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About Us
Latino/a Studies at Ohio State University is a cross-disciplinary program, offering coursework from more than 12 departments. Across courses students will encounter an emphasis on the perspectives of Latino/as who have shaped historical events, produced written, musical and visual arts, reformed educational practices and policies, and changed the landscape, economy and politics of US cities. The work of Latino/a Studies is explicitly anti-oppressive as it relates to the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality. In our global twenty-first century, a background in ethnic and cultural diversity is valuable to students in any field of study.
Open up an important world of ideas and experiences through Latino/a Studies!
You may fulfill all of your GEC requirements with Latino/a Studies courses and electives.
Students completing 20 hours of coursework (10 required and 10 elective) have the opportunity to earn a Minor in Latino/a Studies. For more information or to register for the Minor, contact the Coordinator of Latino/a Studies Coordinating Advisor Dr. Frederick Aldama at:
- aldama.1@osu.edu
421 Denney164 W 17th Av
Columbus, OH 43210
In addition to undergraduate courses, Latino/a Studies, in conjunction with other OSU units, sponsors the Latino/a Speaker Series and other events, which feature world renowned scholars and artists. Be sure to check the calendar.
What is Latino Studies?
Latino/a Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study. At Ohio State University, Latino/a Studies is housed in the Ethnic Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences. Topics covered in Latino/a Studies courses include Latino/a culture and literature, Latino/a history and politics, Latino/a labor struggles, and the impact of globalization on Latino/a communities.
Latino/a Studies at OSU is a relatively new field. We are in the process of expanding our course offerings and approaches. Undergraduates can obtain a Minor in Latino/a Studies or they can Major in Comparative Ethnic and American Studies.Latino/a Studies courses reflect a commitment to student-centered learning, critical thinking, and social engagement. We teach students to interrogate the exclusion of Latino/a peoples and histories from discursive constructions of "American" identity. Our courses expose students to scholarship, literature, and cultural production that place Latino/a history and culture in the center of the analytical frame, while representing the complexity of Latino/a social formations. The overarching goal of courses in Latino/a Studies is to produce transnational citizens who will make creative, thoughtful, and effective interventions in the public sphere.
Who are Latinos/as?
"Latinos/as" are people of Latin American descent who live in the US. Latin America includes Mexico, Central and South America, and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.Another word sometimes used to describe "Latinos/as" is "Hispanic." "Hispanic" is a highly contested term: Many Latinos/as refuse to use "Hispanic" because it is a term created by the US government and because the term implies identification with Spain, the colonizing power. Another term you may encounter in Latino/a Studies is "Chicano/a." This term, unlike "Hispanic," signals identification and solidarity with indigenous peoples and colonized histories. The term Chicano/a is more specific than "Latino/a" and is used to describe people of Mexican origin living in the US. Similarly, the term "Boricua" is used by some Puerto Ricans to reclaim an indigenous past and to indicate a commitment to decolonization.
Who is included in the identity "Latino/a"?
Latino/a Studies at OSU recognizes the diversity of the Latino/a population in the US. In our courses and programming, we emphasize an inclusive definition of latinidad. We question narratives of "authentic" ethnic identity, which tend to center particular identity formations and marginalize others.
We understand Latinos/as to be an extremely diverse and heterogeneous group encompassing people from diverse class backgrounds and social locations, people living in every region in the US (including, of course, the Midwest), people of all sexual identities (GLBTQ, heterosexual, and unlabelled), and people of all races (African, Asian, Indigenous, European, mestizo/a, mulatto/a, and mixed-raced). We write Latino/a with the "/a" in order to signal our attentiveness to questions of gender difference and patriarchal power.
All students are welcome in Latino/a Studies classes.
