
About Us
The Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies is one of the first of its kind in the nation and we recently celebrated our 50th anniversary! We are an interdisciplinary and transnational program of teaching, research, and public service that provides students with the opportunity to explore the history, politics, culture, and ethics of Chicana/o/x-Latinx communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Our mission is to develop interculturally aware 21st century leaders who engage in social-justice oriented community service and scholarship. We achieve our mission through our curriculum, research, and knowledge production, which explores race, gender identities, class, immigration, and ethnicity, and emphasizes the U.S.-Mexico borderlands (history, sociopolitical contexts, comparative and symbolic borders), expressive arts (art, cinema, music, theater), and community practices for social change (health, education, community organizing).
We are situated in one of the world’s most dynamic metropolitan areas characterized by the international border and the rich perpetual flow of people, culture, and goods in both directions. Our faculty members—many of them pioneers in our field—use our location as a laboratory for research, teaching, and service.
Upcoming Events and Recent News
- As is our department’s tradition for more than 18 years, we will have our Altar de Día de Muertos. Learn more about photo submissions, volunteering, and the opening ceremony.
- In solidarity! Puerto Rico, Hurricane Fiona, and Grassroots Organizations. Read more from our colleague Roberto Hernández.
- We are very pleased to welcome our newest faculty member, Dr. Lilia Soto! ¡Bienvenida! Read about her research and publications.
- Congratulations to our colega Michael Domínguez on his promotion to Associate Professor! ¡Muchas felicidades!
- Dr. Victoria González-Rivera was invited by the Escuela de Historia at the University of Costa Rica to give a presentation on May 18, 2022 titled “Escribir la historia de la diversidad sexual en el Pacífico de Nicaragua, 1492-1979.” Watch her presentation.
Important Contacts
Department Chair
Dr. María Ibarra
[email protected]
Undergraduate Adviser
Paola Martinez
[email protected]
Administrative Coordinator
Bertha Hernández
[email protected]