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AIS: Latino/a and Latin American Studies


Convener: Faculty:
Iraida H. López Roark Atkinson
Marta Bautis (CA)
Carol Bowman (SSHS)
Erick Castellanos
Paula Straile-Costa
Niza Fabre
Henry Frundt (SSHS)
Renata Gangemi (CA)
Monika Giacoppe
Mitchell Kahn
Patricia Keeton* (CA)
Edna Negron (CA)
Rebecca Root
Samuel Rosenberg (SSHS)
Natalia Santamaria-Laorden
Marta Vides Saade (SSHS)
(*disclaimer below)


About the Minor

Latino/a and Latin American Studies is an exciting interdisciplinary minor.  Traditional disciplines (such as history, sociology, literature, and language) are organized into a program of study so that the student may develop familiarity with history, politics and social issues in Latin America as well as a knowledge of the complexity of Latino/a cultures and studies in the United States. Students who complete this minor should be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of U.S.-Latin American relations and sensitivity to the global, diverse nature of cultural issues in Latin America and those surrounding the Latino/a community in the U.S.

Latin America consists of many countries from the Rio Grande to the South Pole.  Each of these countries possesses varied and dynamic cultures.  For example, the best of the modern age can be found in the huge metropolitan centers of Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Mexico City.  The best of the ancient civilizations still survive, for instance, in the Maya of Mexico and Central America and the Inca and Tupi-Guarani of South America.  The United States is home to often several generations of people of Latino heritage whose ancestors either precede the founding of the nation or who migrated and settled there bringing with them their cultural richness and creating new cultural expressions in the new land.

The minor is offered by a faculty with varied backgrounds.  Classes are offered on a regular basis in sociology, history, Spanish language and literature.  In addition, there are courses offered in art, music, media and migration, to name a few.

A program of Latin American Studies is highly recommended in combination with such majors as International Business, International Studies, Social Work, Communications, or Spanish.  In fact, as Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the U.s., spoken by approximately 45 million people, 15% of the total population, the college graduate will undoubtedly encounter people of Latino or Latin American origin in any area in which he/she works (according to 2006 census figures).

Requirements of the Minor


Subject & Course # Title & Course Description

Required Courses:

HIST 284 LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE AND CIV OR
SPAN 307 LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY (taught in Spanish)
  (These courses cannot be double counted for electives)
 
Spanish Language Proficiency
One course at intermediate II or higher level
*or exemption through proficiency exam at the intermediate level
 
Courses in Spanish that may fulfill language requirement include:
SPAN 202 INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II
SPAN 301 THE ART OF CONVERSATION IN SPANISH
SPAN 320 SYNTAX AND SUBSTANCE: SPANISH GRAMMAR
SPAN 401 THE ART OF WRITING AND FORMAL RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
SELECT THREE courses approved for the Latin American Studies Minor (at least one at the 300-level)
Examples of courses fulfilling these levels:
CNTP 348 LATINO IMAGES AND HOLLYWOOD
CNTP 363 MEDIA AND CULTURE IN LATIN AMERICA
HIST 282 COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA
HIST 284 LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION
HIST 286 US/LATIN-AMERICAN RELATIONS
HIST 387 HUMAN RIGHTS IN LATIN AMERICA
HIST 390 EMPIRES AND INDEPENDENCE IN THE AMERICAS
INTL 255 THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF NORTH AMERICA
INTL 283 CONTEMPORARY LATIN AMERICA
LITR 276 (was 255) INTRODUCTION TO THE LITERATURE OF THE AMERICAS
LITR 275 (was 268) SURVEY OF LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE
LITR 376 (was 330) BRAZILIAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE
LITR 338 (was 341) LATINO LITERATURE OF U.S.A.
SPAN 303 THE ART OF READING IN SPANISH (taught in Spanish)
SPAN 307 LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE AND SOCIETY (taught in Spanish)
SPAN 311 LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE AND FILM (taught in Spanish)
SPAN 313 HISPANIC CULTURE THROUGH ARTISTS (taught in Spanish)
SPAN 315 HISPANIC WOMENS VOICES AND IMAGES (taught in Spanish)
SPAN 390 TOPICS: HISPANIC LITERATURE AND FILM (taught in Spanish)
SPAN 410 LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE SINCE 1900 (taught in Spanish)
SPAN 415 HISPANIC CARIBBEAN WRITERS AND POP CULTURE (taught in Spanish)
SPAN 404 EARLY TRANSATLANTIC ENCOUNTERS (taught in Spanish)
 
*Note:  If language proficiency is demonstrated by exam, one additional course is required

Note:  A school core in NOT required for completion of the minor.  Minors are open to students regardless of school affiliation.


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