Latin American and Caribbean Studies – Major
The Latin American and Caribbean Studies major combines language study in Spanish and Portuguese with work in history, the humanities, and the social sciences. It provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary understanding of this major world region, emphasizing themes such as economic development, popular movements, critical analysis, and hemispheric relations.
What our Alumni are up to
Why major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies?
The Latin American and Caribbean Studies major equips students with a comprehensive understanding of this major world region. Combining regional expertise with foreign language experience and analytical and writing skills, LACS can serve students on a variety of career paths. Alums have gone on to have careers in non-profit organizations, political parties, consulting firms, media, and even to serve on the King County City Council.
What Latin American and Caribbean Studies students do with their degrees
LACS provides a breadth of knowledge that serves alums in a diverse array of career paths. Below is a snapshot of the career paths of some of our recent graduates:
- California Democratic Party, director of organizing
- King County City Council, councilmember
- Seattle Children’s Hospital, senior communications specialist
- United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Washington, D.C., general organizer
- Peace Corps
- NGO’s: National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center; International Refugee Assistance Project
- Higher Education: University of Minnesota, State University of New York, University of Washington, and other universities across the United States
Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) - Major
Major Requirements 52 Credits
The Latin American and Caribbean Studies Major consists of 52 credit hours from the below requirements.
Introductory Course 1 Course 5 Credits
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JSIS 201 The Making of the 21st Century SSc 5
Provides a historical understanding for major global issues today. Focuses on interdisciplinary social science theories and methods to develop core analytical and writing skills and engage complex questions of causation and effects of global events and forces.
LACS History 2 Courses 10 Credits
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Traces the roots of the modern global health movement by examining the history of overseas interventions in medicine and public health from the fifteenth century to the present. Focuses primarily on Latin America while including case studies on Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific.
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HSTLAC 185 Race, Gender, And Class In Latin America And The Caribbean DIV, SSc 5
Explores the power struggles generated by imperial expansion, colonialism, and processes of nation-formation (1400 to the present) in the forging of Latin America and the Caribbean. Examines how gender, race, sex, and class became crucial means to sustain, navigate, and challenge domination as well as to imagine alternative futures. -
HSTLAC 280 Drug Wars In Latin America DIV, SSc 5
Analyses "War on Drugs" in Latin America as political, economic, and socio-cultural construct. Investigates local, regional and global dynamics rendering some mood-altering substances as legal while subjecting others to prohibitionist policies at different historical times. Explores racial, class and gender logics shaping these processes. Examines how informal economies are well entrenched within longstanding, transnational institutions. -
Overview of Mexican history from late Aztec times until the twenty-first century. Emphasizes how women, campesinos, indigenous populations, free and enslaved Afro-Mexicans, and the urban poor experienced the past, challenged colonial and post-colonial rule, and shaped modern Mexican society and culture.
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HSTLAC 481 History Of Peru And The Andean Region SSc 5
Traces the history of Peru specifically and the Andean highlands generally, from Inca times to the present, examining the shifting relationship between peasants, indigenous peoples, and the state. Analyzes historically why modern forms of peasant and indigenous political power differs radically between Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. -
HSTLAC 482 The History Of Brazil: Colonial Period To The Present SSc 5
Colonial foundations; the first and second empires; the old and new republics; current problems; prospects for the future.
