Description of the Program
The intent of the Graduate Minor in Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies is to examine U.S. Latina/o experiences in a transnational and comparative context with the goal of fostering a relational and interdisciplinary understanding of racialized ethnocultural groups in the U.S., and of the social, cultural, historical, economic, political, and educational processes by which ethnocultural groups are racialized. Building outward from a core concern with the experiences of U.S. Latinxs/es, especially in the Midwestern region of the U.S., the Minor also allows for study that looks beyond the borders of the U.S., so essential in our increasingly interconnected world.
Our courses integrate an array of materials, themes, and methods from many fields: history, literature, psychology, sociology, politics, visual studies, folklore, musicology, film and media, theater and drama, geography, anthropology, health, education, social work, art, and others. The minor emphasizes the diverse demography of U.S. society, paying attention not only to issues of race and ethnicity, but also to those of indigeneity, class, nation, gender, diaspora, sexuality, and other forms of difference and dominance, belonging and identification.
For specific requirements, please visit the following websites:
Requirements for a Ph.D. minor in Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies (UW Madison Course Guide)
How to Declare a Graduate Minor (Policy Library)
To pursue the minor, schedule an advising meeting with the CLS Director. After discussing your program of study with the Director, you will complete a Minor Agreement Form and submit it to the Graduate School together with the warrant for your doctoral exams. The Graduate School has enhanced the Graduate Student Portal (accessible through MyUW) to enable students to add, change, or discontinue doctoral minors and graduate/professional certificates, in addition to majors/named options.
Graduate Students interested in Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies may wish to connect with the Graduate School’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Funding, as well as other for diversity, equity, and inclusion offered by the Graduate School.
Courses for Minor, Spring 2026
CHICLA 902: Interdepartmental Seminar in Chicanx/e & Latinx/e Studies Topics
Instructor: Aurora Santiago-Ortiz
T 2:30pm – 5:00pm
Requisites: Graduate/Professional Standing
Topic: Caribbean and Latinx Entanglements-Feminist Diasporic Circuits.
Provides a foundation in Latinx/e Studies and explores Caribbean Feminisms through transdisciplinary and transnational lenses. The course engages key theoretical debates of Caribbean and Latinx/e decolonial feminisms, highlighting how colonialism, migration, and diaspora have shaped the lives of women and femmes of Caribbean descent in the US.
ANTHRO 940: Seminar-Problems in Cultural Anthropology
Instructor: Falina Enriquez
Wednesdays 10:30am – 1:00pm
Topic: Language and Latinidades. Learn about linguistic anthropological theories that help us understand the formation of national, regional, and diasporic Latin American practices and identities (latinidades). Compare how latinidades are created, represented, and practiced through various verbal, sonic, visual, and textual media. Discuss the many, often contradictory processes that inform the creation and contestation of latinidades in various geographic and historical settings. Themes that will orient our conservation include bilingualism, colonialism, transnationalism, and linguistic discrimination.