The Mexican & Latin-American Studies Program is an area of focus within the Ethnic Studies Department at Laney College and are rooted in the rich legacy of students committed to transformative education and social justice.
Our mission is to prepare students with critical thinking skills, deep social consciousness, and an extensive knowledge base necessary to function as effective and empowered leaders in an increasingly diverse and globalized world. It is our intent to promote social justice and appreciation of cultural differences as well as to advance the understanding and interests of Latinx populations in the United States as well as Latin American populations throughout the Americas.
Mexican/Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary area of study that is comparative in scope. Our curriculum is rooted in Chicanx and Latinx Studies and draws from the social and behavioral sciences as well as the humanities and the arts. Our local Associates of Arts program offers a variety of courses regarding the study of Latin America and the Chicanx and Latinx experiences at a local and transnational level. The aim of Mexican/Latin American Studies is to support students in developing a critical consciousness and an understanding of the social, political, cultural, and economic forces that have shaped the histories and current day realities of the Latinx Diaspora. Our studies are grounded in the principles of social justice and self-determination of marginalized communities. To achieve this, our program centers the knowledge’s, epistemologies, and arts produced by racially and sexually oppressed subjects, and we endeavor to examine the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality.
Interested in transferring to a four year University?
If you are interested in transferring to a four year University, Laney now offers a Social Justice Transfer Degrees in Chicanx and Latinx Studies! You can enter select Cal State University campuses with junior status as a Chicanx and Latinx Studies major! Please check out our Social Justice Associate Degree for Transfer in Chicanx And Latinx Studies.
Interested in majoring in Mexican/Latin American Studies?
Students who are interested in pursuing a degree in Mexican/Latin American Studies are highly encourage to make an appointment to meet with a Laney counselor on the 3rd floor of the Laney Tower to build an educational plan. Our designated academic counselor is Kim Blackwell and her email is kblackwell@peralta.edu
Interested in teaching Mexican/Latin American Studies at Laney College?
Applicants who do not have prior community college teaching experience are highly encouraged to first apply to the Peralta Faculty Diversity Internship Program. This program provides training on how to navigate and teach within the community college system.
Our department is periodically interviewing applicants for our part-time teaching pool. If you are interested in teaching Mexican/Latin American Studies, please submit your application online via the links to Human Resources.
