AFST 318 - Seminar on Caribbean Diaspora

Credits: (3)
This goal of this course is to introduce students to the concept of the Caribbean Diaspora (the Caribbean as it exists beyond its geographic limits) and its rich linguistic and literary traditions. We will examine scholarly material that deals with themes of displacement while finding home. We will first survey Caribbean history and its place within a Diasporic framework to gain a deeper understanding of the Caribbean experience and global migration patterns as people find a home away from home in reconstituted Caribbean communities elsewhere. Along the way, we will look at linguistic styles and structure in the Caribbean and abroad. In addition, we will explore literary and linguistic expression of 20th century Caribbeans living abroad such as
Edwidge Danticat (Haiti), Julia Alverez (Dominican Republic), Paule Marshall (Barbados), and Nalo Hopkinson (Jamaica).