Administration considers Latino Studies

If approved, the Latino studies program may be available to students as soon as two years from now. The program, which will now focus on the experience of Latinos in the United States, would be different from the existing program in Latin American studies.

A Latino studies curriculum has become a necessary academic offering as the country’s Hispanic population continues to grow, said sociology professor Marta Tienda, who is chairing the ad hoc committee initiating the proposal. As the largest minority in the United States, Latinos comprise more than 15 percent of the national population.

Princeton lags behind other schools in the creation of a program devoted to Latino studies. “We’re one of the few universities of high stature that doesn’t have a program,” Tienda said.

The recent push for the program’s recognition has been fueled by stronger student support and stemmed from the Latino Coalition Report published last fall by a number of Hispanic student groups.

The current ad hoc committee is composed of Tienda, a graduate student, an undergraduate and various faculty members and has been working on the program’s official proposal since December.

Though Tienda said the proposal serves primarily as a “preliminary talking document,” she is optimistic that it will be well-received by the parties reviewing it.

“The administration has been very encouraging, but there’s a lot of work to do,” Tienda explained.

Bob Hernandez ’69, a Hispanic lawyer living and working in the Boston area, began his own efforts to get discussions of a Latino studies program off the ground. After teaching a seminar on Hispanics and the law at the College of the Holy Cross last fall, Hernandez sought out interested Princeton Latino alumni at Alumni Day last February.

He has been in touch with about 18 other alumni who have joined him in discussions about the best way to move forward with a Latino studies program. While Hernandez was pleased to hear that the proposal has been submitted to the committee, he said he believes “the creation of a full-fledged Latino studies program of the kind we’re talking about is going to take years.”

“My preliminary impression is that [the proposal is] a great first step, but it is a relatively small step and far short of what we’ve been discussing as necessary to have an excellent Latino studies program at Princeton,” he added.

As discussions continue, however, the University will have an advantage in terms of planning a strong program, Tienda said. By creating such a curriculum late in the game, “you get to cherry-pick the best of all possibilities,” she explained.

Tienda said that students involved in planning have been studying the curricula and formats of the Latino studies programs at other institutions, examining curricular specifics such as the best format for the program, the courses offered and sources of faculty to teach the new classes.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

The committee is also currently identifying existing faculty and courses that could form part of the new program.

The parties involved cite a number of reasons for the delay in Princeton’s creation of a program. “We’re a small institution, and Princeton put a lot of emphasis on developing the Program in African-American Studies,” Tienda said, adding that the lack of a “critical mass” of interested students had prevented a faster start.

Hernandez noted that “the driving force [behind such curricular changes] has tended to be enrollment, and as the presence of Latino students has increased, the need for this kind of program has increased.”

Though no formal decisions have been made, conversations addressing the relevant issues are in the works. Committee members have determined that the new curriculum would likely take shape as an interdisciplinary certificate program, drawing courses from several different departments with a focus on the humanities and social sciences.

Tienda pointed out that the program ought not to become its own department due to its naturally eclectic subject matter. She said that offering Latino studies as a major is a “bad idea because it has to be rooted in a [particular] discipline.”

Though the certificate is not yet officially established, new courses focusing on Latino studies are already planned for next fall, including one exploring Latino/a sexualities and another focusing on Latino/a performance art.

— Staff writers Paige Kestenman and Janet Tambasco contributed reporting to this story.