Confronting the Unexpected in the Early US Latinx Literature Classroom

ABSTRACT This article draws from Latinx literary scholars’ approaches to archives as well as the author’s teaching experiences to show how confronting expectations for representation can function as a pedagogical framework. While the 1960s serves as a powerful origin story for ethnic studies in the United States, shifting the timeline further back can expand students’ understanding of ethnic identity. Building on Ralph E. Rodriguez’s concept of undoing ethnic expectation, this article argues for the inclusion of early Latinx texts in Latinx studies courses and in American literature courses more broadly. Before and after engaging with archival materials, students can benefit from discussing and reflecting on the various identities (including class, gender, religion, etc.) that shaped the lived experiences of early Latinx figures. These discussions can help students to push past any preconceptions that they may have about American and US Latinx identities and to revise their expectations about the kinds of stories they will find.