In this course, students will be introduced to how the rich cultural traditions of Brazil, Portugal, and Portuguese-speaking Africa and Asia are connected to the United States through immigration and cross-cultural relationships. Taught in English.
Athena Title
Luso Brazil Culture in U.S.
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will consider, engage, and analyze basic ideas about immigration in the United States and its importance for the history and identity of the country.
Students will identify the Portuguese and Brazilian communities in the United States and their contributions to social, political and historic events in the context of immigration.
Students will reflect upon migrant communities’ needs, struggles and voices.
Students will understand how literary and cultural production can be used as sources of insight into these communities.
Topical Outline
- Introduction and syllabus
- The role of immigration in the USA
- What is there in a name? Our ancestors and their contribution. Dictionary of American Immigration.
- Basques, Caribbean Immigrants, Creoles, Cubans, Caucasians in Hawaii, Hispanics, Italians, Mexicans, Portuguese, Spaniards, Immigrant Autobiographies, Immigrant Languages
- Historical overview of American immigration
- Introduction to the waves of immigration from Portuguese speaking countries-regions.
- Three main groups: continental Portugal/Azores, Cape Verde, and Brazil.
- PORTUGAL: The Portuguese as a nation of migrants: age of exploration, early immigration, and recurring themes in Lusophone literature.
- Steerage
- The voyage - emigrants and immigrants in transit. The hopeful departure v. the disappointing return.
- "The Stowaway's Christmas" - the symbolic story of all immigrants, stowaways, illegal immigrants, etc. "Feast at the Table of my Father's Body", Amy Sayre-Roberts.
- Cultural conflict
- "Johnny and Dan," Álamo Oliveira. Portuguese Spinner: An American Story.
- "Azorean Dreams" by Onésimo T. Almeida; Through a Portagee Gate.
- CAPE VERDE: The Cape Verdeans: Between Race and Ethnicity.
- Origins, identity, strategies of integration, an invisible community.
- BRAZIL: Margolis.
- An Invisible Minority- Preface and chapter I
- New trends in immigration, contrasts, and similarities with Cape.
- Verdeans and other Latin American immigrants. Samba Dreamers. Film: A Fronteira.
General Education Core
CORE IV: World Languages and Global Culture
Institutional Competencies
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
