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About the Major

At Hamilton, students find an array of courses in the Spanish language and in Latin American, Spanish, and U.S. Latinx literatures and cultures. And through our Academic Year In Spain headquartered in Madrid, they are immersed in Spanish life and language. Hispanic studies is a field of practical value for students interested in careers in international affairs, government, education, the arts, or any profession that requires competence in Spanish. 

Students will learn to:

  • demonstrate oral proficiency in Spanish.
  • demonstrate written proficiency in Spanish.
  • utilize their curricular studies of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures through experiential learning.
  • demonstrate disciplinary practice by producing literary/film criticism that argues an original thesis.

A Sampling of Courses

Isabel Coixet film

Women in Spanish Literature and Film:''Chicas de pelicula''

With an emphasis in the last two decades, this class will focus on literary and visual constructions of women in Contemporary Spain. Movies, poems and short stories will help us ask questions and explore ideas concerning Spanish women and society such as war and gender violence, immigration, sexualities, citizenship, interpersonal relationships, masculinities in transition, etc. Films and literary texts by Bigas Luna, Isabel Coixet, Icíar Bollaín, Anna Rossetti and Carme Riera, among others.

Explore these select courses:

This course develops communication skills used in business, health, government, law, environmental studies, and social justice. Special emphasis is given to building vocabulary and the improvement of grammatical structures through practical application. Oral and written assignments are designed to expand knowledge of Hispanic social practices while increasing intercultural competence.

An in-depth study of the history and poetics of Hispanic films from the double perspective of Hispanic cultural contexts and the development of cinema as artistic expression. Examines how props, lighting, acting, editing, etc. say more than the words in the script. We will discuss how all these elements reflect the cultural visions and beliefs of different Hispanic filmmakers and the times and places they came from. The readings will focus on film theory and film history within the context of nationalism in the Hispanic World.

Studies the narrative of internationally recognized Latin American authors of the 1960’s-1970’s, contextualizing the literary "boom" of this time period, and introducing some of the fundamental works in twentieth century literature. Authors include Carlos Fuentes, Julio Cortázar, Mario Vargas Llosa, José Donoso and Gabriel García Márquez.

Meet Our Faculty

Jessica Burke

Chair, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies

jnburke@hamilton.edu

Latin American literature, Mexican literature, and culture and gender studies

Marissa Ambio

Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies

mambio@hamilton.edu

19th-21st century Latino literature and culture

Marcelo Carosi

Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies

mcarosi@hamilton.edu

Latina American literature and cinema; labor studies; neoliberalism; gender and sexuality studies

José Carlos Diaz Zanelli

Visiting Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies

jdiazzan@hamilton.edu

20th and 21st century Indigenous literature and culture; Andean and Mesoamerican cultures; Anthropocene, environmentalism, and ecosocialism; Indigenous intellectual production; anticolonial discourses in the Americas

Mihyang Cecilia Hwangpo

Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies

mhwangpo@hamilton.edu

Latin American literature and culture; early 20th-century Argentinean and Cuban theatre and essay

Jack Martínez Arias

Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies

jmartin1@hamilton.edu

Andean indigenous cultures and literature, Latin American literature, Environmental Humanities, and Spanish as a second language

Edna Rodriguez-Plate

Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies

emrodrig@hamilton.edu

Hispanic cinema, contemporary Hispanic Caribbean literature and culture, and Cuban studies

Joana Sabadell-Nieto

Burgess Professor of Hispanic Studies

jsabadel@hamilton.edu

feminist and gender studies; cultural criticism and Spanish poetry; narrative; urban studies; literature

Yelsy Hernández Zamora

Visiting Instructor of Hispanic Studies

yhernand@hamilton.edu

Early modern Hispanic literatures and cultures; early modern art and visual culture; death and memory studies; gender studies; the supernatural; history of the book

Mariangela Ugarelli

Visiting Instructor of Hispanic Studies

mugarell@hamilton.edu

Latin American literatures and cultures, Gothic literature, genre studies, gender studies and ecocriticism

Careers After Hamilton

Hamilton graduates who concentrated in Hispanic studies are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:

  • Bilingual Literacy Tutor, AmeriCorps
  • Executive Director, City of Boston
  • Veterinary Student, Cornell University
  • Spanish Teacher, New York City Department of Education
  • Outreach Manager, Explorer Programs, National Geographic Society
  • Foreign Language Chair, Trinity-Pawling School
  • Executive Vice President/Chief Risk Officer, E*TRADE Financial

Explore Hamilton Stories

Cass Adler ’24 in the Letterpress Studio.

Cassandra Adler ’24: On the Path to ‘Know Thyself’

Cass Adler ’24, a double major in Hispanic studies and creative writing, shares her Hamilton journey.

Jack Martinez-Arias

Martinez-Arias Publishes on Amazonian Indigenous Cultures

Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies Jack Martinez-Arias recently published an article titled "Medioambiente y transculturación en El abrazo de la serpiente (2015)" ["Environmentalism and Transculturation in Embrace of the Serpent (2015)"] in the peer-reviewed journal Brújula: revista interdisciplinaria de estudios latinoamericanos.

Mexico-U.S. border

Authority in the Borderlands is Students’ Levitt Research Topic

Who do people turn to for help? Many turn to family, close friends, or sometimes, they may even seek out state authorities. But what happens when these options are no longer available—when you have left behind your families and friends, and state authorities will sooner detain you than offer you help? This is the reality for thousands of migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border, and the driving question to Nick Cackett’s ’24 and Quinn Jones’ 23 summer research projects.

Contact

Department Name

Hispanic Studies Department

Contact Name

Jessica Burke, Chair

Office Location
198 College Hill Road
Clinton, NY 13323

Help us provide an accessible education, offer innovative resources and programs, and foster intellectual exploration.

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