Approved LACS History Courses
| Course # | Title | Credits | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCHY 304 | New World Prehistory | 5 | Minichillo |
| HSTCMP 247 | Before Global Health: The Histories of Public Health and International Health in the Global South | 5 | A. Warren |
| HSTRY 388* | Colloquium: Introduction to History(when LA content) (History majors only) | 5, max 10 | |
| HSTRY 494* | Colloquium in Historiography (when LA content) (History majors only | 5 | |
| HSTRY 498* | Colloquium in History (when LA content) (History majors only) | 5 | |
| HSTLAC 185 | Race, Gender, and Class in Latin America and the Caribbean | 5 | |
| HSTLAC 282 | The Social History of Mexico | 5 | A. Warren |
| HSTLAC 285 | Latin American History Through Film | 5 | |
| HSTAA 290* | Topics in American History (when LA content) | 5, max 10 | |
| HSTLAC 384 | Latin America: Inter-American and Intra-Continental Relations | 5 | |
| HSTLAC 385 | Colonial Society & Negotiation of Rule in L.A. and Caribbean | 5 | A. Warren |
| HSTLAC 386 | Challenges of Post-Coloniality in L.A. and Caribbean | 5 | Rodriguez |
| HSTLAC 481 | History of Peru and the Andean Region | 5 | A. Warren |
| HSTLAC 482 | History of Brazil: Colonial Period to the Present | 5 | |
| HSTLAC 488 | History of Central America and the Caribbean | 5 | |
| HSTLAC 490 | Topics in Latin American & Caribbean History | 2-5, max. 15 | |
| *Courses with asterisk are Special Variable Topic Courses, open to History majors ONLY until registration period 3. These may count only if the course has predominantly Latin America content. | |||
Contemporary LACS 3 Courses 15 Credits
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JSIS 396 Study Abroad: Latin American Studies SSc 1-5
For participants in study abroad program. Specific course content varies. Courses do not automatically apply to major/minor requirements. -
JSIS A 323 Inter-American Relations SSc 5
Surveys the political, economic, and social dimensions and consequences of United States relations with Latin America during the twentieth century. Topics include empire, immigration, cultural production, covert operations, revolution and counter-insurgency, student movements, human rights, and the war on drugs. -
JSIS A 324 Human Rights in Latin America DIV, SSc 5
Overview of human rights issues and their recent evolution in Latin American history; military dictatorships; contemporary challenges in the region's democracies. Human rights concerns in relation to broader sociopolitical context. -
JSIS A 325 Modern Mexico: Culture, Politics And Society SSc 5
Provides an historical survey of Mexican politics, culture, and society. Explores debates about the role of violence and foreign intervention in Mexico's political development. Topics include revolution, U.S.-Mexico relations, race and gender politics, student movements, cultural production, neoliberalism, and the war on drugs. -
JSIS A 342 Government and Politics of Latin America SSc 5
Analysis of the political dynamics of change in Latin America comparing various national approaches to the political problems of modernization, economic development, and social change. -
JSIS A 354 Narcoculture: Propaganda and Publicity in the War on Drugs SSc 5
Representation of so-called narcos in inter-American media and culture since the 1970s. Students critically analyze U.S. films, Colombian soap operas, Mexican ballads, and state propaganda dedicated to portraying traffickers' exploits. Centering on the ethical question of how to portray drug-related violence, introduces students to debates about censorship, propaganda, the public sphere, and spectacle. -
JSIS A 365 Mapping Luso-Brazilian Cultures A&H, SSc 5
Explores cultures of Brazil, Portuguese-speaking Africa, Asia, and Europe within the framework of cultural studies theory. Follows an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from readings, audio files (radio), films and documentaries in history, literature, arts and performances, anthropology, among others. Focuses on selected cultural aspects and countries. Taught in ENGLISH.
