The Center for Latino & Latin American Studies
Welcome to the homepage of the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies at Central Washington University! Latino and Latin America is an extremely diverse and vital region, whose histories, peoples, and cultures are woven into the fabric of the United States. The peoples of the Americas are united by much more than a hemisphere. We share common histories of colonialism and movements of national independence aimed at shattering the chains of European imperialism. We share common experiences of race relations, as Europeans, Amerindians, Africans, and Asians came to constitute wholly new worlds. We share common bonds of globalization, from the Age of Columbus to the twenty-first century. By studying Latino and Latin America, then, we study ourselves. Join us in an interdisciplinary study of our fellow Americans!
Mission
The Center for Latino and Latin American Studies combines an interdisciplinary academic program with a community partnership initiative to engage CWU and the surrounding community in an intensive study of Latino and Latin American peoples and cultures. Based primarily in the humanities, the academic program fuses the usually separate fields of Latino Studies and Latin American Studies in flexible ways that respect student interests and needs. By emphasizing student support, service learning, and community-based research, the academic program also enhances a community partnership initiative to solidify and expand the relationship between CWU and the surrounding community, especially Washington State’s booming Latino populations. Ultimately, the Center seeks to create a physical and intellectual space within which the University community and community members can find mutual understanding, intellectual stimulation, and personal and professional enrichment.
For more information, contact Dr. Michael A. Ervin, Associate Professor of History and Director, Latino and Latin American Studies, at (509) 963-1244 or ervinm@cwu.edu
