Latina/Latino Studies

College of Ethnic Studies

Dean: Dr. Amy Sueyoshi

Department of Latina/Latino Studies

Ethnic Studies and Psychology Building, Room 103
Phone: (415) 338-6160
Email: latinos@sfsu.edu
Chair: Dr. Katynka Z. Martínez 

Program Scope

Latina/Latino Studies is a unique liberal arts B.A. degree program with an emphasis on equity, social justice, and community empowerment. The program offers an opportunity to study within a multidisciplinary framework of knowledge to develop critical thinking skills, analytical writing skills, and an area of expertise centered on Latinas/Latinos/Latinx in California and the United States. The program is designed to develop the knowledge, skills, and consciousness that empower students to function as effective leaders. The major prepares students for graduate and professional schools, for a wide range of public and private sector employment, and a lifetime of community commitment and involvement.

The Latina/Latino Studies curriculum is critical, analytical, holistic, and cutting-edge. Students choose an integrated series of required and elective courses, as well as General Education classes, focused on Latinas/Latinos/Latinx in the United States. Theoretical frameworks address race, class, sexuality, and gender inequities historically and in the present time in an analysis of multiple marginalities, community resistance, and empowerment.

The Latina/Latino Studies curriculum favors a pan-ethnic and comparative approach grounded in the U.S. but sometimes following a trajectory to Latin American countries of origin and the indigenous cultures and histories connected to Latina/Latino diasporic communities. The institutional experiences, social and national identities, cultural expressions, and resistance movements of Chicana/o/x, Mexican, Caribbean, Central American, and South American communities in the U.S. are centrally addressed. The program focuses on gender, transnational identities, global economies, social movements, and literatures of resistance.

The Latina/Latino Studies curriculum is grounded in our local communities. Our program is committed to community service, civic engagement, social justice, and equity. We recognize the importance of critical, socially responsible scholarship and link our classrooms to local communities and their empowerment through our own Community Service Learning Program.

Community Service Learning Internships and International Study Tour

Supervised local community service learning (CSL) internships offer unique learning opportunities for students that enrich and expand their academic experience. Students are required to complete at least thirty-five hours of service as part of the major requirements. Local community service learning internships are available every semester. Students choose internships from a wide variety of community-based organizations, government agencies, research and policy organizations, and schools.

The internships are designed to enrich the academic experience and to prepare students for future careers as well as to establish empowering mutually beneficial contacts within the Latina/Latino/Latinx communities of the greater Bay Area. It is a goal of the CSL program to instill in our students a life-long commitment to community service and civic engagement. Students may enroll in a 3 unit online course, LTNS 694, to complete additional assignments related to their community service learning internship.

Clínica Martín Baró

Clínica Martín Baró is a community clinic providing health and medical services in San Francisco’s Mission District. The Clínica was established by faculty, students, and licensed medical personnel from Latina/Latino Studies at San Francisco State University and from the Medical School at the University of California, San Francisco. Clínica Martín Baró offers service-learning internships to students considering careers in the health and medical fields. Students must first pass or concurrently enroll in LTNS 210.

The Mexico Study Tour

The Mexico Study Tour travels in late May and early June, leaving the Monday following graduation. The intensive 12-day trip to Mexico City and Morelos is faculty-supervised. Students meet with activists from community-based organizations and schools to learn about grassroots political and social change. Students planning to travel to Mexico must first complete LTNS 670, covering Mexican history and politics and Mexico’s unique relationship to the United States. This course is offered every spring semester.

