Chicano/a Studies was created at The Claremont Colleges in 1969, in the midst of wide scale student protests and demonstrations. It has the distinction of being the second oldest Chicano/a Studies program in the United States. Since its creation in 1969, Chicano/a Studies has continued to mature as an academic discipline, and its faculty has distinguished themselves in teaching, research, and service to the five Claremont Colleges.
The growing pancultural nature of Chicano/a Studies prompted a change in the name of our department in 2007 to Chicano/a-Latin/o Studies. This name better captures the orientation of our curriculum, and the diversity within our faculty and students.
Students who successfully complete our course of study and meet the requirements for the major or minor, fulfill the following learning outcomes:
- Students will be able to analyze major theories, paradigms, and methods used to study Chicana/o and Latina/o communities and apply them in a research project;
- Students will be able to critically examine and interpret cultural expressions of Chicana/o and Latina/o communities within a critical context;
- Students will be able to evaluate the historical experiences of the Chicana/o and Latina/o people within the structures of this hemisphere;
- and Students will be able to critically analyze how Chicana/o and Latina/o identities and cultural practices are constructed from within specific contexts and lived experiences.