I understand why people are upset that the Core doesn’t emphasize other cultures as much it does the western ones, but come on. The actual name of Lit Hum is “European Literature and Philosophy Masterpieces,” meaning that the course is specific to Euro-centric literature. It’s not like you’re being tricked into thinking that this is a class of all the literary masterpieces in the world and then find out that they only considered European classics to be masterpieces. Eastern, African, and Latin American-centered courses are offered separately, and no one seems to have a problem that only Latin American civiliztion is taught in a Major Cultures course called “Latin American Civilization.”

Yes, it would be interesting to have a course in the Core where different lit. from different parts of the world were studied together compared, and when that happens, I will support it. But if you don’t go into a Biology class expecting to learn about Physics, or a Middle Eastern Studies class expecting to study Homer, then why would you enter a European Lit class expecting to learn about anything other than dead white men?

If you learn about China and India in a class about Latin American literature, then what class do you take to learn about Latin American literature???

http://gothamist.com/2007/10/12/noose.php