* JSIS 396 Latin America Study Abroad (when contemporary LA content)
Approved Contemporary LACS Courses
| Course # | Title | Credits | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANTH 404 | South America | 5 | |
| ANTH/CHSTU 416 | Comparative Social Movements: Mexico and the United States | 5 | Peña |
| ANTH 418 | Indian Heritage of Mexico and Central America | 5 | |
| CMS 320* | Cinema & Nation (when LA content) | 5 | Steele |
| C LIT 321 | Studies in Literature of the Americas | 5 | |
| C LIT 357* | Literature & Film (when LA content) | 3 to 5 | Steele |
| CHSTU 255 | Mexican Women: Past and Present | 5 | Salas |
| CHSTU 352 | Mexican Immigration: A Comparative Analysis | 5 | Gamboa, Salas |
| ECON 492 | Economic Issues in Contemporary Latin America | 5 | Brock |
| GEOG 330 | Latin America: Landscapes of Change | 5 | Lawson |
| GEOG 403 | Transnational Latinx Migrations | 5 | Ybarra |
| GEOG 430 | Contemporary Development Issues in Latin America | 5 | Lawson |
| GEOG 495* | Special Topics (when Latin America in the World Economy) | 5 | |
| HSTCMP 247 | Before Global Health: The Histories of Public Health and International Health in the Global South | 5 | A. Warren |
| HSTLAC 282 | Social History of Mexico | 5 | A. Warren |
| HSTLAC 285 | Latin American History Through Film | 5 | Bergquist |
| JSIS 396* | Latin America Study Abroad (when contemporary LA content) | max 15 | |
| JSIS 480 | Special Topics – Latin America | max 15 | |
| JSIS A/POL S 322 | International Political Economy of Latin America (joint w/ POLS) | 5 | Sinkler |
| JSIS A 324/ LSJ 322 | Human Rights in Latin America | 5 | Godoy |
| JSIS A 325 | Modern Mexico: Culture, Politics, and Society | 5 | Freije |
| JSIS A/ POL S 342 | Government and Politics of Latin America | 5 | Lucero |
| JSIS A 489/SPAN 489* | The Mexico US Border in Literature and Film (joint w/SPAN) | 5 | Steele |
| JSIS D 451 | Cultural Geography of Latin America | 5 | |
| MUSIC 317 | Music Cultures of the World: “The Americas” | 5 | Dudley |
| MUSIC 433 | Music of Latin America | 3 | |
| PORT 310 | Introduction to Lusophone Literature | 3 | |
| PORT 335 | Twentieth Century Brazilian Literature in English | 5 | |
| SPAN 206 | Arts and Culture of Oaxaca | 3 | Gonzalez |
| SPAN 307 | Introduction to Latin American Literature: Colonial Era to Early Independence | 3/5 | Donnelly |
| SPAN 308 | Introduction to Latin American Literature: Independence to Present | 3 | |
| SPAN 317 | Spanish and Latin American Literature in English Translation | 5 | |
| SPAN 319 | Mexican Literature | 3 | |
| SPAN 334 | Latin American Film | 3 | Steele |
| SPAN 340 | Introduction to Latin American Poetry | 3 | |
| SPAN 395 | Special Topics in Latin American Literature | 5 | |
| SPAN 442 | Latin American Colonial Theater and Performance | 5 | Donnelly |
| SPAN 447 | Modern Latin American Theater | 5 | |
| SPAN 461 | Topics in Latin American Cultural Studies | 5 | Donnelly/O’Hara |
| SPAN 468 | Latin American Women | 5 | |
| SPAN 473 | Latin American Fiction: Nineteenth Century | 5 | Donnelly |
| SPAN 474 | Latin American Fiction: Twentieth Century | 5 | Flores |
| SPAN 476 | Contemporary Latin American Poetry | 5 | |
| SPAN 477 | Latin American Essay | 5 | O’Hara |
| SPAN 479 | The City and Latin American Literature | 5 | O’Hara |
| SPAN 484 | Latin American Literature: Modernismo to the Present | 5 | O’Hara |
| SPAN 486/JSIS A 486 | Photography and Cultural Studies in Latin America | 5 | Steele |
| SPAN 487 | Mexican Cinema | 5 | Steele |
| SPAN 488 | The Fantastic in L.A. Literautre: Augusto Monterroso | 5 | O’Hara |
| SPAN 489 | The Mexico-U.S. Border in Literature and Film | 5 | Steele |
| SPAN 492 | Individual Authors and Special Topics in Latin American Literature | 5,max 10 | |
| UW Tacoma Courses – For guidelines on cross-campus enrollment, see:http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/registration/ccregi.php | |||
| T HISP 277 | Latin American Literature | 5 | |
| T HISP 323 | The Making of Mexico | 5 | |
| T HISP 325 | Mexico: Problems and Perspectives | 5 | |
| T HISP 376 | Latin American Film | 5 | |
| T HISP 410 | Caribbean Basin: Selected Topics | 5 | |
| T HISP 462 | Women in Latin America | 5 | |
| T HISP 463 | Contemporary Cuban Culture | 5 | |
| T HISP 476 | Latin American Women Writers | 5 | |
| TPOL S 224 | Modern Latin America | 5 | Griesse |
| TPOL S 434 | Popular Movements in Latin America | 5 | |
| TRELIG 461 | Religion and Church in Latin America | 5 | |
| *Courses with asterisk are Special Variable Topic Courses, open to students from that major ONLY until registration period 3. These may count only if the course has predominantly Latin America content. | |||
LACS Electives 3 Courses 15 Credits
Every quarter, LACS posts a current list of qualifying elective courses offered across campus.
