Latina/o Studies offers a minor as well as a concentration to undergraduate students. The program is a component of the Program in American Culture. It's designed to give students an opportunity to develop cultural competence on the diverse groups that comprise the U.S. Latino populations. The Latino Studies Program offers a variety of courses, some focusing on particular national groups or specific academic disciplines, and others organized around comparative topics or issues. Some examples of these courses include: History of Latinos in the U.S., Race and Racialization, Latinas in the United States, The Politics of Language and Cultural Identity, Women in Prison, Schooling and the Community, Empowering Latino Families and Communities, Latina/o Literature, Migrant Bodies and Hybrid Texts, Puerto Rican Literatures: The Island and the Mainland, Cuba and Its Diaspora, and more.
The Minor in Latina/o Studies
A primary objective of our minor is to engage students in a variety of disciplinary approaches to the study of U.S. Latina/os as well as to introduce them to the central intellectual questions and topics that have emerged in this field of inquiry. The Latino Studies Program minor consists of eighteen (18) credit units. Students are required to enroll in American Culture 213: Introduction to Latino Studies (4credits). Given the interdisciplinary nature of Latino Studies, students interested in pursuing graduate study are encouraged to concentrate in a particular discipline or department in order to have the necessary background for graduate school. Students should meet with the Director of the Program to discuss their academic plans.
Download Latina/o Studies Minor Checklist
Concentration Program
A primary objective of this concentration program is to engage students in a variety of disciplinary approaches to the study of U.S. Latina/os as well as to introduce them to the central intellectual questions and topics that have emerged in this field of inquiry. The Latino Studies Program concentration consists of thirty (30) credit units, in addition to seven (7) credit units if prerequisite work. Students are required to enroll in American Culture 212 or 213: Introduction to Latino Studies (3 credits). AC 212 satisfies the Social Science Distribution, and AC 213 satisfies the Humanities distribution requirement. Given the interdisciplinary nature of Latino Studies, students interested in pursuing graduate study are encouraged to double-concentrate in a particular discipline or department in order to have the necessary background for graduate school. Students should meet with the Concentration Advisor to discuss their academic plans.
Download Latina/o Studies Concentration Checklist
Required Courses
American Culture 312, History of U.S. Latinos
(1) American Culture 243, Latinas in the United States OR three credit units on a gender-focused course in Latino Studies.
(2)One course or three units in a Latino Studies course that focuses on race and racialization in the Americas. Courses in other departments may count with the approval of the Latina/o Studies Advisor.
(3) Three credit units of community-service learning in a Latino context.
Courses may be chosen from among the following:
- American Culture 309 - Community Practice (*must be taken for a letter grade)
- American Culture 410 - Hispanics in the U.S. (*Topics must include a community practicum)
- Sociology 389.018 - Tutoring Latinos
- Psychology 401.001 - Community Practice in Spanish
Note: Students may also complete this requirement through independent studies or through a combination of one-credit units of community service learning attached to specific courses.
Electives and Cognates
One (1) course each in TWO of the following fields:
- Latin American culture, history, literature
- African American Studies
- Asian American Studies
- Native American Studies
Language Requirement
Latina/Latino Studies concentrators must prove competency in Spanish. They can do this either by enrolling in Spanish 290/American Culture 224, "Spanish for U.S. Latino/as" (4 credit units) or by proving equivalency at the Spanish 275/276 level. Spanish native speakers who have enrolled in upper-level Spanish courses and complete them successfully, may waive this requirement by passing a proficiency interview and having a waiver form signed.
Additional Electives
The remaining 12 units can be elected from 300- and 400-level Latino Studies courses. Courses focusing on U.S. Latinos offered by other departments may also count toward electives if approved by the concentration advisor.
Advising
Students are encouraged to consult with the Latina/o Studies Interim Program Director, Catherine Benamou, who serves as the concentration and minor advisor. She is able to point students to current class offerings and answer any questions you may have about the program itself. For appointments regarding the minor or concentration program, please visit the American Culture advising appointments webpage: www.lsa.umich.edu/ac/undergrad
Latina/o Studies Undergraduate Course Offerings Winter 2007:
CORE COURSES (required for Concentration and Minor):
AMCULT327/ENG387: Latino/Latina Literature of the U.S., Prof. Amy Sara Carroll
M 1-4
AMCULT 381/SAC381: Latinas/Latinos and the Media, Prof. Catherine Benamou
M 9-10, Lab M 6-8, Sec. M 5-6, W 5-6
LATINO STUDIES ELECTIVES:
AMCULT 304/SOC 304: American Immigration, Prof. Sylvia Pedraza
AMCULT 505/HIST 468: History of Latinos in Michigan, Prof. Jesse Hoffnung-Garskof
AMCULT ELECTIVES:
AMCULT 211: Jewish and Other others, Prof. J. Freedman
AMCULT 235: From Harems to Terrorists: Representing the Middle East in Hollywood Cinema, Prof. E.A. Alsultan
AMCULT 301: Uses of Trash: Gender, Race and Class, Prof. N.M. Hubbs
AMCULT 306: Community Research, Prof. P. Creekmore X
AMCULT 311: Asian Pacific American Literature and Empire, Prof. E.P. Lawsin
AMCULT 318: Greek-American Culture, Prof. V. Lambropoulos
AMCULT 399: Race, Racism, and Ethnicity, Prof. M. Countryman +
AMCULT 498.002: American Social Reflection: Thinking about Race and Society, Prof. M. Briones +
LATINO STUDIES COGNATES:
ANTHRCUL 258/HIST 231: The Left in Latin America in Historical Perspective, Prof. F. Coroni
ANTHRCUL 320: Mexico: Culture and Society, Prof. D. Frye
HIST 348: Latin America: The National Period, Prof. P. Alberto
LACS 455/HIST 358: Brazilian History, Prof. S. Caulfield and Prof. P.C. Johnson
LACS 490/RLL 400: Ethics in Public Life: Social Movements, Presidential Politics and Public Policy in Brazil
SOC 295.001: Sociology of Multi-Culturalism, Prof. L. Sfeir-Younis
SPAN 335: Contemporary Spanish and Spanish-American Literature, Prof. D. Noemi
SPAN 368: The filming of Latin American Stories, Prof. A. Herrero-Oalizola
SPAN 381: Language, Memory and Space: Cultural Artifacts from cultural Conquest to Manifest Destiny, Prof. A.H. Leiva
SPAN 382: Survey of Latin American Literature II, Prof. K.M. Jenckes
WOMENSTD 253: Women, Gender, and Activism in Latin America, Prof. V.A. Castillo
+ Satisfies the Race and Ethnicity Requirement
X Satisfies the Community Service Learning Requirement
