Latin American and Latino Studies

32 Merrill College
(831) 459-4284
http://lals.ucsc.edu

Program Description

The Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Department prepares students for bilingual, 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/a 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. A sample list appears at the end of the course descriptions. The Latin American and Latino Studies Department compiles a quarterly list of these courses offered by other departments that are pre-approved and count toward the major; this list appears on the department’s web site under “courses” and is frequently updated.

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

Although not required for the major, we recommend that students begin the major by taking LALS 1, Introduction to Latin American and Latino Studies, in their first year. Three lower-division courses are required for the major:Latin American and Latino Studies 10, Bridging Latin American and Latina/o Studies (recommended to transfer students who have already taken a Latin American studies or Latino studies course elsewhere). Ideally students (frosh and transfer) should take LALS 1 and LALS 10 (in this order) but LALS 10 is required to declare the major.

An additional two lower-division electives (select from courses listed below):

Latin American and Latino Studies

1         Introduction to 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 Perspectives
80H    Comparative Latina/o Histories
80I     Gender Global Cinema
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

American Studies

80E    Introduction to U.S.Racial and Ethnic Histories and Formations: Chicano/Latino American

Anthropology

80G    Barrio Popular Culture
80I     Culture and Power in Latin America
80G    Barrio Popular Culture

Community Studies

80A    Chicanos and Social Change

Environmental Studies

80A    The Future of Rain Forests

History

11A    Latin America: Colonial Period
11B    Latin America: National Period
80N    Women at Work

History of Art and Visual Culture

80M   Indigenous American Visual Culture

Spanish /Latin American/Latino Literature

60       Introduction to Literary Genres
80N    Latino expressions in the U.S.

Music

4A and     Latin American Ensembles (three quarters fulfill
4B      one lower-division elective)
11D    Introduction to World Music
80F     Music in Latin American Culture: Regional Traditions

Philosophy

80E    Latin American Philosophy

Sociology

15       World Society

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.

Latin American and Latino Studies 10 must be taken at UCSC.

In addition, all majors must complete nine upper-division courses, including two required core courses, (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:

• A cluster of three courses must be taken in one of the following areas of concentrations: African diasporas in the Americas; Chicano/a studies; cinema; gender studies; history; indigeneity; migration/immigration; politics/political economy/policy; popular culture and cultural studies; race and ethnicity; literature; and social movements. Courses may be taken in any department, as long as they fit into the cluster and appear on the LALS list of course offerings.
• At least one must concentrate on pre-WWII topics
• At least one must center on Chicano/a-Latino/a issues
• At least two must be taught in Spanish or Portuguese***

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 upper-division 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 after demonstration of their proficiency. 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 with prior approval by Latin American and Latino Studies. Students may also pursue internship or field study opportunities to satisfy one of the two required upper-division courses taught in Spanish or Portuguese; however, at least one of the two courses must be fulfilled in a classroom setting.

***Upper-Division courses in Portuguese are currently not taught at UCSC and must be taken elsewhere.

Field-Study and Internship Opportunities

All majors are strongly encouraged to undertake either a field study in Latin America, the Caribbean, a Latino/a community in the U.S., or formal academic study abroad through the Education Abroad Program (EAP). These paths are the best ways to improve language skills, explore the nature and direction of specific academic and career interests in relation to Latin American and Latino studies, and deepen cross-cultural understanding and relationships based upon personal experience.

Field studies are independent, community-based study projects for academic, credit, done under faculty sponsorship and arranged on an individual basis. Local opportunities for internships and field study in Latino/a communities on California’s Central Coast are numerous. Credit for up to three upper-division courses may be applied toward the major from field study; however, course credit from field study and study abroad combined may not exceed three upper-division courses. Students should check the Latin American and Latino Studies Department web site for further information regarding the field-study process and course credit. A listing of local field-study programs and petition forms are available at the Latin American and Latino Studies Department office, 32 Merrill.

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement

Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. The DC requirement will normally be met within one to three courses already required for the major. For detailed information on this major’s DC requirement, consult your major adviser or see the 2010-11 general catalog.

