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:

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

Minor Requirements