Latina and Latino Studies

Overview

Why Study Latina and Latino Studies Program (LLSP) at Northwestern University?

While our program and its students benefit from the rich Latino cultures and communities that reside and flourish in Chicago, the program also delves into the experiences of Latino communities nationwide. Our courses may discuss the realities of Puerto Rican and Mexican communities in Chicago, second generation Dominicans in New York, or generations of Mexican Americans in Houston.

Our curriculum engages in the productive tension between the common interests and differences affecting U.S Latina and Latinos. Students may expect to explore such commonalities/ differences in areas such as social movements, transnationalism, electoral politics, expressive cultures, race and comparative processes of racialization, immigration, queer theory, and gender and sexuality. Our classes are diverse in content, teaching methods, and student body.

In order to engage students in discussions outside of a classroom setting, our program hosts panel discussions, movie screenings, and lectures from visiting speakers and experts of the field of Latino and Latina studies. The Latina and Latino Studies Program is committed to enhancing a student’s critical thinking, analytical skills, and community involvement skills.

Independent Study in Latina and Latino Studies

Students may work on an approved independent study or thesis in Latina and Latino Studies under the supervision of a faculty member (LATINO 399-0 Independent Study in Latina and Latino Studies). Students must submit a proposal, including a reading list, to the program director and receive confirmation from the faculty member supervising the independent study.  Seniors may complete a senior thesis regardless of whether or not they qualify for honors nomination.