Combined BA/MA Program (SF State Scholars)

The San Francisco State Scholars program is designed for students who know early in their undergraduate career that they want to get a Master of Arts degree. Students apply for this program during their sophomore or junior year so they can begin an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree. Students in the SF State Scholars program pursue a bachelor’s degree in Latina/Latino Studies and master’s degree in Ethnic Studies simultaneously. This program allows students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year, reducing the number of semesters required for completion of a master’s degree. Through this program, students can pay undergraduate fees while taking courses for their MA degree. For more information, visit: https://grad.sfsu.edu/content/scholars-4-1-program

General Education/American Institutions

General Education Lower-Division Social Sciences U.S. and California Government (Area D3), U.S. History (Area D2), and American Institutions courses offered by the department (must earn a grade of C- or better to satisfy the requirement):

LTNS 276Latina/o, U.S. Government, and Constitutional Ideals3
American Institutions: U.S. Government and CA State & Local Government
GE D3: Social Sciences: U.S. and California Govt.
LTNS 278History of Latinos in the U.S.3
American Institutions: U.S. History
GE D2: Social Sciences: U.S. History

Professor

TERESA CARRILLO (1993), Professor of Latina/Latino Studies; B.A.S. (1981), The Colorado College; M.A. (1984), Ph.D. (1991), Stanford University.

CARLOS B. CORDOVA (1974), Professor of Latina/Latino Studies; B.A. (1974), M.A. (1979) San Francisco State University; Ed.D. (1986), University of San Francisco.

JEFFREY DUNCAN-ANDRADE (2004), Professor of Latina/Latino Studies, Professor of Race and Resistance Studies; B.A. (1992), M.A. (1997), Ph.D. (2002), University of California, Berkeley.

KATYNKA MARTINEZ (2007), Professor of Latina/Latino Studies; B.A. (1995), University of California at Santa Cruz; Ph.D. (2003), University of California at San Diego.

G. ALEJANDRO MURGUIA (1991), Professor of Latina/Latino Studies; B.A. (1990), M.F.A. (1992), San Francisco State University.

Associate Professor

BELINDA I. REYES (2006), Associate Professor of Latina/Latino Studies; B.S. (1988), University of Illinois; Ph.D. (1994), University of California, Berkeley.

Assistant Professor

BÁRBARA I. ABADÍA-REXACH (2020), Assistant Professor of Latina/Latino Studies; B.A. (2001), M.A. (2006), University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras; Ph.D. (2015), University of Texas at Austin.

MICHAEL DE ANDA MUÑIZ (2020), Assistant Professor of Latina/Latino Studies; B.A. (2011), DePaul University; M.A. (2013), Ph.D. (2020), University of Illinois at Chicago.

YESSICA GARCIA HERNANDEZ (2020), Assistant Professor of Latina/Latino Studies; B.A. (2012), University of California, Riverside; M.A. (2014), California State University, Los Angeles; Ph.D. (2019), University of California, San Diego.

MELISSA GUZMAN-GARCIA (2016), Assistant Professor of Latina/Latino Studies; B.A. (2007), Grand Valley State University; Ph.D. (2014), University of California, Santa Barbara.

Lecturer

BRIGITTE I. DAVILA (1994), Lecturer in Latina/Latino Studies; B.A. (1981), J.D. (1988), University of California, Berkeley.

Major

Minor

Explanation of Course Descriptions, Symbols, and Terms

LTNS 110 Critical Thinking in Latina/o Studies (Units: 3)

Developing basic skills involved in understanding, criticizing, and constructing arguments by using materials reflective of the experience of Raza and the Third World culture in the U.S.

Course Attributes:

  • A3: Critical Thinking
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

LTNS 210 Latina/Latino Health Care Perspectives (Units: 3)

Diseases and health conditions that are prevalent in underserved populations. The socio-economic, political, racial, cultural, and environmental factors that influence health conditions in Latina/Latino communities in the U.S. [CSL may be available]

Course Attributes:

  • B2: Life Science
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 211 Latina/o Families Narrative (Units: 3)

The psychological structure of the family; psychodynamics of family relationships in light of particular subcultural influences characteristic of La Raza ethnic background. Sex-role delineations.

