Twenty-eighth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

Is the Puente Project ready to reconceptualize its literature curriculum? For over 30 strong years, the Puente Project has used Chicano/Latino literature to help students with success in academics and transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Although the project continues to be successful, will the integration of American and British literature and Chicano/Latino literature prove to push students’ success even further? The Puente Project established in 1981 to increase the enrollment of Chicano/Latino transferring to four-year colleges and universities. As a part of the program, Puente students take a writing course for a full year using the literature of Chicano/Latino authors. The use of Chicano/Latino literature gives students a basis to find themselves in these stories and from these topics realize that struggles in life can be overcome and success can be obtained. However, when Puente students have completed the program and transferred to higher education and have no foundational knowledge of notable American and British authors, where do they go from there? Is it possible to merge both American and British literature with Chicano/Latino literature? Jose Aranda, Jr. argues that “Both cultures are surprisingly on common ground in nationalizing literature and in claiming a regional voice as the basis of cultural identity.” In 2020, the Puente project needs to adapt to multiculturalism in its literature curriculum and add a broader selection of literature through the use of American and British literature. These proposed changes are considered in this paper.