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 and Concepción, Chile; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Madrid, Córdoba, Alcalá, Granada, and Barcelona in Spain. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors with two years of university-level Spanish may apply. In addition, during fall and spring quarters, the EAP Field Research Program (FRP) in Mexico is an experiential program geared toward juniors and seniors who want to explore the “real” Mexico outside the classroom and at the same time receive research training. EAP has research sites in states such as Jalisco, Yucatán, Oaxaca, or Michoacán (final site choice depends on the research topic). 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. The department will approve courses taken abroad which cover topics appropriate to the LALS curriculum for upper-division credit toward the major. 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. Credit for up to three EAP courses can be applied toward the major. (A maximum of three courses of Field Study and EAP combined can be applied toward the major requirements.)

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:

• Enrollment in a Latin American and Latino Studies senior seminar (194 series), with good to excellent performance, including the submission of the required 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 tutorial to complete this paper;
• A senior thesis, generally between 40–60 pages, based on two or more quarters of sustained independent research under the supervision of the faculty adviser while enrolled in an independent study (done by petition to LALS, and with the approval of the faculty adviser). If the thesis option is selected by a combined major, 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 is affiliated with both departments;
• A senior project, which 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 10 page description and analysis of the project 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 prior to teaching the course. Class limited to 15 students. This option can be taken only by petition to LALS and with the approval of the faculty adviser.

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

Students are required to take a total of 18 courses and to satisfy a senior comprehensive requirement. For the combined major in Latin American and Latino studies/global economics, students complete a total of eight 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; LALS 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 study abroad, internship, or field study 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.

***Upper-Division courses in Portuguese are currently not taught at UCSC and must be taken elsewhere.

Latin American and Latino Studies/Literature

Students are required to take a total of 13 courses and to satisfy a senior comprehensive requirement. Students complete a total of three lower-division course requirements. One of the lower-division LALS classes must be LALS 10 (no substitutions); one of the lower-division classes must be Spanish Literature 60; and one is an elective from the LALS 80 series or a Literature 80 series course in a relevant area of study. For transfer students, a petition can be made to replace the other lower-division elective course with an appropriate course from another institution.

Upper-division requirements include four core courses, LALS 100A, 100B, Spanish Literature 102A, and Spanish Literature 102B; 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.

***Upper-Division courses in Portuguese are currently not taught at UCSC and must be taken elsewhere.

Latin American and Latino Studies/Politics

Students are required to take a total of 13 courses and to satisfy a senior comprehensive requirement. 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 LALS 10 (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 (LALS 100A and 100B, and Politics 100 and 140C), three courses from any Politics Department sequences (comparative, American, international, and theory), and four upper-division electives. 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 politics/Latin American and Latino studies combined major must be on Chicano/a-Latino/a issues. To complete the senior comprehensive requirement, students may take either a Politics (190) or LALS (194) senior seminar.

***Upper-Division courses in Portuguese are currently not taught at UCSC and must be taken elsewhere.

Latin American and Latino Studies/Sociology

Students are required to take a total of 14 courses and to satisfy a senior 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 courses must be LALS 10 (no substitutions); transfer students may petition to replace the other lower-division course with an appropriate course from another institution. Upper-division requirements include six core courses: LALS 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 Chicano/a-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 LALS 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.

***Upper-Division courses in Portuguese are currently not taught at UCSC and must be taken elsewhere.

Honors in the Major

The LALS faculty considers awarding honors in the major based on overall student academic performance in courses that count towards the major. To be considered for honors, narrative evaluations must indicate either consistently excellent performance or a pattern of increasingly improved performance, which reaches and maintains consistent excellence during the last several quarters.  For combined majors, student work must be judged honors-level in both departments; the LALS faculty cannot award honors in the major unless the other department also confers honors. To receive the strongest consideration for honors in the major the following GPA criteria must be met: highest honors, 4.0; honors, 3.7. Students with a 3.5 – 3.7 GPA in the major go under review, and a decision is made based on their evaluations, grade on core courses, and improvement over time.

