This manuscript presents a proposal for teaching Latino Caribbean heritage using as principal focus the novel and film "In the Time of the Butterflies." It discusses terms of literary works and their readings, the foundation of a Spanish caste system, African immigration, and political and economic aspects affecting Dominican American identity and culture. It is geared to teaching in the undergraduate classroom and from the perspectives of race, gender, and transnationalism, with examples to engage critical thinking. (Contains 9 notes.)