Latin American and Latino Studies

Casa Latina, lower level, Merrill College
(831) 459-4284
http://lals.ucsc.edu

Program Description

The Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Department prepares students for bilingual, bicultural, and multicultural participation in a rapidly changing world. Both Latin America and U.S. Latino and Latina communities are being transformed by globalization; at the same time, deep historical legacies continue to be very present. The Latin American and Latino Studies Department integrates the study of Chicano and Latino/a communities in the U.S. with analysis of the histories, politics, cultures, and societies of Latin America and the Caribbean.

LALS courses deal with changing political, social, economic, and cultural realities, including immigration and transnational communities; gender, racial, sexual, and ethnic identities; social movements; diverse forms of cultural expression; ongoing political and economic restructuring in Latin America; and the challenges of political and economic empowerment for Latino/a communities in the U.S. To understand these processes, we draw from interdisciplinary perspectives that include the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts.

In addition to academic knowledge, LALS also provides opportunities for students to acquire practical, real-world skills. Through program-related internship and field-study experiences, students can acquire useful, pre-professional skills in any of the following key areas: community development/advocacy, public policy, education, journalism, media, performance, and research/writing, among others.

Latin American and Latino studies courses span a number of disciplines and are augmented by courses taught by participating faculty in various departments. The Latin American and Latino Studies Department compiles a quarterly list of course offerings from across campus that count toward the major; this list appears on the department's web site.

Graduates of the LALS major have made careers in a wide variety of fields, including teaching, community organizing, community and government service, journalism and the media, environmental science, global economics, health care, legal services, library science, music, publishing, and research. Many have gone on to pursue advanced degrees in the U.S. or abroad in anthropology, bilingual education, communications, cultural studies, ecology, economics, geography, history, law, literature, media, public health, and sociology-to name a few.

Major Requirements

Three lower-division courses are required for the major:

• Latin American and Latino Studies 1, Introduction to Latin American and Latino Studies

• and two lower-division electives (select from courses listed below):

Latin American and Latino Studies

80A, Peoples and Cultures of the Americas
80B, Social Movements in Latin America
80C, Power and Resistance in the Americas
80D, Political Change in Mexico
80F, Latinos in the U.S.A .: Comparative Perspective
80H, Comparative Latina/o Histories
80N, Drug Wars in the Americas
80Q, Música Latina
80S, Sexualities and Genders in Latin American and Latina/o Studies
80T, Topics in Latin American and Latina/o Studies Cinema
80X, Central American Culture and Society

Community Studies

80A, Chicanos and Social Change

History

34A, Introduction to the History of the Americas: Colonial Period
34B, Introduction to Latin American History: National Period

History of Art and Visual Culture

80M, Indigenous American Visual Culture

Spanish /Latin American/Latino Literature

60, Introduction to Literary Genres

Music

4 A and 4B, Latin American Ensembles (three
      quarters fulfill one lower-division elective)
80F, Music in Latin American Culture: Regional Traditions

Theater

80M, Chicano Teatro

Other courses numbered 1-80 on Latin American and/or Latino/a subjects may be substituted with approval in advance from the Latin American and Latino Studies Department.

Courses with similar content taken at other institutions may be substituted with approval from the Latin American and Latino Studies Department upon declaration of major.

Without exception, Latin American and Latino Studies 1 must be taken at UCSC.

In addition, all majors must complete nine upper-division courses, including core courses, two of which are mandatory (no substitutions):

Latin American and Latino Studies

• 100A, Politics and Society: Concepts and Methods

• 100B, Culture and Society:Culture in a Global
           Context

The remaining seven electives must meet the following criteria:

• three must be within a specific cluster that is related to Latin American/Latino studies from within a single field (e.g., anthropology, Brazilian studies, cultural studies, economics, education, environmental studies, film and digital media, history, history of art and visual culture, literature, politics, psychology, sociology). These may or may not  be Latin American and Latino studies courses.

