Department Mission and Description
Ethnic Studies is the study of the histories, experiences, cultures, and issues of
racial ethnic groups in the United States. The Ethnic Studies discipline emphasizes
the social and historical study of race and racism in the United States, and it is
defined by its attention to the systemic power relations that arise from institutional,
cultural, and societal, contextually imposed or chosen meanings and interpretations
of “race.” While the focus is on the experiences of racialized peoples in the United
States, the department also understands that race and racism are not unique or exclusive
to the United States and can be juxtaposed with academic parallels made beyond the
borders of the United States.
The department faculty are committed to intellectually rigorous teaching, scholarly activity that is programmatic and consequential to the field, and inclusive and supportive activism and service. From an intersectional and interdisciplinary approach, Ethnic Studies advances, challenges, and examines the social dynamics of race, racism, structural violence, colonialism, legalized discrimination, assimilation, and the resulting influences and impacts of such processes in the pursuit of human freedom and social justice. Moreover, Ethnic Studies provides an in-depth understanding of racial-ethnic diversity, indigenous and liberationist epistemologies, community and identity formation, artistic productions, and activism on the social, legal, cultural, and/or public policy front(s).
New Courses for Fall 2024
ETHS 3230 - Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Horror
Tues (Face to Face) & Thurs (Online)
11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
This course will take an in depth look at the horror genre from the classics, foreign
films, to the most contemporary releases in film, TV, and comics, focusing on the
history and themes of the genre, specifically in relation to gender, sexuality, and
race representations.
Instructor: Dr. Tracey Salisbury
ETHS 3340 - Filipinos & The Farmworkers Movement
Tues & Thurs
4:00 PM - 5:15 PM
Grounded in Asian American Studies, this course will examine the histories of Filipinas/os
and the farmworkers movement as well as movements for racial justice.
Instructor: Dr. Jeremiah Sataraka
ETHS 3510 - Chicana/os Latina/os in Higher Education
Tues & Thurs
10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
This course provides theoretical and empirical overview of Chicana/o/x Latina/o/x
education in the U.S., with special emphasis on disentangling how race, gender, class,
and immigration status impacts educational attainment and achievement.
Instructor: Dr. Nora Cisneros
ETHS 3520 Racialized Labor
Tues & Thurs
5:30 PM - 6:45 PM
This course offers an overview of labor experiences of racialized people in the United
States. Race and racism are intricately tied to the division of labor and this course
examines these intricacies within and across the U.S.
Instructor: Dr. Jose G. Villagran
ETHS 3610 - Native American and Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
Mon, Wed & Fri
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
This course provides a historical survey of Native American and Indigenous peoples
of the Americas. Grounded in Indigenous historical frameworks, this course provides
students with an understanding of Indigenous historical narratives since they came
to inhabit their ancestral territories until contemporary struggles of the 1960s.
Instructor: Dr. Maria Gutierrez De Jesus
ETHS 3230 - Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Horror
11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
This course will take an in depth look at the horror genre from the classics, foreign films, to the most contemporary releases in film, TV, and comics, focusing on the history and themes of the genre, specifically in relation to gender, sexuality, and race representations.
Instructor: Dr. Tracey Salisbury
ETHS 3340 - Filipinos & The Farmworkers Movement
4:00 PM - 5:15 PM
Grounded in Asian American Studies, this course will examine the histories of Filipinas/os and the farmworkers movement as well as movements for racial justice.
Instructor: Dr. Jeremiah Sataraka
ETHS 3510 - Chicana/os Latina/os in Higher Education
Tues & Thurs
10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
This course provides theoretical and empirical overview of Chicana/o/x Latina/o/x
education in the U.S., with special emphasis on disentangling how race, gender, class,
and immigration status impacts educational attainment and achievement.
Instructor: Dr. Nora Cisneros
ETHS 3520 Racialized Labor
5:30 PM - 6:45 PM
This course offers an overview of labor experiences of racialized people in the United States. Race and racism are intricately tied to the division of labor and this course examines these intricacies within and across the U.S.
Instructor: Dr. Jose G. Villagran
ETHS 3610 - Native American and Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
This course provides a historical survey of Native American and Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Grounded in Indigenous historical frameworks, this course provides students with an understanding of Indigenous historical narratives since they came to inhabit their ancestral territories until contemporary struggles of the 1960s.
Instructor: Dr. Maria Gutierrez De Jesus