Latina/o Studies, Minor

Faculty

Alyson Burns-Glover, Nancy Christoph, Daniel Eisen. Dawn Salgado, Jeff Seward, Mariana Valenzuela

Introduction

A minor in U.S. Latina/o Studies allows students to acquire knowledge about Latina/o populations in the United States from an interdisciplinary perspective. U.S. Latina/o Studies is an emerging interdisciplinary field of study that examines the experiences of Latinas/os in the U.S. from a variety of perspectives, such as the historical, anthropological, political, linguistic, cultural, artistic and literary among many others. Scholarship in Latina/o Studies varies and often encompasses studies on immigration, citizenship, race, social disparities, gender, and sexuality. The category of Latinas/os in the United States encompasses recent immigrants, peoples who trace their ancestry to Spanish colonies in what is now the U.S., peoples with roots in what was formerly Mexican territory, and peoples whose families come from Latin America.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete a minor in U.S. Latina/o Studies will:

Develop knowledge of the histories of Latinas/os in the United States in relation to broader U.S. histories
Comprehend the complex social, political, economic relationships between the U.S. and Latin America.
Understand how Latin American immigration to the U.S. relates to socio-political and economic relationships between the U.S. and Latin America.
Become familiar with U.S. Latina/o cultural expressions and the contributions Latinas/os have made to the U.S. cultural landscape.
Develop an understanding of Latina/o political activism and participation in the U.S.
Recognize the importance of categories of difference, i.e. race, gender, ethnicity, nationality and sexuality in shaping Latina/o experiences in the U.S.
Identify a number of contemporary social theories as they inform U.S. Latina/o Studies.

Minor Requirements

Language Competency

Minors must demeonstrate competence in the Spanish language at the SPAN 202 level. This may be demonstrated either by successfully passing SPAN 202 or SPAN 211 , placing into a 300-level Spanish class or above, or otherwise demonstrating this level of competence to the satisfaction of the Chair of the World Languages program.

12 Credits From the Following:

HUM 260 - U.S. Latinas/os & Pop Culture 4 credit(s)
HUM 306 - Latino Fiction 4 credit(s)
HUM 360 - Advanced Topics:U.S. Latina/o Studies 4 credit(s)
SPAN 325 - Mexican-American Cultural Exploration 4 credit(s)

8 Credits From the Following:

PSY 310 - Community Psychology 4 credit(s)
PSY 358 - Psychology of Ethnic Diversity in US 4 credit(s)
HIST 239 - Latin America I: Conquest-Independence 4 credit(s)
OR
POLS 239 - Latin America I: Conquest-Independence 4 credit(s)
POLS 241 - Latin America II: Independence-Present 4 credit(s)
SOC 360 - Critical Race Theory 4 credit(s)

Total: 20 Credits

¹ Travel course to U.S.-Mexico Border and/or similar course work taken while studying abroad in Latin America could count towards minor.
² PSY 310 may count towards minor only when service-learning component is related to U.S. Latinas/os. Must be approved by Spanish Program or Director of U.S. Latina/o Studies minor in consultation with course instructor for inclusion in minor.
³ PSY 358 may count towards minor only when final research project is focused on U.S. Latinas/os. Must be approved by Spanish Program in consultation with course instructor for inclusion in minor.