Scribner Seminar Program
Course Proposal
Chaos Finds a Voice: The Politics of Identity in the U.S./Mexico Borderlands
Instructor(s): Diana Barns, Foreign Language and Literature
BORDER: Boundary or frontier? Division or bridge? The wall that cuts through the landscape where Mexico ends and the United States begins imparts mixed messages: STAY OUT, STAY IN, WELCOME, GO AWAY. Considering this paradoxical space of encounter and contradiction, students learn about the politics of border identity through the artists' lens. By reflecting upon the work of border painters, writers, musicians, and filmmakers, students gain an understanding of the impact of the swiftly changing conditions of the U.S./Mexico border. As a backdrop students will learn about the history of the U.S./Mexico border and pressing conflicts that have shaped our perception of border crossers such as immigration law, NAFTA, drug wars, and border security.