Course Attributes:

  • D1: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 215 Introduction to Latina/o Studies (Units: 3)

Philosophy, methodology, and structure of Latina/Latino Studies. Interdisciplinary course. [CSL may be available]

LTNS 222 Latina/o Art History (Units: 3)

Conceptual and technical aspects of the visual arts movements in Latin America from 1900 to present and its developmental relationship to values, cultural identity, and artistic expression of Raza communities in the U.S. [CSL may be available] [Formerly LTNS 320]

Course Attributes:

  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives

LTNS 225 Survey of Latina/o Visual Images (Units: 3)

Survey of Latina/o images in television, film, advertising, magazines, murals, and online media. Analysis of how visual culture reproduces ideology and/or challenges power structures. [CSL may be available]

Course Attributes:

  • C1: Arts
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

LTNS 230 Introduction to Latina/o Literature (Units: 3)

Background in Chicano/Latino literature. Readings from all the major Latino groups with an emphasis on culture, politics, and gender as seen through fiction.

Course Attributes:

  • E1 LLD Pre-Fall 2019
  • C2: Humanities
  • C3 or C2: Humanities/Lit.
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 265 Topics in Latina/o History (Units: 3)

Introduction to the history of Latinos/as in the U.S. Analysis of the social, political, and economic conditions that give rise to multiple migrations. [CSL may be available]

Course Attributes:

  • D1: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

LTNS 270 Latina/o/x Murals, Memes, Music, and More: Latina/o/x Arts & Humanities (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: GE Area A2.

U.S. Latina/o/x cultural experiences documented through music, visual culture, and oral history. Focus on the historical, social, political, and economic forces that inform the activist orientation of Latina/o/x music, public art, visual culture, and the humanities.

Course Attributes:

  • E: Lifelong Learning Develop
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

LTNS 276 Latina/o, U.S. Government, and Constitutional Ideals (Units: 3)

Basic governmental and political institutions and underlying socio-political ideals. Raza impact on legal-constitutional America and countervailing impact of political-legal structures imposed on Raza. [CSL may be available]

Course Attributes:

  • U.S. Govt CA State Local Govt
  • D3: Social Sciences: US CA Gov
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities

LTNS 278 History of Latinos in the U.S. (Units: 3)

Examination of the social-cultural, economic, and political foundations of Latino History from the Spanish colonial period to the present including racialization and mestizaje.
(This course is offered as LTNS 278 and HIST 278. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • U.S. History
  • D2: Social Sciences: US Hist.
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

LTNS 286 Policy Making and Latinos (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of U.S. Government requirement (LTNS 276 or equivalent) or consent of the instructor.

Analysis of the policymaking process, the goals of policy, and the ways to influence policy. Examination of Latino political muscle, the barriers to representation, and critical issues confronting the Latino population in the United States. [Formerly LTNS 525]

LTNS 301 Latin American and Latino/a/x Art, 1492 to the Present (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to Art and Art History majors and minors with sophomore standing or above or LTNS 222* or permission of the instructor.

Survey of Latin American and Latino/a/x artistic practices and architecture from 1492 to the present. Focus on cross-cultural exchange with East and South East Asia, Europe, and West Africa. Emphasis on the impact of socio-political contexts on the production of art and architecture.
(This course is offered as ARTH 301 and LTNS 301. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

LTNS 305 Latina/o Studies Creative Writing Workshop (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Instruction and practice in all forms of writing with an emphasis on bilingual creations. Taught bilingually (Spanish/English).

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives

LTNS 315 Latina/os in California (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Overview of the Latina/Latino experience in California from the Mexican-American War to contemporary times. [CSL may be available]

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

LTNS 340 Latinx Youth Subcultures (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.

Interdisciplinary analysis of Latinx Youth Cultures in the United States. Discussion of how subcultures provide working-class youth one kind of strategy for negotiating their concrete collective existence.

LTNS 355 Black Indians in the Americas (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or permission of the instructor.

