The Latin American and Caribbean Studies program website>>

Sample Courses:
  • ANT-283 (183). Peoples and Cultures of Latin America. Examination of the peoples and cultures of Latin America in historical and contemporary perspectives, with themes ranging from colonialism and identity politics to religion, gender, race and ethnicity.
  • HST-274. Social and Political Movements in Latin America. The history of recent social movements in Latin America, exploring such issues as democracy, racism, class, gender and ethnic divisions, human rights, globalization and popular movements. Also, how Latin Americans see themselves and how their culture, economics and politics have developed in different directions than other parts of the world.
  • MLT-283. Beyond the Sunny Paradise: Literature and Politics in the Caribbean. An interdisciplinary study of Caribbean literature focusing on the political history of the region, 1898-the present, with an examination of five main topics: Legacies of Colonialism; Race and Ethnicity; Constructed Identities; U.S. Dominance and Interventionism; and Caribbean Diaspora.
  • MLT-287. Filming Margins: Cinema Verité and Social Realism in Latin America. A study of different styles of documentary and realist Latin American film making, looking critically at the aesthetics and socio-political meanings of conventional and experimental documentary films dealing with marginalized peoples and their representation; films by Luis Buñuel, Hector Babenco, Fernando Meirelles and others.
  • MLT-289. Literature of the Mexican-American Border. Discussions of literature, film and essays from both sides of the Mexican-American border, designed to foster an understanding of the complexities of history, culture and sense of identity.
  • SPN-328. Inquiring Latin American Identities: Reading Context, Space & Cultural Artifacts. Exploration of how Latin American identities are constructed through the lenses of written, visual and oral texts with regard to gender relations, ethnicity, urban spaces, cultural practices and beliefs.
  • AMU-133. Music of Latin America. Latin American music-cultures approached through live performance, lecture, video and audio; survey samples from folk, popular and classical traditions, with special emphasis on the music of Cuba and Brazil.
    • PSC-243. Latin American Politics: Facing the World. Provides a working knowledge of Latin America’s current politics, trends and challenges.
  • AAH-263. Latin American and Caribbean Art: A Cultural Survey of the Modern Era. An examination of the major aspects of Latin American and Caribbean art from the early 19th through 20th centuries, with an emphasis on integrating the social and political background of the various cultures with key artists, artistic issues and movements.
After Union:
After Union
  • Regional Assistant, Latin America & Caribbean, USAID
  • Labor Services Representative, NYS Department of Labor
  • Managing Director, BNY Mellon Corporate Trust Division, Sao Paulo, Brazil
  • Chief Immigration Advisor to U.S. Representative (Oakland, Calif.)
  • Spanish Teacher, High School for Leadership and Public Service, NYC
  • Head of Development, Point Grey Pictures
  • Independent Consultant, Impactivo Consulting, Puerto Rico
  • Assistant Professor of History, The Sage Colleges
  • Teacher, Cambridge Friends School
  • Senior Associate, KPMG LLP
  • Masters International Student, the Peace Corps (Peru), and graduate student, American
  • University School of International Service
  • Doctoral Student in History, Rutgers University

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Union College's thriving Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) program offers a major, an interdepartmental major, and a minor in the study of Latin America and Caribbean regions.

The LACS program represents today a multidisciplinary approach to the history, politics, cultures, and societies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Latino communities that are part of the United States. The program offers more than 60 courses, which are part of the Common Curriculum, fulfilling requirements in the humanities, linguistic and cultural competency, and connections across disciplines.

LACS students can focus on one or several of a number of related themes: 

  • Art and Politics in Latin America and the Caribbean
  • International Affairs and Global Studies
  • Latino/Latina Studies; and
  • Politics and Power in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Our 18 faculty members have diverse international and national backgrounds, and come from a variety of departments, including Political Science, History, Modern Languages, Anthropology, Visual Arts and others. They have traveled and researched extensively in Latin America, resulting in a broad list of publications.

In addition to enjoying small classes with professors who care about your success, you can round out your academic experience with study abroad in Argentina, either on a full term in Cordoba or a mini-term based in Buenos Aires and Patagonia. On each of these terms, a Union faculty member will accompany you. In addition, other countries and regions in the hemisphere have also been part of LACS students’ pursuits.

LACS majors get involved in a number of campus groups, including Círculo Estudiantil Latinoamericano (CELA), African and Latino Alliance of Students (ALAS), Spanish Club and the Spanish Language Table. The College regularly presents lectures, films, exhibits, and visits by Latin American writers, artists, and scholars.

Of special note for those with an interest in LACS is Union's 5-year Cooperative Degree Program with Georgetown University. This agreement enables qualified undergraduate students majoring in Latin American Studies to receive a master’s degree from Georgetown’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies program in one academic year and a summer, rather than in the normal three or four semesters.

Graduates who are fluent in the history, politics, languages and cultures of Latin American countries pursue promising careers in business, finance, government, journalism, law, psychology, public policy and much more.