Arizona State University
Availability / Marketing of Content
The layout on this website was really well done, it was easy to navigate and very informative about the Latino/a Studies program at the school. They market the program from all aspects, whether it be the Chicano/a aspect, travel to Latin American countries or language study, they cover it all. The site is also very colorful, yet easy to read. It makes you want to learn more about the programs and services they offer. The links are very clear and easy to find, so one isn't easily lost in navigating the website. It makes sure to give the person every reason to look at the page, so from the marketing standpoint, the presentation is wonderful. Yet, it is also very informative, it tells a lot about each of the classes and the faculty that work in the department. Overall, it gives a good impression of the program.
Courses Offered
In the Chicano/a Studies program, there are many courses offered to give variety to those seeking a major in this program. The core courses are composed of introductions to the subjects to be studied. The first course that has to be taken in this subject is the Intro to Chicano/a Studies, which a basic overview of the program and studies the political, economic and social factors that Chicanos/as have to deal with today. Another major course is Chicano/a Culture and Society, which discusses Mexican American artists, writers, entertainers, and scholars. There are also courses dealing with Chicano/a humanities, which mostly deals with Chicano/a literature and art. Also, there are a set of courses representing Chicano/a social science, which dealt with everything from health, to family structure, to politics. All of these courses built up the core of course for the Chicano/a Studies major and minor. There were no Latino/a Studies courses listed.
Program Structure
At this point in time, only a certificate is offered in the field of Latino Studies. To earn this certificate, one must not only study the culture, but also they must take up to a certain course in either Spanish or Portuguese. They must take at least ten upper division courses in the Latino/a Studies from a list of Latino/a Studies courses approved for this requirement. The main condition to the ten course rule is that these courses cannot include language courses, only those dealing with Latino/a culture, history, etc. While this certificate is available to anyone of an major, the program is marketed for those with an Ethnic Studies or Interdisciplinary Studies major.
Arizona State also offers a Chicano/a Studies major to their students. In this major, a person must take 45 credit hours in Chicano/a Studies, consisting of some basic Chicano/a courses that introduce the subject and then gaining specialization in the subject. They are also required to take eighteen credit hours in one of two concentrations, humanities/cultural studies or social sciences/policy and then twelve additional credit hours in the other concentration. Students in this major are also expected to be able to read, write and speak Spanish at a fairly decent level. Also, all Chicano/a Studies majors are required to have a minor in another subject.
Last but not least, ASU offers a Chicano/a Studies minor, which like the major, requires several core courses in Chicano/a Studies that determine twelve of the eighteen credit hours they must accomplish to earn the minor. The other six courses are then decided on by the student and the advisor.
Demographics
In the 2000 census of the city of Tempe, Arizona, where Arizona State is located, it was found that approximately 17.9% of its residents considered themselves to be Hispanic. While the same 2000 census of the Maricopa County, where Tempe is located, yielded that 24.8% of its residents considered themselves to be hispanic. This second figure is included, because many people who attend Arizona State have never lived in Tempe, or still do not live in Tempe. Some of them are from and continue to reside in the Western part of Phoenix, where they commute to the school in either Tempe or Glendale(the location of Arizona State's west campus). Comparitively, Arizona State boasts only 13% of Hispanics at their school.
Sources
Center for Latin American Studies. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2006, from Arizona State University Web site: http://www.asu.edu/clas/latin/index.htm
Chicana and Chicano Studies Department. (2006). Retrieved February 18, 2006, from Arizona State University Web site: http://www.asu.edu/clas/chicana/
Our Tempe Community. (2005). Retrieved February 18, 2006, from City of Tempe Website: http://www.tempe.gov/diversity/ourcommunity.htm#ethnicity