Examines factors impacting on multiracial identity formation among Native communities throughout the Americas with a specific focus on Black Indians. Explores concepts and theories regarding blood quantum, sovereignty, and land rights, and the social, legal, and political understanding of mixed-race Native Americans.
(This course is offered as AIS 350, AFRS 350, and LTNS 355. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities

LTNS 380 Afro/Latina/o Diasporas (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Examination of the history and experiences of Afro/Latina/o diasporic communities in the U.S. and history of African peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives

LTNS 385 Afro-Latina Experiences (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Examination of Afro-Latina scholarship, experiences, knowledge, and narratives within the always-evolving racial discourse in the U.S. Through the exploration of scholarship, literary texts, and cultural productions of these women, concepts such as blackness and Latinidad, mestizaje, ethnicity, culture, and nationality will be discussed. Focus on Afro-Latinas' involvement in U.S. academia, identity formation processes, Afro-feminist movements, and artistic and cultural expressions as a means of resistance and survival.

LTNS 400 Latina Girlhood (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Latina Girlhood. Latina Girlhood is a complex stage that negotiates interpersonal, historical, cultural, and institutional domains of power. Includes a community-based project with the Rebel Quinceañera Collective.

LTNS 409 Latina/o/x Cinema (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.

Examination of Latino/a/x history using Latino/a/x-themed and produced film. The power of stereotypes, global dissemination of film, and examples of the ways in which Latin American and U.S. Latina/o/x filmmakers respond to stereotypes by creating cinematic counter-discourses.
(This course is offered as LTNS 409 and CINE 309. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 410 Seminar on Gender and Latinas/os (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Political, social, economic, and cultural influences affecting the Raza woman in the U.S. and Latin America. [CSL may be available]

LTNS 415 Economic Progress of Latinos in the U.S. (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Critical analysis of the changing political and economic condition of Latinas/os. The ways in which historical changes in land tenure, barrioization, and the racialization of labor impact the current political economy of a diverse community. [CSL may be available]

LTNS 425 Popular and Traditional Music of the Latinx U.S. (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Survey of Latina/o music in the United States from 1850 until the current day in a chronological and categorical manner. Exploration and understanding of the main Latina/o/x/Caribbean music genres that were a base for Latinx music-making and its narrative in the US, including Mexican regional, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and music of Central America. Students examine the culture, politics, and other social phenomena associated with specific Latinx music styles and time periods. [CSL may be available]

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives

LTNS 430 Race, Crime, and Justice (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.

Ethnic studies methods and cross-cultural perspectives examine the rise of institutions of law enforcement, juvenile and criminal justice, case studies, life histories, and community service learning internships. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as LTNS 430 and C J 435. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Social Justice

LTNS 435 Oral History Methods: Theory and Practice (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Introduction to the theories, practices, and ethics involved in oral history production as a historical research method with a focus on the Latina/o experience in the U.S. [CSL may be available]

LTNS 440 Caribbean Cultures and Spirituality (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Cultural and religious traditions of Caribbean peoples. Historical analysis of indigenous, European, and African influences in Caribbean cultural expressions from Cuba to Brazil. Contemporary cultures, inter-ethnic relations, spirituality, religious systems, and artistic expressions.

LTNS 445 Gendered Borders: Latinas and Globalization (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Gender and globalization: moving society toward borderless economies with barricaded borders. Latinas struggle for fair wages, self-determination, and healthy families. Women living in the U.S. and Latin America adjusting to transnational reality.
(This course is offered as LTNS 445 and WGS 445. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 450 Indigenismo: Indigenous Cultures of the Americas (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Culture and traditions of indigenous peoples of Latin America. Contemporary society, traditional medical systems, healing methodologies, religion, sorcery, magic, etc. and its relationship to La Raza in the U.S.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Global Perspectives

LTNS 455 Resistance Literature of the Americas (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

History of the literature of Resistance. Theories of deconstruction, post-modernism, and gender. Creative applications used to resist colonialism, imperialism, patriarchy, sexual taboos, and literary canons. Difference between Resistance literature and propaganda.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 460 Central Americans of the U.S.: History and Heritage (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Developmental relationship between U.S. communities of Central American origin and historical, socio-economic, and cultural factors of contemporary Central America; nationalistic movements, migrations to the U.S., economic dependence, social change, art, and society.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 465 Mexican-Americans: History and Heritage (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Explore the contributions, identities, struggles, and experiences of Mexican Americans in the United States from the nineteenth century to the present.

