Bachelor of Arts in Latina/Latino Studies

A component of the Department in American Culture, Latinao Studies is designed to give students an opportunity to develop cultural competence on the diverse groups that comprise the U.S. Latinao populations, that is, Mexican-Americans or Chicanoas, Puerto Ricans, Cuban-Americans, Central Americans, and other peoples of Spanish, Indigenous, and African descent. Currently the largest minority group in this country, Latinasos have not only made contributions to U.S. society with their work, values, cultural traditions and linguistic heritage, they have also participated in the making of this country's history. The Latinao Studies Program offers a variety of courses, some focusing on particular national groups, others based on a particular discipline, and many others organized around specific comparative topics or issues. Examples of courses in Latinao Studies include: "History of U.S. Latinos," "Latinas in the United States," "American Immigration," "The Politics of Language and Cultural Identity," "Schooling and Community," "Latino Performance Arts," "Latinos in the Media"," "Empowering Latino Families and Communities," "Migrant Bodies," "Hybrid Texts," "Puerto Rican Literatures: The Island and the Mainland," "Cuba and Its Diaspora," and others.