Chicano/Latino Studies is devoted to the exploration and analysis of the histories, politics, experiences, and cultures of Chicanx/Latinx populations in the United States. CHLA seeks to explore Chicanx/Latinx experiences through an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to center the lived experiences and the production of knowledge of Chicanx/Latinx communities. Faculty examine how race, ethnicity, language, sexuality, gender, and other social identities intersect in Chicanx/Latinx communities and within the larger U.S. landscape. At its core, CHLA employs a decolonial, anti-racist, anti-sexist, framework to challenge centuries of white supremacy, settler colonialism, and other systems of oppression that have impacted how Chicanx/Latinx communities live, work, create, and thrive.
Graduates with a minor or certificate in Chicano/Latino studies will have augmented their major field of study by broadening their scope of knowledge. They will have gained important insight into a very different culture within U.S. borders. This increased awareness and insight will lead to successful interaction on many levels of society. Graduates also will be better prepared to enter the workforce with its rapidly changing demographics.