Through literature, film and essay this course examines key issues concerning the politics of identity in US Latino culture. Focusing on the Hispanic Caribbean, the course begins by exploring some of the tensions inherent in the use of terms such as Hispanic and Latino to define Spanish Caribbean people. It will examine key moments in the history of the Cuban, Puerto Rican and Dominican presence in the US and proceed with an exploration of the literary/ cinematic interventions in the contingent debates about cultural identity. The course engages with issues of migration, displacement, tradition and cultural transformation.