Course Attributes:

  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives

LTNS 467 Caribbeans in the U.S.: History and Heritage (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Examination of the history of Caribbean migration to the United States since the nineteenth century, focusing in particular on migrations from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 470 Latina/o Immigration to the U.S. (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Theoretical, historical, socioeconomic, legal, and political issues of Latin American immigration patterns to the U.S. Socioeconomic and political impact of documented and undocumented immigration to Raza communities and mainstream U.S. society. [CSL may be available]

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 475 Aztec Philosophy (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Philosophical foundations of the Aztec worldview; the relationship between the deities and humans; view of the relationship between body, mind, and spirit.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives

LTNS 485 Latina/o Youth, Crime, and Justice (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or permission of the instructor.

Examination of Latino juvenile justice, the myths and realities, and the over-incarceration of Latino youth: its sources, costs, and consequences; and impact on individuals, families, and communities. Latino experiences with schooling, police, gangs, drugs, "juvie," and caseworkers. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as LTNS 485 and C J 485. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Social Justice

LTNS 487 Mexican Migrations: A Social History (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Examination of the historical and contemporary social and legal effects of immigration flows and deportations by focusing on the development of the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. immigration policies, gendered migrations, and U.S. definitions of belonging as well as exclusion in relation to Mexican immigration communities.
(This course is offered as SOC 487 and LTNS 487. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • Global Perspectives

LTNS 500 Latina/o Community Mental Health (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Mental health services throughout the Bay Area: determine whether these services are relevant to the Raza community. How the Raza student views him/herself and relationships with others in and outside the culture.

LTNS 501 Latin America: The National Period (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; GE Area E; or permission of the instructor.

Latin America since independence (c. 1825). Histories of Latin American peoples: culture, race relations, women, political oppression and resistance, the economy, and development.
(This course is offered as HIST 358 [Formerly HIST 501], ANTH 501, and LTNS 501. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

LTNS 505 Gender, Sexuality, and Latino Communities (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Introduction to the social organization of gender and sexuality in Latino communities; exploration of ways gender and sexuality are given specific cultural meaning among the pan-Latino population.
(This course is offered as LTNS 505 and WGS 505. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

LTNS 530 Latina/os and the Media (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Examination of mass media representation of and marketing to Latinas/os. Development of media literacy skills to think critically about Latina/o racialization in U.S. media. Analysis of Latina/o oriented media that purports to offer an alternative to mass media.

Course Attributes:

  • E1 LLD Pre-Fall 2019
  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

LTNS 531 Creative Writing in Spanish: Poetry, Fiction, and Drama (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: SPAN 301 or consent of the instructor.

Reading and analysis of literary texts from Spain and Latin America. Practice in writing poetry, fiction, and plays in Spanish. Improve writing skills while practicing creative writing and performing in front of others. (Plus-minus ABC/NC, CR/NC grading allowed)
(This course is offered as SPAN 531 and LTNS 531. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

LTNS 533 History of Women in Latin America (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing; GE Area E; or permission of the instructor.

History of the changing roles of women in Latin America from the colonial period to the present.
(This course is offered as HIST 355 [formerly HIST 535], WGS 355 [formerly WGS 535], and LTNS 533. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

LTNS 536 Latina/o Journalism (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: LTNS 530.

