Queens College Latin American Studies Program

Queens College Latin American Studies Program
Name	Queens College Latin American Studies Program
Established	20th century
Type	Academic program
City	Flushing, Queens
State	New York City
Country	United States
Parent	Queens College, City University of New York

Queens College Latin American Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program located within Queens College, City University of New York that focuses on the history, culture, politics, and societies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Latino presence in the United States. The program draws on faculty from departments such as History (Queens College), Political Science (Queens College), Sociology (Queens College), Anthropology (Queens College), and Spanish and Latin American Languages and Literatures (Queens College), offering undergraduate majors, minors, and certificate options aligned with regional studies priorities.

History

The program's institutional origins trace to post-World War II area studies expansion influenced by initiatives like the Ford Foundation grants and the Tinker Foundation fellowships, with curricular growth paralleling developments such as the Alliance for Progress and the rise of Chicano Movement and Nuyorican Movement activism. During the late 20th century the program engaged with archives related to figures such as Simón Bolívar, José Martí, Rigoberta Menchú, Pablo Neruda, and Gabriel García Márquez, and participated in curricular reform influenced by the Civil Rights Movement, the Decolonization of the Americas debates, and federal policies like the Higher Education Act of 1965. The program expanded its language offerings alongside exchanges with institutions such as Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, University of São Paulo, and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Academic Programs

Undergraduate pathways include a major, minor, and certificate that integrate courses on the histories of Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Seminars examine primary texts by authors such as Jorge Luis Borges, Octavio Paz, Isabel Allende, Mario Vargas Llosa, Jorge Amado, and Alejo Carpentier, together with case studies of events like the Mexican Revolution, Cuban Revolution, Argentine Dirty War, and the Falklands War. Methodological training includes archival study at repositories comparable to the New York Public Library, comparative analysis drawing on frameworks from scholars like Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Aníbal Quijano, Arturo Escobar, and legal perspectives linked to documents such as the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights.

Research and Centers

The program affiliates with research centers and projects modeled on entities such as the Latin American Studies Association, the Caribbean Studies Association, and campus initiatives akin to the Center for Puerto Rican Studies and the Hispanic Institute. Faculty-led research themes cover topics related to migration flows including ties to Dominican Republic–United States relations, transnational networks like those studied in Panama, environmental histories in Amazon Basin contexts, and urban studies of neighborhoods comparable to East Harlem and Jackson Heights. Collaborative grants have been sought in the tradition of funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Faculty and Administration

Faculty have included scholars working on figures and topics such as Simone de Beauvoir-influenced gender studies in Latin America, comparative politics concerning leaders like Getúlio Vargas and Juan Perón, and literary criticism of writers including César Vallejo and Clarice Lispector. Administrative leadership has coordinated with offices modeled after the Provost of CUNY, international education directors who arrange exchanges with Universidad de Buenos Aires and Universidad de Chile, and grant officers facilitating partnerships with organizations such as UNESCO and the Organization of American States. Visiting scholars often come from programs connected to Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Texas at Austin.

Student Life and Activities

Student organizations intersect with student government bodies like the Student Senate (CUNY), cultural groups inspired by movements like the Nuyorican Movement, and clubs that host events commemorating dates such as Cinco de Mayo and Dia de los Muertos. Co-curricular activities include film series featuring works by Fernando Meirelles, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Lucrecia Martel, study abroad programs in cities including Buenos Aires, Santiago, Mexico City, Lima, and Havana, and internships with community organizations similar to Make the Road New York and media outlets such as El Diario La Prensa.

Community Engagement and Partnerships

Partnerships extend to cultural institutions like the Queens Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, and consular programs from countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Dominican Republic. Outreach projects collaborate with nonprofits modeled on CARE, Doctors Without Borders, and local advocacy groups addressing immigration policy debates connected to jurisprudence from cases like Plyler v. Doe and legislative contexts shaped by acts such as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Public lecture series have featured historians, diplomats, and activists linked to institutions such as the Brookings Institution and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Notable Alumni and Achievements

Alumni have pursued careers in diplomacy (e.g., postings to Ambassador of the United States to Mexico-level institutions), media positions at outlets like Univision and Telemundo, academia at universities such as City University of New York Graduate Center, public service roles in offices similar to the New York City Council, and leadership in NGOs modelled on The Carter Center and Human Rights Watch. Program affiliates have contributed to scholarship cited in journals like Hispanic American Historical Review, Latin American Research Review, and Journal of Latin American Studies and have received awards in line with recognition from the Guggenheim Fellowship, the MacArthur Fellowship, and the National Humanities Medal.

Category:Queens College, CUNY Category:Latin American studies