18 units

The ethnic studies minor enhances students’ understanding of the experiences of U.S. immigrant populations and communities of color, along with their sensitivity to issues of race, ethnicity, and social class. The program also enables students to analyze contemporary social problems that affect these populations and evaluate public policy related to the areas of immigration, education, criminal justice, health care, and economic development. The primary curricular focus is on the experiences of Asian Americans, African Americans, Chicano/Latino, and Native American peoples within the United States. Because of the program’s interdisciplinary character, students learn to appreciate how scholars in different fields (e.g., history, art, literature, communication, anthropology, education, political science, psychology, and sociology) approach the study and expression of race and ethnicity.

Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Core Course
ETHN 150	Introduction to Ethnic Studies 1	3
Contemporary Experience Courses
Select three of the following:		9
ETHN 355	The Asian American Experience 1
ETHN 356	The African American Experience 1
ETHN 357	The Chicano(a)/Latino(a) Experience 1
ETHN 358	Native American/Indigenous Experience 1
Elective Requirements
Select two of the following:		6
Culture and the Arts
ART 403	Multicultural Art 2
COMM 495	Special Topics
ENGL 364	American Ethnic Literature 1
ENGL 489	Literary Topics
GLBL 201	Anthropology for Everyday Life 1
MUS 301	Music of Africa
MUS 302	Soul Music 1
Social Relationships/Public Policy
COMM 260	Intercultural Communication 1
EDLS 405	Diversity in the Classroom 1
GLBL 260	Intercultural Communication 1
HIST 346	History of American Immigration 1
PSYC 400	Multicultural Psychology 1
SOC 235	Race and Ethnicity 1
SOC 358	Human Diversity 1
SOC 359	Immigrant L.A.
SOC 464	Social Stratification
THEO 480	Theology from the Margins 1
Total Units		18

¹

Meets the General Education Intercultural Competence requirement.

²

Meets the General Education Humanities: Fine Arts requirement.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:

1. Articulate an awareness of the historical experiences of U.S. ethnic groups and their contributions to the broader U.S. society.
2. Differentiate terminology that specifically relates to respective U.S. ethnic groups.
3. Critically engage the elements of American cultural identity formation including ethnic identity and issues of race.
4. Discuss a broadened understanding of how Christian faith shapes respective U.S. ethnic experiences.

Faculty

Program Director

Nori Henk, PhD, Sociology

Affiliated Faculty

Patricia Brown, PhD, English

David Miyahara, PhD, Sociology

Adjunct Faculty

Aaron Hinojosa, PhD, Ethnic Studies