• at least one must concentrate on pre-twentieth-century topics

• at least one must center on Chicano/a-Latino/a/a issues

• at least two must be taught in Spanish or Portuguese, one by an LALS associated faculty

Language Requirements

All Latin American and Latino Studies majors are expected to learn to speak, read, and write Spanish or Portuguese and to make use of these skills on a regular basis in their academic work.

Majors must take at least two upper-division courses taught in Spanish or Portuguese. Before taking upper-division course work taught in the language, students must demonstrate proficiency in Spanish equivalent to the completion of Spanish 6 or 56, or Spanish for Spanish Speakers 63. Students who wish to pursue Portuguese may take the Portuguese 1A/1B or 60A/60B series. Students who have achieved fluency in Spanish or Portuguese through life experience may be exempt from this recommended preparatory course work. In addition to Latin American and Latino Studies and affiliated department course offerings, the required two upper-division courses taught in Spanish or Portuguese may be fulfilled through study abroad, field study, or internship opportunities with prior approval by Latin American and Latino Studies.  However, only one of the two upper-division courses taught in Spanish or Portuguese may be fulfilled through study abroad or intership.

Field-Study and Internship Opportunities

A variety of field-study and intership opportunities can be arranged through the Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Department. Field studies are independent, community-based study projects for academic credit, done under faculty sponsorship and arranged on an individual basis.  You can do full-time field study for one quarter for full academic credit as well as do field study as an extension of the Educaiton Abroad program (EAP). Projects vary widely, but students who want to develop a field-study proposal are expected to prepare for it by acquiring fluency in the appropriate language, prior cross-cultureal experience, and upper-division course work on the region and/or topic that is to be the focus of the study. Students are encouraged to take the Field Study Seminar (LALS 196) and work with the field-study coordinators. Local field study can be arrnaged in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, and Salinas with agencies and organizations, schools, and newspapers and radio stations that serve Chicano/Latino communities.

While conducting field study for academic credit, students are expected to be concurrently enrolled in an individual-studies course of between 5 and 15 units with a faculty advisor. Upon approval, this course work is applicable toward up to three upper-division course requirements for the LALS major. Petitions to enroll in an individual-studies course can be obtained at the LALS Department office. For more information, contact the field-study coordinators Professor John Borrego (831) 459-4430 (borrego@ucsc.edu) or Breana George (831) 459-2119 (breana@ucsc.edu).

Study Abroad

Students may apply to study at foreign universities through EAP. EAP offers opportunities for students to study at universities in Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico; San José, Costa Rica; Santiago, Chile; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Madrid, Cádiz, Córdoba, Alcalá de Henares, Granada, and Barcelona in Spain. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors with two years of university-level Spanish may apply. In addition, through the EAP Field Research Program (FRP) in Mexico, during fall and spring quarters students take classes in Mexico City and undertake a two-month research project while gaining first-hand experience of life in Mexico. The FRP offers six sites for regional research: Guadalajara, Mérida, Monterrey, Morelia, Oaxaca, and Querétaro. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors may apply. Students may also take an intensive Spanish language program in Morelia, Mexico, during the summer; in Concepción, Chile, during the fall; or in Córdoba, Spain, during the fall or spring. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors may apply. Application deadlines are generally several months to a year in advance of the program, so students should come to the office early to plan their study abroad programs. All credit for EAP classes transfers back to students' UCSC transcripts. Financial aid applies to all but summer programs and includes airfare and living costs. Before departure, students should present a proposed study plan for courses abroad to the department adviser for review. The department will approve courses taken abroad for upper-division credit toward the major which cover topics appropriate to the LALS curriculum. Credit for up to three EAP courses can be applied toward the major.

Senior Comprehensive Requirement

Every major must complete a senior exit requirement in order to graduate. The preparation and completion of this requirement is structured into the senior year. There are five options to choose from:

• good to excellent performance in a Latin American and Latino Studies senior seminar (194 series), including a final research paper.

