Brazil
Travel to Brazil, So. America with AASRC & the BCC during Maymester!!! This 2014 Maymester class will be in session on the Purdue‐WL campus from May 19‐23, then in Brazil from May 26 – June 6, and back in class at Purdue, June 9‐13, 2013. The courses will be taught by Dr. Dawn F. Stinchcomb, Chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, School of Languages and Cultures and Ms. Mara Barbosa, Teaching Assistant and doctoral candidate in Portuguese linguistics in the School of Lan‐
guages and Cultures. Undergraduate students of all majors will earn 6 credits for this Maymester. The two courses offered will be: AAS 491/LC 593: The Myth of Racial Democracy: Latin America and the African Diaspora Description: This course examines the various elements of Afro/Latin American Literature and culture that reflect the complex relationship between the nations' long history of slavery, their politics of blanqueamien­
to (racial whitening) that were implemented by local governments during the late 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, and the myth of racial democracy that have pervaded and still exists within their national consciousness primarily in Brazil and Hispanic Caribbean. AAS 373: Issues in African American Studies: Afro­Brazilian Culture Description: This course examines the various elements of Afro‐Brazilian culture, like literature, cinema and music. In the class we will explore the influences of the African culture in Brazil, as well as the effects of the legacy left by the slavery in all the areas and elements in which they appear. Students will be encouraged to reflect on social and racial inequalities, racial identity, prejudice and all the effects it has on the Brazilian society. We will offer 6 credits to undergraduates who will take Barbosa’s AAS 373, Issues in African American Studies: Afro‐Brazilian Culture and Stinchcomb’s AAS 491, The Myth of Racial Democracy: Latin America and the African Diaspora and 3 credits for graduate students who take Stinchcomb’s LC 593, The Myth of Racial Democracy: Latin America and the African Diaspora (which will be cross‐listed with AAS 491). A sampling of places and venues to visit in Rio are the African Cultural Center, National History Museum, and Port Valongo, and in Bahia, the Museum Afro‐Brasileiro, Pelourinho district, Irmandade de Boa Marte, Pierre Verger Center, and the Bale Folclorico da Bahia. A significant part of the tour will be the exploration of Bahia. Students will visit the historic Pelourinno District that was once a major slave market and is home to the first African church built in the Americas. We will explore the many different historical aspects of Salva‐
dor da Bahia that reflect the city’s roots to a West African culture. While in Brazil, Purdue students will have the opportunity to attend lectures and discussions with Brazilian professors to ensure that they enjoy a tru‐
ly intercultural experience, which allows them to have significant interactions with Brazilian people. The cultural/historical tour will also provide an intercultural experience through its emphasis on the general history of the region and how it impacted African American identity and culture. Contact Dr. Venetria Patton at [email protected] for more information.