Latin American and Latinx Studies

By choosing Latin American and Latinx studies at Augustana, you will expand your awareness and understanding of Latin America, the Caribbean and Latinx communities in the United States through a curriculum of in-class and experiential requirements. 

The college offers a minor in Latin American and Latinx studies, requiring 17 credits, an experiential component and a capstone essay.

Coursework in several disciplines, combined with experiential learning opportunities, encourages analysis of how historical experiences, cultural expression, geopolitical processes and the physical environment interact to influence the ways in which the region and Latin American and Latinx societies at large respond to local, regional, national and international dynamics.

If you’re majoring in Spanish, the minor is appropriate for adding a multidisciplinary perspective of Latin America to your language studies. It is also recommended to majors in other disciplines who desire an area studies component in their curricula.

Outside the classroom

Participation in the Augustana Summer Spanish Program in Ecuador and/or the Augustana Latin American term is highly recommended. The college offers several related study abroad terms, including:

• The Augustana Summer Spanish Program in the Andes is held each year from June through August. Students live with families while attending classes at the Center for Inter-American Studies (CEDEI) in Cuenca, Ecuador. Students also take several excursions, capped off by a 10-day trip to Peru.

• Students may apply for study abroad programs in Brazil and Mexico (travel writing).

• Short-term service learning programs send students to Latin America for up to three weeks, including Guatemala.

Recent graduates

Francis Gow ’20 is pursuing a master's at the University of Florida Center for Latin American Studies in Gainesville, Fla.

Samantha Wright '20 is a research coordinator at Transitions Mental Health Services in Rock Island, Ill.

Ariana Solis ’19 is a clinical care coordinator at PCC Community Wellness Center in Chicago.

Lydia Lara ’19 is a fellow enrollment specialist at Public Allies Chicago.

Karina Huerta ’17 is a child and family counselor at Sarah's Inn in Forest Park, Ill.

Cindy Morales ’17 is the site coordinator and learning facilitator at St. Augustine College in Chicago.

Lizandra Gomez-Ramirez '17 is a public defender in Rock Island County, Ill.