Message from the Director

¡Bienvenidos to the cyber home of Northern Illinois University's Center for Latino and Latin American Studies (CLLAS)! I would like to invite new and returning students and faculty to explore our site to learn about course offerings, academic and cultural programming, scholarship and grant opportunities and community outreach activities sponsored by CLLAS. ¡Vamos todos on a journey to greater understanding of Latin America and the Caribbean and the Latino experience in the United States!

A minor in Latino and Latin American Studies fits nicely with most degree plans offered by the university and allows students to take courses in a variety of major fields: history, sociology and Spanish literature and culture, as just a few examples. Our dedicated faculty associates teach innovative and engaging courses that fulfill the requirements for a minor in Latino and Latin American Studies. Consider our introductory courses:

  • LATS 100: Introduction to Latin American Civilization
  • LATS 101: Introduction to Latino Studies
or
  • FLSP 361: Introduction to Spanish Cultures
  • HIST 374: Latinos in the U.S.
  • SOCI 361: Race and Ethnicity

We host lectures, discussions, and workshops throughout the academic year that features the groundbreaking research of NIU faculty and faculty invited from across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean and elsewhere. We also sponsor, often in collaboration with other academic and resource centers on campus, cultural programs that serve to make more visible the history and culture of Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the social, economic and political issues facing Latinos in the United States. I encourage you to check back frequently for an updated schedule of events.

CLLAS also seeks to support its students and faculty associates in their efforts towards academic excellence through several competitively-awarded scholarships and research grants. Stay tuned for announcements detailing application requirements and deadlines.

Finally, we remain committed to extending learning beyond the classroom by partnering with student organizations, community groups, and alumni both on and off campus. In these activities and through other modes of support for social justice engagement, we encourage our students to think critically and develop a sense of personal and collective responsibility for the world around them. Ask me how you can get involved or be on the lookout for calls for participation.

Become a Latino and Latin American Studies minor, attend one of our many academic and cultural programs or just stop by the center to learn more about how we can help you reach your goals! Go Huskies!

Hablamos pronto,

Christina D. Abreu, Ph.D.
Director of the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies

Contact Us

Center for Latino and Latin American Studies
Northern Illinois University
515 Garden Rd.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-1531
latinostudies@niu.edu

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