or structures (such as political, geographic, economic,
social, cultural, religious, and intellectual).
3. Students will recognize and articulate the diversity of human experience across a range of
historical periods and/or cultural perspectives.
4. Students will draw on historical and/or cultural perspectives to evaluate any or all of the
following: contemporary problems/issues, contemporary modes of expression, and
contemporary thought.
GRADING SCALE:
90 - 100
80 - 89
70 - 79
60 - 69
=
=
=
=
A
B
C
D
GRADING CRITERIA:

Attendance and Participation (25%) – Each student is allowed to miss one classes without
any questions asked. Ten points will be deducted from the attendance and participation
grade for every subsequent absence. Athletes should provide the instructor with a
schedule of days when they will be out of town with their team. Appointments must be
made to meet with the instructor outside of class to make up quizzes. Students who never
speak up during class discussions should not expect to receive an A for the course.

Quizzes and Assignments (25%) – There will be a quiz at the beginning of each class
session on the assigned readings for that evening. Occasionally there will also be study
questions or other assignments to be submitted. Students who miss quizzes because of
absence should contact the instructor via Blackboard in order to take the quiz online.

Essays and Original Creative Writing (25%) – Students will be assigned essays on given
topics and are also required to write an original poem, essay or short story..

Final Writing Project (25%) – Each student is required to read a novel written by a Latino
writer of the United States, write a paper on it and given an oral report on it during finals
week.
USE OF BLACKBOARD:
Instead of requiring a textbook, the instructor will be providing readings via Blackboard, the
system used for online instruction. Students who are new to WNMU may go to the following
site for instructions on how to access Blackboard:
http://www.wnmu.edu/VirtualCampus/HowtoGetIntoYourOnlineClass.shtml After logging in
to course, the student may click on LEARNING MODULES to gain access to the required
readings for that week. The student has the option of reading the material online, printing a copy
or going to Miller Library to check out the materials that are on reserve. Occasionally, students
will be asked to participate in an online discussion having to do with the readings.
DISABILITY SERVICES AT WNMU:
Services for students with disabilities are provided through the Academic Support Center’s
Disability Services Office in the Juan Chacon Building, Room 220. Some examples of the
assistance provided are: audio materials for the blind or dyslexic, note takers, readers, campus
guides, audio recorders, a quiet testing area, and undergraduate academic tutors. In order to
qualify for these services, documentation must be provided by qualified professionals on an
annual basis. Disability Services forms are available in the Academic Support Center. The
Disability Services Office, in conjunction with the Academic Support Center, serves as Western
New Mexico University's liaison for students with disabilities. The Academic Support Center’s
Disability Services Office can be contacted by phone at 575-538-6400 or e-mail at
matterr@wnmu.edu.
COMMUNICATION POLICY REGARDING OFFICIAL EMAIL:
WNMU’s policy requires that all official communication be sent via Mustang Express. As a
result, all emails related to your enrollment at WNMU and class communication, including
changes in assignments in grades, will be sent to your wnmu.edu email address. It is very
important that you access your Mustang Express email periodically to check for correspondence
from the University. If you receive most of your email at a different address you can forward
your messages from Mustang Express to your other address.
Example: Martin Classmember was assigned a WNMU email address of
classmemberm12@wnmu.edu but Martin would rather receive his emails at his home email
address of martinclass@yahoo.com
Martin would follow the direction provided at
http://www.wnmu.edu/campusdocs/direction%20for%20forwarding%
20email.htm
WNMU POLICY ON EMAIL PASSWORDS:
WNMU requires that passwords for access to all of the protected software, programs, and
applications will be robust, including complexity in the number of characters required, the
combination of characters required, and the frequency in which passwords are required to be
changed. Minimum complexity shall include:

Passwords shall contain at least six (6) characters.

Passwords shall contain at least one capital (upper case) letter, and at least one symbol
(numbers and characters such as @ # $ % & *).

Passwords shall be changed at least every 90 days. (8/6/08)
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY AND PROCEDURES:
Each student shall observe standards of honesty and integrity in academic work completed at
WNMU. Students may be penalized for violations of the Academic Integrity policy. Please
refer to pages 60 and 61 of the 2008-2009 Catalog. Violations of academic honesty include
copying from classmates, plagiarism, having Spanish speakers complete homework assignments,
using translation programs, etc.
CLASS PROCEDURES FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER:
In case of inclement weather, students will be notified of class cancellations via Mustang
Express email.
TENTATIVE CALENDAR:
DATE
August 19
August 26
See amended calendar
READINGS, ETC.
Discussion of syllabus & course
requirements, introductory lecture,
discussion of poetry.
Continuation of poetry discussion
WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Make a list of the main points of the Suárez
article
Article on Hispanic American
Literature by Virgil Suárez
September 2
I Want to Write an American Poem by
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Salsa x 2
Puertoricannes, etc.
Participate in online discussion
regarding the essay by Sáenz by
September 1st
Quiz #1on other two readings
(to be completed in class)
September 9
Chinese Memories
Retrieving Varadero
Salvation
Broadway
Babies
Never Marry a Mexican
A Case of Mistaken Identity
Dearly Beloved
From When I Was Puerto Rican
The Sargeant
That Church Specifically
Easy
Gallos y gallineros
From Albuquerque
Quiz #2 (in class)
Essay #1
September 16
September 23
September 30
October 7
Quiz #3
Quiz #4
Quiz #5
Quiz #6
Essay #2
October 14
October 21
October 28
November 4
November 11
November 18
December 3
Under the Mango Tree
Seven Long Times
Baskets of Water
And on All Our Children
Father’s Day
How to Tame a Wild Tongue
Pendejismo
Movie and Discussion
No saco nada de la escuela
Dos caras del patroncito
Novena Narrativas
(Copies will be distributed by the
instructor & plays will be read aloud
and discussed in class)
The Day of the Swallows
(Copies will be distributed by the
instructor & play will be read aloud and
discussed in class)
A Midnight Moon at the Greasy Spoon
(Copies will be distributed by the
instructor & play will be read aloud and
discussed in class)
Oral Reports
(to be continued during finals week)
Quiz #7
Quiz #8
Quiz #9
Quiz #10
Creative Writing Assignment due