LALS also awards honors for the thesis, creative or community action projects, or student taught seminars, by the recommendation of the faculty adviser.  Note that a thesis, a creative/community project, or a student-taught seminar are the only senior exit requirement options that qualify for this distinct honors designation.  Expanded papers and senior seminars do not qualify for a separate honors designation, but students who choose these options may still qualify for honors in the major.

Minor Requirements

The minor in Latin American and Latino studies consists of seven courses, including two lower-division courses (LALS 1 or LALS 10 and one other lower-division course) and five upper-division courses (including either LALS 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, education, environmental studies, history, history of consciousness, literature, psychology, politics, and sociology. 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
220     Transnational Civil Society: Limits and Possibilities
240     The Culture and Politics of Human Rights
242     Globalization, Transnationalism, and Gender in the Americas
270     Race and Nation in the Americas
297     Independent Studies
299     Thesis Research

Additional Upper-Division Courses of Interest

Anthropology

138B  Brazil
130F   African Diasporas in the Americas
130L  Latin American Ethnography
130M Inside Mexico
130Q  Mejicanos in Anthropological Discourse

Community Studies

126     African American and Latino Communities: Histories
152     Gender and Sexuality in Latin America

Economics

148     Latin American Economies

Education

128     Immigrants and Education
141     Bilingualism and Schooling
181     Race, Class, and Culture in Education

Environmental Studies

143     Sustainable Development: Economy, Policy, and the Environment

Feminist Studies

115     Gender, Sexuality, and Transnational Migration Across the Americas
120     Transnational Feminisms
194F   Chicana/Latina Cultural Productions

History

125     California History
126     History of the Southwest: Colonial Period to 1920
128     Chicano/a History
130     History of Modern Cuba
131     Women in Colonial Latin American History
132     History of the Caribbean: Colonial Period
133     Inter-American Relations
134B  History of Mexico, 1850 to Present
190     Seminar in Race and Nation in Latin America
190A  Slavery and Race in Latin America
190C  American Race, Class, and Gender History
190T  Latin America in the Cold War
194     California History

History of Art and Visual Culture

110A  Topics in Pre-Hispanic Visual Culture: Mexico
110B  Topics in Pre-Hispanic Visual Culture: The Andes
150A  Advanced Studies in Pre-Hispanic Visual Culture: The Maya
151A  The Native in Colonial Spanish America
182     Chicano/Chicana Art: 1970-Present
190B  The Virgin of Guadalupe: Images and Symbolism in Spain, Mexico, and the U.S.

English-Language Literatures

150B  Chicano Literature

Modern Literary Studies

125D  Cinema and Social Change
125L  Films on the Border
180B  New Latin American Novel

Spanish/Latin American/Latino Literature

102A  From the Conquest to Sor Juana
117    The Spanish Speaking Caribbean
130D  Latin American Testimonio
130E  Latin American Poetry
131A  National Literatures of Latin America: Zapata to Zapatista: Literature, History, and Politics in Mexico
131H  National Literatures of Latin America: Cuba
134C  Fiction and Marginality
134G  Popular Culture in Latin American Narrative
134J   Mexico Through the Movies
134L  A Historia de la lectura y los lectores: Recepcíon y consume cultural en el mundo Latino Americano
134M Afro-Latin American Literatures
135A  Mexico Through the Movies: El otro cine y el cine del otro
135F   Cine y Literatura

Politics

140C  Latin American Politics
190V  Problems in Latin American Politics

Psychology

157A  Chicana Feminism (Also offered as Feminist Studies 151A)
157B  Advanced Topics in Chicana Feminism (Also offered as Feminist Studies 151B)

Sociology

122C  Chicanos/as and the Law
156     Latina/o Identity
165T   World Systems Perspective
177A  Latinos/as and the American Global City

Spanish

156A  Topics in Hispanic Language and Culture: Hispanic Culture Through Film
156F   Topics in Hispanic Language and Culture: El Humor en Español

Spanish for Spanish Speakers

125    Mexico and the Southwest

The above is a partial list of upper-division courses taught by Latin American and Latino Studies participating and affiliated faculty based in other departments. A complete list of interdisciplinary course offerings approved for the Latin American and Latino Studies major and minor is published prior to each academic quarter on the department web site: http://lals.ucsc.edu.