Marco A. Mojica
Latin American and Latino/a Studies Department
LALS 1
The Latinx Experience in the United States
Course Description
An introduction to the Latinx experience emphasizing their relationship to the ethnic and racial relations, culture, history, and politics of the U.S. This course will emphasize interdisciplinary Ethnic Studies methodologies and critical race theory to analyze the impact of Latinxs on American systems and institutions. LALS 1 Course Outline of Record
LALS 1 meets graduation requirements for United States History, Humanities, Social Science, and Ethnic Studies (H1). LALS 1 is a transferable course accepted at the UC and CSU systems.
ADVISE: ENGL 88 or ESL 188 or readiness for college-level English.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course a student will be able to:
Interpret the demographic diversity represented by the terms Latinx/Hispanic through analysis of Latinx produced theory and knowledge.
Assess the impact of U.S. expansionism in the 19th Century and the integration of Latinx populations in the U.S. Southwest and Puerto Rico, accounting for issues of colonialism, race and racism, racialization, ethnicity, equity, ethno-centrism, white supremacy, self-determination, liberation, sovereignty, and anti-racism.
Evaluate the intersectionality of race and racism in relation to U.S. government immigration policies and how they impact immigrants from Latin America to the U.S.
Debate the impact of Latinxs on U.S. institutions and society during the Civil Rights and Post Civil Rights eras, specifically reviewing acts of resistance and racial and social justice movements in Latinx communities.
Compare selected aspects of the Latinx experience in the United States related to patterns of assimilation and migrant transnationalism, identifying issues such as multiculturalism and language and education policies.
Critique the Latinx community's cultural contributions to the U.S. and their impact on popular culture and as forms of protest that have encouraged agency and equity.
Class Meetings
This class is 100% online. All of the course information and materials will be available on a weekly basis via Canvas Learning Management system. Weekly module will open on Mondays at 7:00AM with the reading materials, lectures, videos and assignments which all have to be completed by Sundays at 11:00PM. There are no exceptions to this rule. Remember: A remote learning course is not self-paced, you will need to keep up with the weekly topics and assignments in order to succeed.
Instructor Contact
Marco A. Mojica
Email: mmojica@ccsf.edu
CCSF Phone: (415) 452-7416
The instructor will respond to all course email within 48 hours Monday-Friday, exclusive of school holidays.
Course Web Site
Students will use the Canvas Learning Management system for viewing and downloading readings, watch videos, taking quizzes and viewing grades.
Textbook, Articles and Films
A Book will be assigned to be read during the semester. I generally assign a new book about an aspect of the Latinx experience every semester.
Articles and Films
You can download through Canvas Learning Management System the required articles for each topic and watch the films.
Required Software
You will need the following software for this course. [If linking to PDF or Word documents, QuickTime or Flash videos, put in a link to the helper applications in your Syllabus or Getting Started section of your course materials. Delete any software links that you will not use.]
Important Dates
Day Class Begins: [Find the following dates in theory in the online Schedule of Classes by hovering over the deadlines link next to your class listing.
Dropping the Class
If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it to avoid getting no refund (after 10% of course length), a W symbol (after 20%), or a grade (after 60%). Also, for several consecutive, unexplained absences, the instructor may drop a student.
Pass‐NoPass (P/NP)
You may take this class P/NP. You must decide before the deadline, and add the option online with web4 (Links to an external site.) or file the P/NP form with Admissions and Records. With a grade of C or better, you will get P.
You must file for the P/NP option see Instructional Calendar (Links to an external site.) Once you decide to go for P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program, you can probably still take the class P/NP. Check with a counselor to be sure.
Instructor Announcements and Q&A Forum
The instructor will post announcements on the “Instructor Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences (Links to an external site.) as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement. A “Q&A Forum” is also on Canvas to ask for assistance of your classmates or of instructor.
Attendance
Students who fail to participate in the online orientation will be dropped from the class. It is strongly advised that if you need to miss more than one class/homework deadline in a row that you contact me to avoid being dropped from the class.
Methods of Evaluation
Exams
There will be a midterm and final exam. The material comes from the textbook, class lectures and films. If any exam is missed, a zero will be recorded as the score. It is your responsibility to take the exams by the due date. If you do not take the exam by due date, you have to notify the instructor the day after the exam date of why you could not take it and provide a legitimate excuse for your absence in order to be allowed to do a make-up exam.
Quizzes
You will do nine (9) online - multiple choice, true/false - quizzes based on class lectures, readings and films. The online quizzes will be available for a limited time. If you do not take the quiz during the assigned time, you not have the opportunity to make it up and a zero (0) will be recorded as the score.
Discussions
Weekly discussion will require that you submit two discussion posts. Post 1 will be due on Saturdays before 1PM. If you submit your post after 1PM, you will lose 50% of this post's grade. Post 2 will be due on Sundays before 10PM. If you do not submit your discussion posts (1 and 2) before 10PM on Sundays, you will receive a zero "0" as your score. There are no late submissions after the Sunday deadline. It is important that you stay on top of the weekly discussion deadlines.
Grading Policy
Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade once a week and post grades and comments on the online Canvas gradebook.
Grades will be assigned as follows:
If taking Pass/No Pass you need at least 70% of the total class points and complete the
midterm exam and the final exam to pass the class.
An “F” grade indicates that a student attended, participated and completed the course but failed to master the course curriculum.
An “FW” grade indicates the student stopped attending a course after the “last day to withdraw” deadline and subsequently did not submit any work or participate in any exams. Please check with your counselor and financial aid advisor for possible implications of the FW grade on residency and financial aid status.
Standards of Conduct
Students who register in CCSF classes are required to abide by the CCSF Student Code of Conduct (Links to an external site.). Violation of the code is basis for referral to the Student Conduct Coordinator or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Office of Student Affairs and Wellness (Links to an external site.).
Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work. See these links on Plagiarism:
Citing Information Sources (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)
Special Needs
If you need classroom or testing accommodations because of a disability, or have emergency medical information to share with me, or need special arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible via email: mmojica@ccsf.edu. or by appointment. Students seeking disability related accommodations are encouraged to also register with Disabled Students Programs and Services located in Room 323 of the Rosenberg Library (415) 452-5481. Please see the DSPS website (Links to an external site.) for more information and alternate locations.