By Natalia Kome From Graceland Tower, Graceland University

A mouthful of a class name, isn’t it? This course is brand new to Graceland this year as well as the professor that teaches the class, Dr. Jonathan Montalvo. Taking place Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the quiet corner of the library known as the Map Room, slavery, sexuality, colonization, and colorism are just a few of the topics that are covered in this class. And what areas are covered in the “Hispanic Caribbean” exactly? In the class, three nations are studied: Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.

“[It]’s very eye-opening because it is a subject which I was previously unfamiliar with. And not only are we learning about the Caribbean and its history, we are also learning more about race, gender, and sexuality within that culture,” student Tori Simpson, class of 2021, said.

The professor of this class, Jonathan Montalvo, is the only faculty member that teaches Spanish or related courses at Graceland. Montalvo really believes that Graceland students should broaden their horizons and explore different cultures. “[The class] encourages our students to be aware and exposed to the multiple interpretations of concepts such as citizenship, gender, sexual, and racial identities in the Caribbean region and beyond. This type of course in our curriculum is important for the formation of global citizens who are interested in making our shared community a better place,” he said.

Even though this course is only in its first semester, it was represented at Scholars’ Showcase this year. It was featured at the poster session at 11 am by freshmen Natalie Harper, Tori Simpson, and Tabitha Watson. The poster discussed feminism, queerness, and racism in the Hispanic Caribbean through three different media: literature, art, and film.

Senior Taylor Warner said of the class: “We discuss controversial and somewhat uncomfortable topics, but these topics are important in regards to who we are, what we know, and the world in which we live. Dr. Montalvo challenges us to think about why we feel such ways and asks us to reflect and dig deeper. He asks questions for us to get a better understanding of our selves, our classmates, and the Caribbean.”

IMAGES:

TOP Pictured (left to right) Natalie Harper, Tabitha Watson, Dr. Jonathan Montalvo, and Tori Simpson posing for a photo after their successful poster session.

For more on this story go to: http://gracelandtower.com/2018/05/02/literature-visual-culture-and-digital-media-in-the-hispanic-caribbean/