AFRO3601W: African Literature

The globalized present has witnessed increased mobility as economic, political, and social unrest intensify, forcing mass migration of populations across scorching deserts, treacherous mountains and perilous seas. In the United States and in Western Europe specifically, the consequence of this mobility—immigration—remains the single most cross-cutting issue and the most vexed political challenge of the day. Defined as threatening and intrusive, frequently criminalized in discourse and in action, immigrants have become scapegoats for a wide range of problems that bedevil every aspect of life in every country. Blamed for everything from taking jobs from locals to rising crime and the spread of communicable diseases, immigrants have become victims of xenophobic violence and repositories for the routine fear-mongering prevalent in post-9/11 global terror and counter-terror climate. This course addresses the keys issues that arise in contemporary immigration and global security debates. Throughout the course of the semester, we will interrogate the literary and audio-visual arts as a mirror of the times, reflecting socio-political conditions. In a bid to place the current “crisis” in a historical perspective, we will examine select works by African writers, filmmakers and artists, which provide examples that enable us to move beyond stereotypes and common assumptions.

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