Latin American & Latino Studies What is the Latin American & Latino Studies Program? The program offers a major, minor and a variety of educational and cultural activities on Latin America, the Caribbean and Latinos in the United States. The interdisciplinary nature of the program allows students to create a learning experience from a variety of perspectives such as the arts, business, biology, criminal justice, education, economics, modern languages and literature, philosophy, political science, religion, sociology and urban studies. Majors and minors can choose to become experts in Latin America and the Caribbean, Latino populations in the U.S. or both.
Why earn a degree in Latin American & Latino Studies?
“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community...Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” – Cesar Chavez
Students looking for a career or graduate school program in business, government, law, teaching, social work, health care, communications and other fields are likely to need expertise on Latin America and Latino communities here in the United States. New Jersey, the New York City metropolitan area and the United States are all deeply interconnected with Latin America and its people while Latinos are now the largest minority group here in the U.S. The LALS Program will provide students with a solid foundation for many of the international and local matters that these connections and demographics changes bring. Another reason to earn a degree in Latin American and Latino Studies is for personal enrichment. Many students have family origins in Latin America and the program can help develop a sense of self-awareness and belonging. Others may simply have an appreciation for new cultures, especially those so profoundly related to the United States.
Meet some of our students & graduates: Benny Concepcion (2008) was the first LALS major at Saint Peter’s. He traveled to Mexico and the Dominican Republic to study globalization, and eventually earned the National Hispanic Caucus Fellowship in Washington D.C., where he now teaches Spanish to elementary school students. Benny says that his major in Latin American and Latino Studies helps him… as he plans for his next to move: to earn a Ph.D. in Spanish literature at the University of Chicago. Roseanne Moy (2009) earned a LALS minor to compliment her B.A.. in Education. She works with elementary school students in Newark and is about to enter the M.A. Program in Education at Saint Peter’s. Roseanne says that “the majority of my students come from Latino families and the minor helps me to be a better mentor to them.” Angelique Rios (2009) earned a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies and traveled to Puerto Rico to study globalization and culture. After writing a thesis on women and the intergenerational transmission of culture from Puerto Rico to the mainland, Angelique says the LALS Program gave her an opportunity to “explore myself and my family in a way that I had not done before.” She is now completing a M.A. in social work at Rutgers University.
For course descriptions and additional information visit
www.saintpeters.edu/academics
Noel Borges (2010) was a triple major in Sociology, Political Science and Latin American and Latino Studies who plans to earn a law degree before going into politics to serve the Latino community. Last summer, Noel participated in the Latino Leaders Fellowship Institute, and he says that coursework in Latin American and Latino Studies helps him “better understand the struggles and concerns of the Latino population.” Stephanie Riano (2010) wants to be a family therapist. As a Sociology major and LALS minor, she says “I enjoy being able to take classes and work on research projects that help me understand why families leave Latin America and what happens to them when they arrive here.” Alexandra Hernandez (2011) wants to be a college professor. In 2009 she travelled to Puerto Rico twice to study the experiences of Dominican and Cuban immigrants in San Juan. Alexandra says “I really enjoyed the opportunity to conduct first-hand research in Puerto Rico. Writing a paper was more interesting that way. I also enjoyed learning more about my own Cuban history. I never knew that so many of us had gone to Puerto Rico.” Alex is now a graduate student in Latin American and Latino Studies at Fordham University.
Latin American & Latino Studies Major Requirements The LALS Program encourages students to work with an advisor to select courses that best fit the student’s interests in Latin America, Latino Communities in the U.S. or both. Students are also encouraged to participate in faculty-led research projects, which provide students with hands-on opportunities that prepare students for employment and graduate school. MAJOR (30 CREDITS) 1) LS 101: Introduction Latin American & Latino Studies (3 credits) 2) Two courses in Spanish or Portuguese, or equivalence exam (6 credits) 3) Six Latin American and Latino Studies electives. To be planned with an advisor. (18-24 credits) 4) Any 400-level course in which students can complete a thesis-like project that focuses on material related to the Latin American and Latino Studies curriculum. (3 credits) MINOR (18 CREDITS) 1) LS 101: Introduction Latin American & Latino Studies. (3 credits) 2) Four Latin American and Latino Studies electives. (12 credits) 3) Any 400-level course in which students can complete a thesis-like project that focuses on material related to the Latin American and Latino Studies curriculum. (3 credits)
Special Projects The Second Generation Project studies the experiences of adult children of immigrants living in New Jersey. The Northern New Jersey Latino Communities Project documents different aspects of daily life in places like Jersey City, Union City, West New York, Patterson, Passaic and Newark. Some topics that student researchers have explored include health care, quality of life, small businesses and entrepreneurship, self-perception and beauty standards among Latinas, family change and mental health. The Small Businesses in Jersey City Study examines the decision-making practices of immigrant, working-class businesses in Jersey City and Union City.
For course descriptions and additional information visit
www.saintpeters.edu/academics
What courses and activities can you get involved with? Travel: Program faculty offer a variety of short-term, 3-credit travel courses to Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain. In the past, students have travelled to southern Mexico to study graffiti and public art, the Dominican Republic to study tourism and baseball, and to Puerto Rico to study culture and politics. Future courses will travel to Cuba, Argentina and Chile. On campus: The program works closely with the Latin American Service Organization (LASO) on a variety of events on and off campus such as the annual Latino Music and Dance Expo, Latino Roundtable Discussions, the Salsa Team, a Latino reading group and the Dominos Tournament. In the Community: Latin American and Latino Studies courses are grounded in the local community. Some courses allow students to conduct mini-research projects, while others encourage students to engage in service projects. Our goal is to foster better understanding, activism and service.
Who You’ll Learn from: Latin American and Latino Studies Faculty The faculty in this department are scholars and effective teachers. They are dedicated to helping students both while they are in the program and with their future after graduating from the program. Affiliated faculty members include: Dr. Jennifer Ayala, Assistant Professor, Education Dr. Anna J. Brown, Assistant Professor, Political Science Dr. Mark DeStephano, S.J., Professor, Modern & Classical Languages Dr. Leonor I. Lega, Professor, Psychology Dr. Alex Mirescu, Assistant Professor, Political Science Dr. Patricia Santoro, Associate Professor, Spanish Dr. David S. Surrey Professor, Sociology & Urban Studies Dr. Alex Trillo, Associate Professor, Sociology & Urban Studies