• an extended research paper, 20-30 pages in length. This paper often builds on related course work and requires approval from the relevant faculty adviser before the end of the winter quarter of the senior year. Students must be enrolled in an independent study to complete this paper;

• a senior thesis is generally between 40-60 pages and is the result of one or two quarters of sustained independent research under the supervision of the faculty adviser while enrolled in an independent study (This can be done by petition to LALS, and with the approval of the faculty adviser.);

• a senior project can be either a creative project or a community-action project. Creative projects include web site design, video, performance, slide show, photo exhibit, or other media work. A short written analysis of the student's experience in conducting the project is required. Community-action projects often involve sustained research and/or activity conducted in a community organization or public interest group, usually stemming from an internship. A short written analysis of the connection between the student's activity and research and the project itself is required while enrolled in an independent study;

• the Student-Directed Seminar option is available to unusually qualified students only. It requires three quarters of preparation directed by a faculty adviser and approval by the Academic Senate Committee on Educational Policy. This option can be taken only by petition to LALS, and with the approval of the faculty adviser. Petition forms are available at the Latin American and Latino Studies office.

Latin American and Latino Studies Major Planners

The following are two recommended academic plans for undertaking basic preparation for the Latin American and Latino studies major. Plan One is a guideline for students who commit to the major early in their academic career. Plan Two is for transfer students.

Combined Majors

The combined major options, requiring fewer courses than a double major, are established with the global economics, literature, politics, and sociology programs.

Latin American and Latino Studies/Global Economics

For the combined major in Latin American and Latino studies/global economics, students complete a total of seven lower-division course requirements for both the Latin American and Latino studies and global economics majors. Students are assigned a faculty adviser from each discipline. Upper-division course requirements include Economics 100A, 100B, and 113; Latin American and Latino Studies 100A and 100B; and five additional elective courses, two from economics and three from Latin American and Latino studies. Two of the upper-division courses must be taught in Spanish (or Portuguese) and two to four (at least one quarter) must be courses of academic work, internship, or field study abroad in a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking country. The comprehensive requirement is met by the completion of a senior thesis on a topic suitable to both global economics and Latin American and Latino studies, supervised by a faculty member from either department and read and approved by the student's advisers from both departments.

Latin American and Latino Studies/Literature

Students complete a total of four lower-division course requirements, two each from the Literature and LALS major. One of the lower-division LALS classes must be LALS 1 (no substitutions); for transfer students, a petition can be made to replace the other lower-division class with an appropriate course from another institution. One of the lower-division classes must be LTSP60; for transfer students, a petition can be made to replace the other lower-division course (relevant LIT80) with an appropriate course from another institutions.

Upper-division requirements include four core courses, LALS 100A, 100B, LTSP102A, and LTSP102B; and six additional elective courses, three from Spanish Literature and three from LALS. At least four of the upper-division courses must be taught in Spanish or Portuguese (with at least one taught by LALS core or participating faculty), and at least one of the Literature courses must address theoretical concerns. Up to three relevant courses taken through study abroad programs from which credits are transferable to UCSC may be credited toward the major when the content is deemed appropriate by both departments. To complete the comprehensive requirement, students can write a senior thesis (by petition), enroll in an appropriate LALS Seminar (194 series), or enroll in an appropriate Literature Senior Seminar in the area of concentration. If the thesis option is selected, it should be planned in consultation with an adviser from each department, completed under the supervision of a faculty member from either department, and read and approved by both advisers; one adviser is sufficient if this faculty member belongs to both departments. Both departments must approve a study plan before the major can be declared.

Latin American and Latino Studies/Politics

For the combined major in Latin American and Latino studies/politics, students complete three lower-division course requirements. One of the lower-division courses must be Latin American and Latino Studies 1 (no substitutions). For transfer students, a petition may be made to substitute the other lower-division courses (one Latin American and Latino studies elective, one course from Politics 1-79) with appropriate course work from another institution. The 10 upper-division courses include three core course requirements (Latin American and Latino Studies 100A and 100B, Politics 100 and 140C), three courses from any Politics Department sequences (comparative, American, international, and theory), and four upper-division electives. To complete the senior comprehensive requirement, students may take either a Politics (190) or Latin American and Latino Studies (194) senior seminar.

