Chican@ & Latin@ Studies

MISSION STATEMENT

The Program in Chican@ & Latin@ Studies (CLS) offers a systematic and interdisciplinary analysis of Mexican- and Latin American-origin people, cultures, and collectivities within the United States. The CLS certificate and major are designed to provide students with a broad knowledge base and the intellectual tools to understand the unity and diversity of U.S. Latina/o populations. The primary objective of the CLS Program is to train students in the study of Chican@s and Latin@s and to introduce them to the central questions, topics, and applications that have emerged in this field of inquiry. CLS offers a variety of courses, some focusing on particular national-origin groups or specific academic disciplines, and others organized around comparative topics or issues. We welcome you to join our community of learners.

Declare the Major

The CLS Program offers an interdisciplinary major and certificate. Contact Advisor Rachelle Eilers via Starfish or email, or learn about the program and declare online!

Detail of mural "The Inheritance of Struggle" by Leo Tanguma (Memorial Union)

Our latest newsletter highlights the CLS familia’s achievements during the Spring of 2023.

Latinx Studies in the Midwest
and Beyond

Ready for a stimulating dialogue on important issues of the day? With the support of the Anonymous Fund and several campus partners, the Chican@ & Latin@ Studies Program will bring emerging figures in our interdisciplinary field to campus this year. Check out the full schedule on the speaker series web page.

CLS News

Marla Ramírez wins Article Award from the Oral History Association
Marla Ramírez’s essay “Gendered Banishment: Rewriting Mexican Repatriation through a Transgenerational Oral History Methodology” has won the Article Award from the Oral History Association, the principal membership organization for people committed to the value of …
August 30, 2023
Benjamin Márquez quoted in NPR stories on Latino Vote
When NPR’s Franco Ordoñez needed context for a story on the Latine vote in Wisconsin and a later follow-up, he turned to CLS affiliate faculty member and former Director Benjamin Márquez (Political Science). Prof. Márquez …
August 30, 2023
Pro Publica Story on Dairy Worker Driver’s Licenses Cites Study by Armando Ibarra
A recent story by Pro Publica on the problems facing undocumented dairy workers in Wisconsin who cannot obtain driver’s licenses drew on needs assessment of Wisconsin’s farmworkers authored by CLS Professor Armando Ibarra and his …
August 15, 2023
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