At a Glance
I’m interested in this field of study. Can you tell me more about it?
Chicanx Latinx studies is an intercollegiate program at The Claremont Colleges. The major emerged during educational and social movements of the 1960s, making our program the second oldest in the nation. Chicanx Latinx studies has since become a field relating to Latin Americans and has seeks to transcend the gaps in area and ethnic studies.
This major intersects with other disciplines in exciting ways, creating a dynamic community of learners. Majors and minors have gone on to hold positions as attorneys, judges, medical doctors, professors, authors, nonprofit professionals, education advocates, and social justice organizers, to name a few.
What are some courses appropriate for first-year students interested in exploring this field of study?
We recommend that you take CHST015 CH: Introduction to Chicanx Latinx Studies, HIST017 CH: Introduction to Chicanx Latinx History, and/or any other course from our catalog under “Introductory Courses.”
If I decide to major or minor in this field, are there certain courses that need to be taken in a specific sequence?
Our major is currently designed to be followed in a specific sequence. However, we understand that sometimes students choose to major or minor after they take an inspiring course, and we will surely accommodate that. We recommend that you investigate your major and minor options as soon as you can. Both have required and introductory courses, and we split the major into three categories that encompasses the interdisciplinary nature of our field.
Courses to consider taking during your first year include Education: Identities, Cultures, and Communities; Experiencia: Literature, Music, and Representation; and Sin Fronteras: Latinx Experiences in the Americas. Taking any of the courses within these categories is also an option and begins to fulfill some part of the major or minor.
Overall, we encourage you to come meet our faculty and to get to know us! More information on how to find us is on our website here.
Can students who major or minor in this field complete a second major or minor (as a double major or a major/minor combination)? If so, what are some common pairings?
Yes! Students dual and double major all the time, combining Chicanx Latinx studies with psychology, sociology, dance, politics, and more.
What other useful information should I know about this field of study?
We are a community! Sometimes studying in a predominantly white institution (PWI) can get lonely for people of color (POC), first-generation, undocumented, or immigrant students. Our field of study at The Claremont Colleges is executed by award-winning and internationally recognized scholars who are also kind and loving people with similar experiences of not only surviving but thriving in these spaces of learning. Our department is always a welcoming space for POC, first-generation, immigrant, undocumented, queer, and trans students. It is a brave space filled with inspiring people, and we can’t wait to meet you!
Scripps Catalog link to specific requirements for the major/minor:
You can find the requirement lists here: https://colleges.claremont.edu/idcls/home/
Additional links to information relevant for new student registration:
Our intercollegiate department website is here: https://colleges.claremont.edu/idcls/home/
Link to profiles of faculty who teach in this field:
Intercollegiate means we have professors that are a part of our department across the 5Cs. You can find the full list of professors and adjunct faculty on our website. Scripps professors who are a part of the Chicanx Latinx faculty are:
Rita Cano Alcala: https://www.scrippscollege.edu/offices/profile/rita-cano-alcala
Martha Gonzalez (Chair): https://www.scrippscollege.edu/offices/profile/martha-gonzalez
The Intercollegiate Department of Chicana/o Latina/o Studies at the Claremont Colleges is concurrently a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary field of academic inquiry broadly relating to people of Latin American descent within the hemisphere, particularly within the United States and the wider diaspora. Courses in Chicana/o Latina/o Studies take into account the intersection of race, ethnicity, class, culture, gender and sexuality. These courses are distributed across three areas of study that make up the Chicana/o Latina/o Studies major: 1) Educación: Identities, Cultures and Communities; 2) Experiencia: Literature, Music and Representation; and 3) Sin Fronteras: Latin@ Experiences in the Americas. Chicana/o Latina/o Studies contribute to all fields in the humanities and social sciences including professional programs such as education, social work, medicine and law.
Chicana/o Latina/o Studies emerged in the academy as a product of education and social movements of the 1960s. These movements led to the initial creation of the program at the Claremont Colleges in 1969, making it the second oldest Chicana/o studies department in the nation. More recently, Chicana/o Latina/o Studies has emerged as a field of inquiry relating to Latin Americans in the hemisphere and has been the site for work seeking to transcend the gaps between area studies and ethnic studies.