Latinas/os (or Latinxs) are now the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. Combined, they have been credited with swaying marketing trends, popular culture, and local and national elections. Yet, most professions are scrambling to find individuals with the cultural competencies to respectfully engage and understand Latinx communities. This class offers such skills and information for students interested in careers in health, education, law, media, business, and politics. It offers an interdisciplinary and practical approach to the study of Mexican-American (Chicana/o or Chicanx), Puerto Rican, Cuban-American, Dominican-American, Central American-American, and other U.S. Latin American communities in the United States. Students understand not only the interconnections among these diverse communities, but also the differences that sometimes divide them.

Course Requirements:

Class participation, two exams, a short midterm paper, and a longer final research paper

Intended Audience:

This class is geared toward undergraduate students who are interested in diversity, race and ethnic studies, histories of inequalities, migration, social justice, Latinas/os, and the nation's changing demographics.

Class Format:

Two weekly required lectures and a required weekly discussion section