Press Releases
Saint Xavier Latino/Latin American and African American Studies Programs Go Beyond Celebrating Cultures
Universities need to institutionalize diversity across curriculum, community
CHICAGO (Nov. 10, 2004) – According to the National Survey of Student Engagement, released this month, Saint Xavier students say the university fosters a climate in which students of different social backgrounds can interact, one of the key components of a meaningful educational experience.
With the recent addition of two new minors, Saint Xavier University is now working not only to teach students the history, culture challenges and triumphs of minority populations in America, but also to teach students how to put knowledge of African American and Latino issues, social justice and policy into practice long after graduation.
Launched at the start of the 2004-05 school year, the programs, African American Studies and Latino/Latin American Studies, are already generating student interest. Though figures are not yet available for the number of students declaring a minor in either of the two programs, four courses under the umbrella of African American Studies carry an enrollment of 95 students this semester; 75 students are participating in the four courses offered through the Latino/Latin American Studies program.
Michael Clark, Director of the African American Studies program, said that both new minors look at the bigger picture of studying African Americans and Latinos.
“These programs are designed to help students carry out the obligations of their eventual careers,” he said. “We’ve created programs that are not only celebration of the cultures, but will help students deal with relevant policy issues and social justice.”
Dr. Alex Trillo, chair of the Latino/Latin American Studies program, said that, with Saint Xavier’s diverse student population and diverse surrounding communities, the university has a responsibility to go beyond percentages (of different students), and to instead explore – through courses, programs and study-abroad opportunities – how diverse populations fit within the broader society and how students can cultivate an understanding of cultures that will assist them in the working world.
The two interdisciplinary programs have similar missions: to integrate into the curriculum new research and literature by and about African Americans and Latinos, respectively; to enable all students to explore new theories, frameworks and methods currently used to understand the African American and Latino experience; to expose students to the developing field of minority studies, lending them a better understanding of racial issues in their personal and professional lives.
With both programs expected to continue reporting strong enrollment numbers and student interest, both Dr. Clark and Dr. Trillo hope that research, literature and experiences related to the African American and Latino cultures can be integrated into Saint Xavier’s core curriculum.
“What we’re dealing with here is different bodies of knowledge. What we want to do is include these other bodies that are not yet part of the curriculum, and even compare them to those that are,” Trillo said. “As educators, we need to expose our students to a diverse educational experience so they’ll be able to participate in the global economy and to respect the unique outlooks, needs and experiences of other cultures.”
Both Clark and Trillo noted that both minors provide a source of professional development for all students in fields such as education, nursing, business and management, and any of the social sciences where understanding human behavior is essential.
“The courses we offer complement other fields,” Trillo said. “For example, the study of African American and Latino cultures and the issues facing each group bears an obvious connection to nursing and the entire field of health care delivery in African-American and Latino neighborhoods, especially where Spanish is the primary language. Similarly, those studying education need to have a sense of such issues where the schools are seeing more and more demographic changes. And a working knowledge of these communities is important in social services professions and the business field, where it’s crucial to understand different markets, niches and clientele groups.”
The extent to which both programs complement other professions and disciplines is evident in the variety of classes each offers. In African American Studies, courses include “Education in a Multicultural Society,” “History and Politics of Welfare in America,” “Social Stratification” and “African American Political Thought.” Courses covering jazz, African American literature and African American history are also part of the minor.
Courses in the Latino Studies minor include “Spanish for the Social Services,” “Business Spanish,” “Spanish for Medical and Health Personnel,” “Latin American Politics” and “Chicago’s Latino Communities.” Courses to study Latino literature, culture and popular culture are also offered.
Both professors currently are thinking of ways to raise more resources for the programs and are seeking internal and external funding sources.
“Ideally, we’d like to move toward developing a center that would be the host place for these programs,” Trillo said. “That facility would be the core of many things we’ll do – hosting lectures, presentations and exhibits; conducting research and serving as a clearinghouse for issues of social justice and diversity.”
To get to that point, Saint Xavier needs to “create a synergy to institutionalize diversity,” Trillo said.
“It’s one thing to be diverse demographically , but quite another for the philosophy and outlook of the institution to be diverse,” he added.
Clark agreed. “The goal is that diversity becomes part of the regular curriculum,” he said. “A university is diverse only to the extent that diversity is inherent in the day-to-day climate of the institution.”
Saint Xavier also offers a minor in Women & Gender Studies, a certificate in Eastern European Studies, and expects to have a Middle Eastern Studies Program implemented by the Fall of 2005. For more information on either of the two new programs, visit Saint Xavier’s Web site at www.sxu.edu or you can visit each program’s site www.sxu.edu/latino_studies/ and www.sxu.edu/african_american_studies/ . To speak with either Dr. Trillo or Dr. Clark, please call (773) 298-3453 and (773) 298-3282, respectively.