Latin American and Latinx Studies
About Latin American Studies
Our Program and Courses
At F&M, you can minor in Latin American and Latinx Studies. You can tailor your studies by choosing from courses within anthropology, environmental studies, government, history, American Studies, and Spanish that relate to Latin American and Latinx experiences and culture. These courses range in scope from investigations in Latin American archaeology, sexuality, colonialism, and politics — both past and present — to courses that center the experiences and culture of Latinx communities in the U.S.
By the time you graduate, you will be able to demonstrate:
- An understanding of Latin American and Latinx cultures, histories, and politics, and how they relate to the world at large.
- A more holistic understanding of Latin America as both a region and its unique, individual societies.
- Critical and analytical thinking and the ability to empathize outside of your lived experiences.
- The ability to collaborate effectively in a manner that translates to the professional
arena.
Curious what Latin American and Latinx Studies courses are like? Explore our course catalog to see the depth and breadth available to you.
Learning Outside the Classroom
While learning about the rich cultures of Latin America and the Latinx diaspora in F&M classes is essential to the minor, our program emphasizes the value of hands-on experiences. With our many research and study-abroad opportunities, you’ll have plenty of chances to step outside the structure of the classroom and embark on your own explorations in Latin American and Latinx Studies.
Research Opportunities
Every student at F&M has extraordinary opportunities to engage in independent or faculty-led
research. With faculty guidance, you can do a more in-depth dive into the topics that interest
you most. There are also many research seminars you may choose to participate in,
including studies in Latin American detective fiction, theater, and migration.
Explore research at F&M
Off-Campus Study
It’s only natural that while studying the history and cultures of Latin America, you
may wish to experience it for yourself. Previous students have visited Argentina,
Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru.
Explore off-campus study at F&M
Success Beyond F&M
Latin American and Latinx Studies at F&M prepares you for any number of careers, post-graduate fellowships or graduate school programs. The intellectual and analytical activities that make up the work of Latin American and Latinx Studies — including cultural understanding and communication skills, collaborating with others, and critical thought — help you develop useful and productive skills, which are valuable for any post-college plan.
Encounter world cultures, examine the human experience, and gain new perspectives
to help guide you through the field and in life. By studying anthropology at F&M,
you’ll explore humanity through anthropological theory and research, inspecting questions
like the natural roles of parents, the meaning of work, the function of ritual, and
more. F&M’s Department of Government has earned a reputation as one of the finest in the
country. Study government at F&M and examine power, politics, justice, equity, and
change while developing skills in language, economics, mathematics and philosophy. With over 572 million speakers in the United States and in Latin America, Europe,
Africa, and Asia, knowledge of Spanish is not only a valuable skill to have for your
own benefit, but an important tool for understanding and communicating with your fellow
humans. By studying Spanish at F&M, you’ll hone your language skills while learning
about the varied people and cultures that speak Spanish around the world.Student Spotlight
Student Travels to El Salvador for Senior Thesis
Sofia Portillo ’25, a Latin American & Latinx Studies minor, worked as a researcher
the last two summers, assisting on Associate Professor Laura Shelton’s book manuscript—“Midwives
and the Making of Modern Medicine in Provincial Mexico.” Portillo transcribed and
analyzed documents Shelton collected in Jalisco and Sonora, Mexico. She also edited,
fact-checked, and proofread the manuscript’s rough draft and reviewed with Shelton
collected images of midwifery, child birth and infanticide between 1800 and 1930.
The work prepared Portillo to embark on her own research project. Portillo traveled
to El Salvador’s capital of San Salvador and collected 190 documents from the University
of El Salvador and the University of Central America for her thesis on student movements
leading up to the civil war.
Read More »Alumni Spotlight
“This seemed like the perfect opportunity.”
Jean-Paul Rojas ’23 spent a summer interning with Proyecto Arqueologico Rios Culebra-Colin
(PARCC) in Dos Mangas, Ecuador. "As an anthropology major and Latin American studies
minor with previous academic experience in Ecuador and a passion for Andean archaeology,
this seemed like the perfect opportunity to gain fieldwork experience and form connections
with other students and professors from Ecuadorian and American institutions, apply
academic concepts in a specific context, and form bonds with community members," he
said.
Read More »Related Fields of Study
Anthropology
Government
Spanish
Explore Latin American and LatinX Studies at F&M
August 19, 2024
History Detective Digs into the Past
When Sofia Portillo arrived at Franklin & Marshall College, majoring in history was not a subject she considered until she took a class. Then she found her passion.
May 23, 2024
Ten Faculty Earn Tenure, Promotion
At its May meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously endorsed the recommendations of the Professional Standards Committee and the Provost, granting four F&M faculty tenure and promotion to associate professor, while six others were promoted to full professor.
July 6, 2022
Six Students' Quests for Summer Fieldwork and Experience
What does a Franklin & Marshall College student do during the summer? Many take the 15 weeks before the start of their next academic year to dive into the fields and industries they're studying in the classroom.