Chicanx Studies, Minor

Empowering you to excel in a wide range of career fields with a deeper understanding of the social, cultural, political, and economic contours of the Mexican-American experience.

Chicanx Studies

The Chicanx Studies minor will deepen your understanding of the history, culture, and opportunities of one of the country’s largest minority groups, providing the kind of valuable perspective on the Mexican-American experience that will add a rich dimension and context to your major.

Empowering You to Excel in Your Chosen Profession

The program’s emphasis in oral history, as well as its strong connection with creative writing and social action, provides an ideal foundation upon which to build a fulfilling career in any number of fields.

As a student in the minor you’ll enhance your overall learning experience and gain knowledge and perspectives that will set you apart in a wide range of professional fields including education, library and media arts, law, civil service, and business.

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Public University Price, Private University Experience

A Lifetime of Value

Chicanx Studies, Minor

The minor will develop your skills in theoretical inquiry and analysis, cultural interpretation, historical and political formations, identity and contemporary social formations, and community leadership and practice. 

Educational Objectives

Our emphasis on research and writing will provide you with the practical skills in data collection and effective communication that can be applied across the spectrum of academic and professional disciplines.

Our comprehensive curriculum will take you on a well-rounded academic journey where you’ll learn oral history, develop interviewing skills, and strengthen your abilities in social and cultural analysis.

Our current, relevant courses will prepare you to acquire the necessary qualifications to teach Ethnic Studies at the high school level.

Our focus on the Mexican-American experience will deepen your understanding of social, cultural, political, and economic factors and empower you to better navigate today’s multicultural society.

Our location will serve as an invigorating backdrop for your learning experience in the minor, where you’ll uncover the rich and complex stories of Mexicans on the Central Coast from before statehood to the large waves of immigrants arriving since the early 1900s.

You’ll have the opportunity to engage in service-learning activities at places like California Rural Legal Assistance in Salinas, which has historically played a huge role in the Mexican-American civil rights movement. The combination of this history and first-hand service-learning experience gives students an extra special sense of pride that they are engaged in something larger than themselves.

Faculty & Staff

Our faculty are highly respected scholars and service-oriented professionals who serve as dedicated mentors to their students in class and on summer research projects.

Phuong Nguyen

Phuong Nguyen

Associate Professor

Phuong Nguyen

Phuong Nguyen

Department Chair AY

Phuong Nguyen

Phuong Nguyen

Special Consultant

Wendy Rutledge

Wendy Rutledge

Administrative Support Coordinator

Questions? We’re Here to Help!

Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you have about the Chicanx Studies program.

Our experienced and supportive admissions staff is here to provide all the individualized guidance you need.

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