Javiera Irribarren Ortiz

What role does speculation play in subverting the past, rethinking the present, and building different futures within the Americas? The field of speculative fiction uses multiple forms of arts and media to craft fictional imaginaries that have become a vehicle to narrate historical horror by studying Merla-Watson and Olguín and to criticize versions of modernity imposed across the Americas by studying Colanzi. While these speculative imaginaries use the codes of fiction—such as space-time travel, horror, robots, alternative realities, zombies, and genetics—they also expand upon them to address struggles of the Americas’ history of colonialism, dispossession, and mestizaje. In this advanced seminar, we will engage in a cross-cultural trajectory of contemporary speculative fiction in multiple forms, such as literature, comics, film, and performance within the US-Mexico border, the Caribbean, and the Southern Cone. Topics studied may range from Anzaldúa’s Borderlands to her theory on Queer Futurities and from critical race theory to movies such as La Llorona, Juan de los muertos, and Sleep Dealer. This trajectory will also range from mainstream franchises, such as Marvel and Star Wars, to superheroes depiction in El Alto and Tierra del Fuego. We will focus on transdisciplinary works by Rita Indiana and Luis Carlos Barragán and artwork by Marion Matínez, Amalia Ortiz, and Edgar Clement. We will also reflect on Futurisms made by mestizos, Indigenous, and Afro-Caribbeans while assessing the scopes of climate change and environmental crisis within these communities. Throughout this course and biweekly conference meetings, students will develop communication skills in Spanish and critical-thinking abilities. Students will further advance their research skills through a semester-long multimedia project that enhances multiliteracy and public humanities competencies. The course also contemplates one field research trip to relevant local museum exhibits and artist conventions, such as the Center for Fiction, Feria Internacional del Libro de la Ciudad de Nueva York, and Museum of the Moving Image. Sources will be in Spanish, English, and Spanglish, while class discussions and assignments will be conducted entirely in Spanish.

The growing recognition of Latin American comics as a subject of academic study in the 21st century has further diversified the medium in the region. This course will explore the representation of Indigenous identities and cultural narratives in contemporary Chilean comics, focusing on works published during the 2000s boom. This moment was driven by various factors, such as collaborative projects, the strengthening of distribution circuits, efforts by independent publishers, access to global comic industries, and state funding opportunities. Students will engage with frameworks from comics studies and critical theory to analyze how these graphic sources challenge hegemonic representations and contribute to broader discussions on Indigenous representation, cultural resistance, and transnational dialogues on race and ethnicity. Students will analyze comic genres ranging from historical fiction and fantasy to superheroes and horror. The course will examine how Indigenous cultures are represented within the framework of post-indigenism, as studied through Alemani’s research. Rather than merely recalling pre-Hispanic myths or questioning identity in response to colonial wounds, contemporary Chilean comics position Indigenous narratives within a globalized world through complex sequential narratives and hybrid aesthetics. Among other references, Chajnantor draws on Japanese manga to depict cultural aspects of the high plateau and the Atacama desert, while the Varua saga examines historical milestones and oral traditions to reconstruct Rapa Nui cultural memory. Adventure comics shape Mapuche superhero resistance in Guardianes del Sur, and manga-inspired robots depict a Selk’nam futurist society after settler colonialism in Mecha Selk’nam. The collaborative project Mitoverso creates a universe of superheroes inspired by folk stories, while Los fantasmas del viento articulates the intersection of Indigenous groups and European descendants in the Patagonian region. Throughout this course and biweekly conference meetings, students will develop communication skills in Spanish and critical-thinking abilities. Students will further advance their research skills through a semester-long multimedia project that enhances multiliteracy and public humanities competencies. The course also contemplates one field research visit to relevant local museum exhibits and artist conventions, such as the Society of Illustrators, Brooklyn Independent Comics Showcase, and The Drawing Center. All primary sources, class discussions, and assignments will be in Spanish.

This course will survey visual forms of expression across Latin America that record history and represent cultural memories, struggles, and identities. By approaching material sources, students will broaden their comprehension skills and activate discourse production to engage critically in oral and written discussions about historical and social challenges. Among other sources, we will address political violence and resistance through comics such as El Síndrome Guastavino and Violencia política en el Perú, films such as Nostalgia de la luz and La noche de los 12 años, and arpilleras textile art. As students are introduced to Mexican muralism in the 20th century, they will broaden their understanding by analyzing contemporary expressions of street art and graffiti in Brazil and Cuba. Students will also learn about the cholets, Andean architecture from El Alto, and floating houses across delta rivers and lakes. Alongside photography, we will explore the use of body art, from the funerary rituals of Indigenous Selk'nam to Afro-Caribbean masquerades, Mara gang tattoos, and feminist activism. In this seminar, students will examine material culture to deepen their understanding of discursive structures such as description, exposition, narration, comparison, and argumentation. Students will also enhance their Spanish language skills by expanding their vocabulary and effectively applying linguistic and grammatical resources. Throughout the course and biweekly conference meetings, students will develop written and oral communication skills in Spanish, as well as critical-thinking abilities. Students will further advance their research skills through multimedia projects that foster multiliteracy and public humanities competencies. The course also contemplates one field research trip to relevant local museum exhibits and artist conventions, such as the Museo de El Barrio, Institute for Latin American Art, Hispanic Society of America, and Bronx Museum of the Arts. In addition to class time, students will attend a weekly conversation session with a language tutor. All primary sources, class discussions, and assignments will be in Spanish.

