History 3390 - Deutsch

History 3390:  Jews in Latin America

Dr. Sandra McGee Deutsch

Fall 2020

We will study Jews of diverse backgrounds and their varied experiences in Latin America, beginning with the expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal (Iberia) and the Iberian conquest of Latin America.  The emphasis will be on the years after 1880.  We will examine how Jews have inserted themselves in political, cultural, and economic life in Latin America, as well as into its gender and racial hierarchies.  We will also compare these Jews to those in other regions and to other immigrants and minorities in Latin America, as well as examine Jewish Latinos in the U.S.  We will seek answers to the following questions:  To what extent have Latin American societies accepted Jews?  How have Jews tied their destinies to those of the Latin American countries in which they reside?  What kinds of hybrid identities have these Jewish women and men created?  Are the majority best described as “Jewish Latin Americans,” meaning their Latin American identities are paramount, or “Latin American Jews,” meaning their Jewish identities are paramount?  How can we compare the experiences of Jews in Latin America with those of Jewish Latinos in the U.S.?  The course will develop understanding of key terms such as diaspora, race, ethnicity, hybridity, borders, and memory.  These questions and terms are applicable to the study of all minority and marginalized groups.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this guide emphasizes online resources. Please visit the UTEP Library's website for current policies.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Quality historical research takes time. Start early.
• Always start with a keyword search in the library catalog. You might need to refine your search terms or do multiple keyword searches.
• Click on appropriate Library of Congress subject headings in catalog records to find more sources.
• Consult an archivist or library subject specialist.
• If possible, call or email an archivist before you visit an archives or special collections department.
• Start with secondary sources (i .e. books, scholarly articles, encyclopedias) for context and literature reviews.
• Mine bibliographies of secondary sources  (i.e. see what sources historians used).
• Take careful notes when reviewing primary and secondary sources.
• Make sure to document where images, quotes, ideas, etc. came from.
• Order books via Interlibrary Loan in advance of any deadlines.
• Proofread your papers carefully.