CSP 61 Racial Crossings in 20th Century Hollywood Films

This course uses Hollywood film from the silent era to the end of the 20th century to examine changing American attitudes to racial crossings of all kinds. The focus of our class discussions will be on how these films have created, shaped, or broken images of the raced other in America. With the films as our starting point for discussion and analysis, we will explore Hollywood presentations of passing for white, interracial romance, and mixed race characters. As a second semester course in the Cultural Studies Program, the development and exercise of critical thinking and writing skills will be central to all class assignments.