CHICANO 20
Central American Studies: Histories and Cultures
Description: Lecture, one hour; discussion, one hour. Survey of histories of Central Americans from time of independence movements of early 18th century to present. Major topics include local indigeneities, independence movements, 19th- and 20th-century dependency, state-nation and identity formation, politics of mestizaje, Indigenous resistance, imperialism and economic growth, relations with U.S., politics of development, and contemporary social movements. Letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
1 of 1
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2022 - Dr. Abrego is AMAZING! She is super passionate about Central American studies, the culture, and the injustices in the region. Her class is very reassuring and covers complex issues. It recognizes LGBTQ+ movements, the battles for Indigenous and Afro-Indigenous people's rights, and the rich cultures with historical context. The class really calls out U.S. Imperialism and neoliberalism in the region. Everything you learn is applicable to the present and current issues around the world. She lectures based on the main points of the readings she assigned for the day. We were assigned to post 4 summaries in total about 4 assigned readings of our choosing (on an online discussion board) which is helpful for everyone when you need to quickly look them over before class or an exam. There are a total of 3 quizzes which are divided into three sections of the course. Toward the second half of the class, she started including more engaging activities in lectures, for group discussions about readings and concepts. The final is a creative project of your choosing/format, with a brief reflection on its connection to the course. All in all, her class is amazing and really low stress. THE best course I've taken at UCLA so far.
Spring 2022 - Dr. Abrego is AMAZING! She is super passionate about Central American studies, the culture, and the injustices in the region. Her class is very reassuring and covers complex issues. It recognizes LGBTQ+ movements, the battles for Indigenous and Afro-Indigenous people's rights, and the rich cultures with historical context. The class really calls out U.S. Imperialism and neoliberalism in the region. Everything you learn is applicable to the present and current issues around the world. She lectures based on the main points of the readings she assigned for the day. We were assigned to post 4 summaries in total about 4 assigned readings of our choosing (on an online discussion board) which is helpful for everyone when you need to quickly look them over before class or an exam. There are a total of 3 quizzes which are divided into three sections of the course. Toward the second half of the class, she started including more engaging activities in lectures, for group discussions about readings and concepts. The final is a creative project of your choosing/format, with a brief reflection on its connection to the course. All in all, her class is amazing and really low stress. THE best course I've taken at UCLA so far.
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2020 - Because the course was online, I feel like we got off easy... But the 1st quiz was a nightmare; I don't know how people did but it was eternal and kind of hard. I think the professor maybe realized the 1st quiz was hard because the 2nd one was WAY easier, with only two questions instead of 20. There is A LOT of readings every week, most of them over 15 pages and really tedious. What saved me was the extra credit and the participation in discussion. I don't know what I expected from this class. It was interesting learning about Central American history, but it was way harder than I had anticipated. Don't know if I would take it again, especially considering that I think this course will be a lot harder when it's in-person.
Spring 2020 - Because the course was online, I feel like we got off easy... But the 1st quiz was a nightmare; I don't know how people did but it was eternal and kind of hard. I think the professor maybe realized the 1st quiz was hard because the 2nd one was WAY easier, with only two questions instead of 20. There is A LOT of readings every week, most of them over 15 pages and really tedious. What saved me was the extra credit and the participation in discussion. I don't know what I expected from this class. It was interesting learning about Central American history, but it was way harder than I had anticipated. Don't know if I would take it again, especially considering that I think this course will be a lot harder when it's in-person.
AD
1 of 1