This course is designed for students with prior exposure to Spanish who seek a faster-paced alternative to Beginning Spanish (SPAN 3001). Using a communicative, discussion-based, and hands-on classroom methodology, students will strengthen foundational grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation while developing oral and written communication skills, descriptive precision, and analytical abilities in Spanish. As students become familiar with key concepts such as “artivism” and “climate advocacy,” the course will introduce Spanish language and culture through authentic sources, including songs, graphic journalism, fashion practices, visual art, performance, and collective projects. Students will examine Andean sustainable weaving traditions and circular fashion through artisan networks such as the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco; collective visual projects focused on biodiversity preservation in the Amazon; and graphic journalism addressing environmental contaminants in the Caribbean. The course will also explore artistic responses to extractivism that foreground water rights, gender, and Indigenous sovereignty, such as installations by Carolina Caycedo, performances by Mapuche artist Seba Calfuqueo, and hip-hop lyrics by Aztec artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. Students will engage with primary and secondary sources before class and use class time for guided discussion, collaborative activities, and applied language practice. The course will also require attendance to two relevant public-facing activities (e.g.: museum, conference, convention, etc.), documented through a structured logbook and brief in-class presentation. While there are no individual conferences with the instructor, students are required to attend weekly individual meetings with a Spanish language assistant, in addition to the two weekly class sessions and the biweekly group conference meeting.

This course is designed for students who have reached a solid foundation in their Spanish language skills but have not yet fully applied context-based communicative practices. Using a discussion-based and hands-on methodology, students will strengthen oral and written communication, expand vocabulary, and refine grammar while developing descriptive precision, analytical skills, and critical thinking in Spanish. The “El Dorado” myth emerged from the colonial search for vast treasures in the Americas, imagining a land of limitless gold and wealth. As described by René Zavaleta (1986), it reflects a vision of magical surplus that justified and sustained unequal extraction–consumption relationships, later reframed as “the curse of abundance” by Alberto Acosta (2009). The course will situate “El Dorado” within broader global imaginaries, including Atlantis, Lemuria, The Land of Mu, and Aztlán, the ancestral homeland of Chicanx cultural imagination. Students will engage with diverse sources, including short stories, myths, comics, films, sculpture, and paintings. Among other cases, they will study Caesar’s City of Trapalandia, colonial-era sites reputedly filled with gold and silver at the end of the world; the “Tesoro del Inca” myth, recounting gold allegedly hidden by Atahualpa Yupanqui in Llanganates Hill, Ecuador; and the Afro-Caribbean myth of Mami Wata, represented as a mermaid-savior and symbol of fortune. Students will analyze narration, description, comparison, and argumentation while developing critical perspectives on extractivism, colonial legacies, and socioecological justice. They will also engage with primary and secondary sources before each session and use class time for guided discussion, collaborative activities, and applied language practice. Throughout the semester and in biweekly conference meetings, they will also complete creative and research-based multimedia projects that foster multiliteracy and public humanities skills. The course will require attendance to one relevant public-facing activity (e.g.: museum, conference, convention, etc.), documented through a structured logbook and brief in-class presentation. In addition to class meetings, students will participate in weekly conversation sessions with a language assistant.

This course is designed for students who have reached a solid foundation in their Spanish language skills but have not yet fully applied context-based communicative practices. Using a discussion-based and hands-on methodology, students will strengthen their oral and written communication, expand vocabulary, and refine grammar while developing descriptive precision, analytical skills, and critical thinking in Spanish. Throughout the semester, we will examine the rise of manga aesthetics in Latin American comics, tracing early influences from 1990s animation and the spread facilitated by digital platforms such as Webtoon. Students will explore works across genres, including “shōjo” (for adolescent women), “shōnen” (for adolescent men), “BL” (focused on male-male relationships), and “mecha” (robot-centered action stories). Latin American productions blend Japanese manga, United States adventure and superhero traditions, and French-Belgian influences, while incorporating mestizo, Indigenous, and Afro-descendant cosmologies shaped by colonial and migration histories. Case studies from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Peru will illustrate regional trends, with students analyzing narrative, visual style, and cultural context to understand how these works negotiate identity, genre, and cultural memory across Latin America. Students will analyze narration, description, comparison, and argumentation while developing critical perspectives on semiotics methods, sequential art, and global entanglements. They will also engage with primary and secondary sources before each session and use class time for guided discussion, collaborative activities, and applied language practice. Throughout the semester and in biweekly conference meetings, students will also complete creative and research-based multimedia projects that foster multiliteracy and public humanities skills. The course will require attendance to one relevant public-facing activity (e.g.: museum, conference, convention, etc.), documented through a structured logbook and brief in-class presentation. In addition to class meetings, students will participate in weekly conversation sessions with a language assistant.