Message from the Director
As we settle into the 21st century, we are daily faced with an ever-changing society. In our local communities, across the nation, and around the world, race and ethnicity are part of our everyday lives. The Ethnic Studies Program is dedicated to exploring race and ethnicity, particularly within the United States. The program offers courses and events in African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian Pacific American Studies, and Chicana/Chicano Studies. Our faculty bring expertise from a range of disciplines, extending from the humanities to social and behavioral sciences and education.
Students interested in exploring the rich diversity of U.S. race/ethnic cultures will find that Ethnic Studies classes offer a unique opportunity to do so. In our classes, students benefit from the interdisciplinary nature of the program as they can gain a sense of the histories, struggles, challenges, opportunities, and triumphs that have contributed to the people we are today. From courses that emphasize social and political issues, to ones that highlight culture and media, to those that trace histories or examine questions of gender, students and faculty can engage in rich discussions about race and ethnicity. Our classes help students prepare for a variety of future occupations and enrich all of us in our understanding of the complex world we live in. We offer five minors, one in each of the above areas as well as a general minor in Ethnic Studies.
-Edward Buendia