Here is a sample selection:
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AES 442 Undocumented Immigrant Communities DIV, SSc 5
Sociological examination of the concepts of undocumented, citizen, and the structuring of (il)legality as they are situated in axes of power, specifically in racialized and gendered contexts. Topics include identity formation and experiences across communities, i.e., UndocuLatino, UndocuBlack, UndocuAsian and Pacific Islander, and UndocuQueer. Institutional outcomes in migration, law, labor, education, carceral spaces, and health. -
CHSTU 224 Life And Labor In The US-Mexico Borderlands DIV, SSc 5
Focuses on inhabitants of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands since the nineteenth century. Emphasizes the fungible U.S.-Mexico border, industrialization of the Southwest and northern Mexico, cultures of migration, and the creation of "Greater Mexico." Influence of labor and migration in gender constructions. -
DANCE 490 History and Development of Afro-Peruvian Dance A&H 3
History and Development of Afro-Peruvian Dance analyzes the historical development of Afro-Peruvian dance practices. Explores dance within the colonial and post-colonial contexts in which these traditions emerged and continue to evolve in the Andean Region and as part of a larger Afro-Latin America. Course materials and discussions involve issues of race, class, power, nationalism, cultural resistance and revival, folklorization, migration and globalization. -
GEOG 403 Transnational Latinx Migrations DIV, SSc 5
Explores the role of gender, racial formation, and language in transnational Latin American migrations. Outlines key concepts related to power relations in nation-states, geographies of security, border enforcement, and the production of Latinidades, or multiple Latinx identities.
Approved Elective Courses
| Course # | Title | Credits | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANTH/GWSS/JSIS B 345 | Women and International Economic Development | 5 | Ramamurthy |
| ART H 309* | Special Topics (When LA Content) | 5 | |
| ART H 400* | Art History and Criticism (When LA Content) | 5 | |
| CHSTU 101 | Introduction to Chicano Studies | 5 | Gamboa, Salas |
| CHSTU 200 | Latinos in the United States | 5 | Gamboa |
| CHSTU 254 | Northwest Latinos, History, Community, Culture | 5 | Gamboa |
| CHSTU 256 | Chicanas: Gender and Race Issues | 5 | Salas |
| CHSTU 260 | Introduction to Chicano Politics | 5 | Salas |
| CHSTU 330 | Chicano/Chicana Autobiography | 5 | Flores |
| CHSTU 340 | Latino/a Theater | 5 | Habell-Pallan |
| CHSTU 354 | Unions, Labor, and Civil Rights in California and Pacific Northwest Agriculture | 5 | Gamboa |
| CHSTU 356 | The Chicano Family | 5 | Salas |
| CHSTU 405 | Advanced Chicano Studies | 5 | Gamboa |
| CHSTU 498* | Topics in Chicano Studies-(when LAS content) | 5 | Habell-Pallan |
| ECON 491* | Issues in Economic Development(when LA content) | 5 | |
| GEOG 230 | Urbanization and Development: Geographies of Global Inequality | 5 | Lawson |
| GEOG 335 | Geography of the Developing World(joint w/ SIS) | 5 | |
| GEOG 344 | Migration in the Global Economy (joint w/SIS) | 5 | Mitchell |
| GEOG 371 | World Hunger and Resource Development | 5 | Jarosz |
| GEOG 403 | Transnational Latinx Migrations | 5 | Ybarra |
| HSTRY 490* | Topics in History (when LA content) | 5 | Rafael |
