Latino and Latin American Studies

Latino and Latin American Studies Minor

The Latino and Latin American Studies Program (LLAS) is a vibrant interdisciplinary unit devoted to cutting-edge research, teaching, and community engagement. The LLAS minor provides students with broad, interdisciplinary training in the economic, social, political, and cultural realities of Chicano, Latino, and Latin American peoples. The minor will be extremely valuable for those pursuing careers in business, government, social work, law and justice, and teaching that require engagement with Latinx communities in the United States, as well as for those who wish to travel and work in Latin America. Moreover, the Latino and Latin American Studies minor may also serve as preparation for graduate study in multiple academic or professional fields

Why minor in LLAS?

The interdisciplinary Latino & Latin American Studies (LLAS) Minor offers you an opportunity to study with CWU faculty from a variety of academic fields. There are two foundation pillars for this minor. In one, you’ll explore important current topics, such as immigration and the social, political, and economic issues affecting Latinos in the US. In the other, you’ll also learn about the economics, politics, history, sociology, environment, and cultures of the vast Latin American region: Mexico, Central America, The Caribbean, and South America. The intersectionality of cultural and political identity, race, nationality, gender, and the evolving socio-political and economic landscapes of Latinos and Latin Americans are at the core of a wide range of courses offered by this valuable academic program.

Academic Enrichment

The LLAS minor focuses on understanding the lived experiences of Latinos in the US, and the reasons for migrating from Latin America. This minor also provides a window to understand the culture, traditions, values of people from Latin America, as well as the economic, social, and political systems in which they navigate.

In other words, through a rich and diverse interdisciplinary training in the economic, social, political, and cultural realities of these groups, you will be able to integrate your individual interests with specialized areas of concentration of your course work.

Career Enhancement and Work Opportunities

The LLAS minor complements your major academic pursuits and enhances your competitive professional skills in a variety of career fields: business and finance, federal and regional government, social work, law and justice, education, and organizations and corporations that work with Latino and Latin American communities.

Crossing Borders -- Get to know Your Community

The LLAS minor stimulates your personal and academic interests through extracurricular programs sponsored by the El Centro: Art Performances, Film & Speakers Series, and Student & Faculty Panel Discussions. Being part of the LLAS program fosters interaction and opportunities for participation in activities offered by campus student organizations such as MEChA, CAMP, and the Diversity & Equity Center. The program is associated with local and regional organizations that sponsor speakers and cultural events, as well as community outreach centers like Apoyo that establish understanding and cooperation between Central Washington University and the surrounding communities.

Graduate School Preparation

The LLAS minor offers a foundation for graduate study in diverse academic fields: Anthropology, Business, Economics, History, Geography, Law, Political Science, Sociology, Literature, and Spanish, among other fields of expertise.

Opportunities to Go Abroad

The LLAS Minor supports short and long-term academic programs/internships in the State of Washington and Latin America (in coordination with CWU’s Office of International Programs). You’ll discover opportunities to further develop your knowledge and skills in accredited university programs, businesses, and non- profit organizations in the US and in Latin America.

How do I declare the LLAS minor?

You can declare your minor using your MyCWU home page. Follow the instructions in the MyCWU guide page for how to Apply for Admission into a Major.

Requirements for Latino and Latin American Studies minor (25 credits)

(1) Required Courses (10 credits)

• LLAS 102: Introduction to Latino and Latin American Studies: Introduction to the history, peoples, and cultures of Latin America and of the Latino/a population in the United States.
• LLAS 302: Chicana Feminist Voices in the US: Explores the evolution of Chicana feminist thought and cultural production after 1954. The course examines how Chicana cultural production and scholarship is influenced by historical, political, and social-economic factors which define Chicana identity.

(2) Electives (15 credits)

A total of 15 approved elective credits in at least three different disciplines is required (see list below). Courses taken through CWU exchange or study abroad programs in an accredited Latin American university may be applied for minor program credit. Courses that do not appear on the approved list but contain significant Latino or Latin American content may be used for minor program credit, upon approval of the student’s advisor and the LLAS director(s).

(3) Average GPA

A 2.0 average GPA in all program courses is required.

List of Approved Courses for the 15 elective credits

Any of the courses below can be used as electives for the LLAS minor. This list is subject to availability, updates, and ongoing curricular changes. Check with the program director or department chairs for information about when each course will be offered.

Elective courses in LLAS

• LLAS 103 - Survey of Latin American Studies
• LLAS 301 - Urban Society in Latin America
• LLSA 303 - La Lucha Sigue: Latinos in Education
• LLAS 388 - Mexican Cultural Studies
• LLAS 398 - Special Topics
• LLAS 496 - Individual Study

Other approved elective courses

• ANTH 346 - Cultures of Latin America and the Caribbean
• ECON 101 - Economic Issues
• ECON 102 - World Economic Issues
• ECON 201 - Principles of Economics Micro
• ENG 331 - Latina/o Literature
• GEOG 368 - Geography of Middle America
• GEOG 370 - Geography of South America
• HIST 449/549 - Transnational History of Latinxs Peoples in the US
• HIST 321 - Latin America Through Film, Art, and Music
• HIST 328 - Modern Latin America
• HIST 329 - The Tropics and the Modern World
• HIST 385 - Aztec, Inca, Maya: Empire and City in the New World
• HIST 386 - The Latin American Colonies
• HIST 448 - History of Latinxs in the Pacific Northwest
• HIST 448/548 - Latinxs in the Northwest
• HIST 449 - Transnational History of Latinx People in the US
• HIST 460 - Religion in Latin America
• HIST 488 - Mexico in the Modern Era
• POSC 316 - Latinos and the U.S. Political System
• POSC 343 - The Politics of the U.S. Mexico Border
• POSC 361 - Latin American Politics
• SPAN 301 - Introduction to Spanish and Latin American Literature
• SPAN 310 - Hispanic Civilizations and Cultures
• SPAN 347 - Exploring the Land of Magic Realism: A Virtual Voyage Through Colombian History and Culture
• SPAN 414 - Language Variation and Corpus Linguistics
• WLC 311 - Popular Cultures of the World
• WLC 483 - Introduction of Sociolinguistics
• WLC 485 - Sociolinguistics of Language Education