Latin American and Latino Studies/Sociology

Students are required to take a total of 14 courses and satisfy a comprehensive requirement. There are four lower-division course requirements, two each from the sociology and Latin American and Latino studies majors. One of the lower-division LALS classes must be Latin American and Latino Studies 1 (no substitutions); transfer students may petition to replace the other lower-division class with an appropriate course from another institution. Upper-division requirements include six core courses: Latin American and Latino Studies 100A, 100B; Sociology 103A, 103B, 105A, and 105B; and four additional elective courses, two from Sociology and two from Latin American and Latino Studies. At least one of the Latin American and Latino Studies upper-division courses must be taught in Spanish or Portuguese, and at least one course in the sociology/Latin American and Latino studies combined major must be on Latino/a issues. Up to three relevant courses taken through study abroad programs from which credits are transferable to UCSC may be credited toward the major when the content is deemed appropriate by the faculty advisers of both sociology and Latin American and Latino studies. Students can satisfy the comprehensive requirement in one of three ways: (1) writing a senior thesis, (2) passing an appropriate Latin American and Latino Studies Senior Seminar (194 series), or (3) completing the sociology course option of two additional sociology upper-division cluster III courses. If the thesis option is selected, it should be planned in consultation with an adviser from each department, completed under the supervision of a faculty member from either department, and read and approved by both advisers; one adviser is sufficient if this faculty member belongs to both departments.

Minor Requirements

The minor in Latin American and Latino studies consists of seven courses, including two lower-division courses (Latin American and Latino Studies 1 and one other lower division course) and five upper-division courses (including either Latin American and Latino Studies 100A or 100B and any other four upper-division courses that count towards the major). Knowledge of Spanish and/or Portuguese is highly recommended, but not required for the minor.

Graduate Studies

The Department of Latin American and Latino Studies offers a parenthetical notation in Latin American and Latino studies for Ph.D. students in anthropology, history, history of consciousness, literature, psychology, politics, sociology, and environmental studies. This concentration in Latin American and Latino studies provides graduate students with opportunities for interdisciplinary study with faculty from across the campus. Completion of the program will be listed on the graduate degree as a parenthetical notation. The request must originate in the degree-granting department. Students in other departments wishing to pursue a parenthetical notation in Latin American and Latino studies should consult with the chairs of their respective Ph.D. programs and of Latin American and Latino Studies. A list, updated annually, of regularly offered approved graduate courses is available in the Latin American and Latino Studies Department office and web site at http://lals.ucsc.edu. Graduate students are encouraged to complete the application to the parenthetical notation, available at the Latin American and Latino Studies Department, no later than their third year.

Requirements for the Notation

Committee Composition. The student must have a designated graduate adviser from among the Latin American and Latino studies core, participating, or affiliated faculty. This adviser will be in addition to the graduate adviser from the student's home department. The Latin American and Latino studies adviser must serve on the student's qualifying examination committee and/or on the student's dissertation committee.

Writing. The student must prepare a significant piece of writing in the area of Latin American and Latino studies. This writing may take the form of a substantial seminar paper, master's essay, or doctoral dissertation chapter.

Course requirements. The student must take five graduate courses in Latin American and Latino studies, including the required LALS 200 and LALS 297. The remainder can be selected from appropriate graduate offerings of any UCSC department, as long as they are taught by core, participating, or affiliated Latin American and Latino studies faculty.

Teaching. The student must serve as a teaching assistant in at least one Latin American and Latino studies course or teach a Latin American and Latino studies course independently in the regular curriculum or in Summer Session.

Courses. Graduate course work in Latin American and Latino studies is available both in the Latin American and Latino Studies Department and in other UCSC departments. Graduate courses to date in the Latin American and Latino Studies Department include

• 200, Bridging Latin American and Latino Studies

• 210, Latina Feminisms: Theory and Practice

• 212, Latina/o Ethnographic Practice

• 215, Latina Cultural Studies; Transborder Feminist Imaginaries

• 240, Feminism and the Culture and Politics of Human Rights

• 242, Globalization, Transnationalism, and Gender in the Americas

• 297, Independent Studies

• 299, Thesis Research