This course will examine the culture, literature, arts and historical issues of the Hispanic Caribbean - Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic - from Columbus' arrival to the contemporary period. The students will gain understanding of the convergence of the three ethnic groups that make up this region - the indigenous population, the European colonizers and the enslaved Africans - frameworks that help us understand the Hispanic Caribbean and its place in a global society and the unique identity of the Hispanic Caribbean in the context of Latin America; music, emigration and the U.S. Caribbean Hispanic communities. This UK Core course will be taught in English and will consist of readings, lectures, multi-media resources, writing assignments, student presentations and small discussion groups.