From the music of J-Lo and Shakira to the style of the TV show Ugly Betty to Bart Simpson’s bad Spanish (no problemo!), Latin American influences are increasingly evident in U.S. media and culture. The influence goes both ways: U.S. media and culture have had great impact in Latin America. This class focuses on Latin American media as key institutions within the region and also as they interact with the United States. Media systems are so intertwined with society that understanding them requires understanding where they come from, so we will look at Latin America itself first - Where is it? What are its characteristics? The class will then examine Latin American media and the ways that Latin American people have reacted to U.S. influence. We will also explore the growing presence of Latino media in the U.S. and in Philadelphia. Note: This course fulfills the World Society (GG) requirement for students under GenEd and International Studies (IS) for students under Core.