Undergraduate Spanish and Latin American Studies 2026-2027

The crónica and testimonio genres share the urgency and authority of witness and the drive to propel the reader to action. From the early days of the Spanish conquest, witnesses used the crónica to understand the past and present, pointing out injustice and demanding reform. Testimonio, a more recent genre of ‘ordinary’ people bearing witness, which is intended to give voice to historically marginalised groups, has itself generated debates about whose ‘truth’ is being told, whose voice is ‘authentic’ and who gets to tell whose stories. This course brings these narrative forms, from the colonial period to the recent past, together as a way of listening to marginalised voices, understanding a range of perspectives on Spanish America and understanding the enduring power of bearing witness. This course will also examine the debates which these texts have prompted, debates which, even when they include critical voices, show the enduring power of the first-hand account.