COLLEGE LAUNCHES INTERCULTURAL AMERICAN STUDIES COUNCIL
August 27, 2019
In a nation that is increasingly diverse, at a time when issues of migration and identity are dominating the national discourse, ethnic studies programs offer a vital lens through which to understand culture and society.
Leading and shaping those conversations are Northwestern’s programs in Asian American Studies and Latina and Latino Studies, which have been driving research on race, diversity and diaspora for years.
Both programs generate cutting-edge scholarship and offer dozens of courses on topics such as Asian American Literature, The Mixed-Race Experience, and Latina and Latino Social Movements. Faculty in both programs have been cited for their outstanding teaching and research. Their work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Guggenheim Foundation, among other organizations.
“These programs are core components of an arts and sciences education, and they help us to understand the moment that we are living in,” said Director of Latina and Latino Studies Geraldo Cadava, who is also an associate professor in the Department of History.
“When our politicians are talking about building border walls and separating families, or urging people who aren’t immigrants but actual American citizens to ‘go back to where they came from,’ programs like Asian American Studies and Latina and Latino Studies can explain and contextualize our current political dynamic.”
As interest in these topics has grown, the number of students majoring and minoring in Asian American Studies and Latina and Latino Studies has risen accordingly — along with the need to support the expansion of both programs.