Chicana and Chicano Studies at UNM is interdisciplinary, drawing on many fields to promote a critical understanding of Chicano/Hispano/Mexicano communities through teaching, research, and advocacy. We offer courses on gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, arts and culture, political and social mobilization, immigration and citizenship, history and heritage, land grant studies, Chicana feminism, and queer studies. A Chicana and Chicano Studies major enhances student analytical, critical thinking, communication, cross-cultural competency, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Similar to other programs that highlight underrepresented populations (e.g. Africana Studies, Native American Studies, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), Chicana and Chicano Studies provides students with a grounding in social justice and community-based advocacy.

Curriculum and community engagement efforts focus on three areas: Chicana/o cultural studies, politics and social justice, and the transnational U.S.-Mexico experience. We address our three areas through a curriculum taught in both English and Spanish and maintain a regional and transnational focus on New Mexico, the U.S. Southwest, and Mexico. In the United States, societies are increasingly heterogeneous with Latinos emerging as vibrant ethnic communities. The population shift presents a critical need to build diversity awareness through an appreciation of multilingualism, multiculturalism, and thoughtful engagement. Since our program resides at the flagship institution of the state that has the largest percentage of Hispanics in the country, this mission is integral to furthering the understanding of New Mexico’s present and the nation’s future.

We view our partnerships with community and student organizations as central to our academic mission and our objectives for student learning. Students draw on diverse gendered social, historical, economic and cultural perspectives to evaluate the historical and contemporary conditions, issues, and challenges facing diverse Mexican descent populations; analyze intersectionality so as to understand the impact of the social construction of race, class, gender, and sexuality as related to diverse Chicana/o, and Latina/o communities in national and transnational contexts; assess the social, historical and cultural development of New Mexico’s Chicano and Hispano communities within the larger context of U.S. and Mexican American history; and gain skills in engaging in creative and community-responsive problem-solving in addressing questions of social justice facing community-based organizations as they relate to local and global realities. 

Because we emphasize analytical and communication skills, graduates with Chicana & Chicano Studies backgrounds end up in a variety of professions, including (but not limited to!) academia, marketing and public relations, politics, community organizing, social work, journalism, governmental and non-governmental organizations, education, law, medicine, and art.

Online Degree

UNM offers an online B.A. completion program in Chicana and Chicano Studies, with a concentration in Transnational Latino Perspectives. This degree is perfect for professionals, politicians, community members and those looking to work with Latino immigrant and ethnic populations in the United States. This program gives you a strong foundation for pursuing a graduate degree in law, the humanities, or the social sciences, including Latina/o Studies.

Certificates

The following certificates are intended for both non-degree- and degree-seeking students not majoring in Chicana & Chicano Studies who are interested in pursuing a specialized focus within the field.

New Mexican Cultural Landscapes

The certificate in New Mexican Cultural Landscapes is intended for those who wish to gain a multifaceted understanding of New Mexico as a place and the identities that emerge from people's interactions with each other and the land in the state. The curriculum focuses on the cultural geography of New Mexico, including histories of race, gender, and class, literature, and spatial organization of settlements.

Transnational Latino Studies

The certificate in Transnational Latino Studies is for those who are interested in pursuing a special focus in transnational or transborder Latino studies, including a deeper understanding of the dynamics of Chicano and Latino populations in the United States. The curriculum focuses on ethnic identity formation in the U.S., globalization, gender and sexuality in Raza identities, Chicana/o expressive culture, and community engagement.

Undergraduate Program

UNM Catalog