Reframing Latin America

"An excellent resource, explicitly designed for use in undergraduate courses in Latin American historical, literary, and/or cultural studies. This text is significantly, and laudably, more ambitious than a traditional anthology, for the authors, who have team-taught a course based on these materials for a number of years, have also formulated a systematic pedagogical approach to the shift from modernism to postmodernism." -- Susan Martin-Marquez, Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, Rutgers University

An illuminating primer that moves students and scholars beyond alienating terminology and toward accessible perspectives on Latin America and cultural studies.

Providing an extensive introduction to cultural studies in general, regardless of chronological or geographic focus, and presenting provocative, essential readings from Latin American writers of the last two centuries, Reframing Latin America brings much-needed accessibility to the concepts of cultural studies and postmodernism.

From Saussure to semiotics, the authors begin by demystifying terminology, then guide readers through five identity constructs, including nation, race, and gender. The readings that follow are presented with insightful commentary and encompass such themes as "Civilized Folk Marry the Barbarians" (including José Martí's "Our America") and "Boom Goes the Literature: Magical Realism as the True Latin America?" (featuring Elena Garro's essay "It's the Fault of the Tlaxcaltecas"). Films such as Like Water for Chocolate are discussed in-depth as well. The result is a lively, interdisciplinary guide for theorists and novices alike.