Overview of U.S. Latina/o journalism from the mid-1800s to the present. Provides insight into the ways in which Latina/os have utilized journalism as a way to merge activism and community formation. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as LTNS 536 and JOUR 536. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

LTNS 560 Contemporary Latina/o Literature (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Literature produced by U.S. Latinas/Latinos and Latin Americans since 1950. Analysis of the ways in which Latina/o writers are expressing themselves and advocating for their people.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 565 Central Americans Writing in the United States (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Investigation of Central American immigrant experiences and their cultural and political impact on the artistic and academic sectors. Review of Central American diasporic literature beginning from the early works of Washington D.C. pioneers, to West Coast journalism, and the performance and poetry of recent generations. Exploration of the various stages of this evolving literature, including a range of undocumented, queer, Afro, and Indigenous Central American voices.

LTNS 580 Educational Equity (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Restricted to upper-division standing; GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; or consent of the instructor.

Is education the great equalizer? Educational equity and policy issues including institutional racism, school finance, recruitment and retention of underrepresented students, and language. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as LTNS 580, SOC 580, and RRS 580. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Social Justice

LTNS 640 Sociology of the Latino Experience (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Restricted to upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

A comprehensive introduction to sociological perspectives on the Latino/Latina experience in the United States. Historical and structural in approach.
(This course is offered as LTNS 640 and SOC 640. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

LTNS 660 Latina/o Politics (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; LTNS 276; or consent of the instructor.

Introduction to Latino politics focusing on equity, labor, immigrant rights, and voter-based movement. Review theory, history, legislation, multiple agency, and collective action while covering central issues of politics and power for the growing Raza population of California and the U.S. [CSL may be available]

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 670 Mexican Politics and Society (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Peoples, politics, and cultures of Mexico. The implications of rapid change in Mexico for California and the U.S. [CSL may be available]
(This course is offered as LTNS 670 and PLSI 408. Students may not repeat the course under an alternate prefix.)

Course Attributes:

  • UD-D: Social Sciences
  • Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 679 Central American Literature: Roots to the Present (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.

Central American literature, from earliest indigenous manuscripts, such as the Popol Vuh, to contemporary writers like Sergio Ramirez and Claribel Alegria. Writers and poets from 1960 to the present.

Course Attributes:

  • UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
  • Global Perspectives
  • Social Justice

LTNS 680 Latina/o Community Organizing (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Raza and community organizing including obilization and action toward the resolution of community problems, elements and techniques of organizing, development of leadership and community resources, acquisition and direction of power, and analysis of the existing organizations and their definitions of community priorities and goals. [CSL may be available]

LTNS 685 Projects in the Teaching of Latina/o Studies (Units: 1-4)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and consent of the instructor.

A cademic service learning practicum/internship experience as an undergraduate instructional aide. Participation in the teaching of a regular instructionally-related class. Limited to undergraduate students only. (Students may earn a maximum of 4 units toward the baccalaureate degree for any course(s) numbered 685 regardless of discipline.)

LTNS 690 Community Fieldwork in Latina/o Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Assignment to off-campus community organizations in consultation with a faculty adviser. Development of knowledge, experience, and training in community organizations. To accompany or follow LTNS 680. May be repeated for a total of 6 units. [CSL may be available]

LTNS 692 Cuba: Health, Education, and Culture (Units: 3)

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.

Examination of the social, cultural, and political context of the Cuban public health and educational system. Focus on the structure, operation, achievements, and challenges of these systems. [CSL may be available]

LTNS 694 Community Service Learning (Units: 1-3)

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor; must be taken concurrently with any LTNS course supporting community service learning.

Community service learning activity course. May be repeated for a total of 6 units. [CSL may be available]

LTNS 699 Independent Study (Units: 1-3)

Prerequisites: Approval of the department and consent of the instructor.

Supervised study of a particular issue in Latina/o Studies. May be repeated for a total of 6 units.

LTNS 707 Seminar in Latina/o Studies (Units: 3)

Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.

Introduction to the scholarly literature in Latina/Latino Studies. While interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary in scope, it is largely anchored in the social sciences and history.