| HSTAA 313* | African Americans in the American West(when LA content) | 5 | Taylor |
| HSTEU 361 | Spain and Its Golden Age: 1469-1700 | 5 | |
| IBUS 330 | Business Environment in Developing Nations | 4 | Laschober |
| MUSAP 389* | World Music (when LA content) | 2 to 3 | Rebolloso |
| MUSIC 319* | Afro-American Music (when LA content) | 5 | |
| MUSIC 445* | Topics in Ethnomusicology (when LA content) | 3, max 9 | |
| POL S 403* | Advanced Special Topics in International Relations (when LA content) | 5, max 10 | Caporaso |
| POL S 405* | American Politics Seminar (when LA content) | 5, max 10 | Simon |
| POL S 447* | Comparative Politics Seminar (when LA content) | 5 | |
| PSYCH 250* | Racism and Minority Groups (when LA content) | 5 | Barrett |
| JSIS 200 | States & Capitalism | 5 | various |
| JSIS 202 | Cultural Interactions | 5 | various |
| SIS 302 | Intercultural Relations (no longer offered) | 5 | Warren |
| JSIS 396 | Foreign Study – Latin America | max 15 | |
| JSIS 480 | Special Topics – Latin America | max 15 | |
| JSIS 497 | Internship (if Latin America focus)(max 5 credits applied to maj/minor) | CR/NC | |
| JSIS B 310/POL S 450 | State-Society Relations in Third World Countries | 5 | Callahan |
| JSIS B 331 | Political Economy of Development | 5 | LatschKale |
| JSIS B/ GWSS 333 | Gender and Globalization: Theory and Process | 5 | Ramamurthy |
| JSIS B 385 | Industry and the State | 5 | WhitingHamilton |
| JSIS B 433 | Root Causes of Environmental Degradation in the Tropics | 5 | Christie |
| JSIS D 450 | Pol. Econ. of Women & Family in 3rd World (if taught by LAS faculty) | 5 | |
| SPAN 321 | Introduction to Hispanic Literary Studies | 3 | Geist |
| SPAN 322 | Introduction to Hispanic Cultural Studies | 5 | |
| SPAN 333 | Hispanic Film Studies | 3 | |
| SPAN 339* | Women Writers in English Translation(when LA content) | 3 | |
| SPAN 350* | Drama (when LA content) | 3 | |
| SPAN 351* | Poetry (when LA content) | 3 | |
| SPAN 352* | Fiction (when LA content) | 3 | |
| SPAN 439* | Women Writers (when LA content) | 5 | |
| SPAN 465 | Contemporary Chicano Literature | 5 | Flores |
| SPAN 475 | Latin American Poetry: Colonial through Nineteenth Century | 5 | Donnelly |
| SPAN 483 | Latin American Literature: Origins to Independence | 5 | Donnelly |
| SPAN 491* | Topics in Hispanic Literature (when LA content) | 5 | |
| *Courses with asterisk are Special Variable Topic Courses, open to students from that major ONLY until registration period 3. These may count only if the course has predominantly Latin America content. | |||
Interdisciplinary Seminar 1 Course 5 Credits
Senior Paper 1 Course 2 Credits
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Independent research and writing under supervision of a faculty member. Open only to International Studies majors.
Latin American and Caribbean Studies Senior Paper Agreement Form
Additional Requirements
- Proficiency through 2nd year college level or 3rd quarter of 2nd year college level of a primary language (Spanish, French, Portuguese)
- Proficiency through the 1st year college level or 3rd quarter of 1st year college level of a second language.
- Minimum grade 2.0 in all courses applied to major.
Latin American and Caribbean Studies Minor
Not ready to commit to the major? A Latin American and Caribbean Studies Minor might be a great fit for your academic goals.
