In light of APU’s ongoing conversation about diversity, the Ethnic Studies program continues to explore the life and history of Chicanos and Latinos through ETHN 357. The class is comprised of five students from different ethnic backgrounds.
According to the course description, ETHN 357 strives to introduce “students to the history and experiences of Chicano(a)/Latino(a) Americans while examining their immigration patterns, sociopolitical and economic influences, heritage and traditions, contributions to American culture and race relations.”
During one of the course’s Tuesday sessions, senior psychology major Mario Berny asked if he could read something that he wrote years ago. Interested, Professor Marcela Rojas complied. Berny went on to voice a type of spoken word regarding life and the “American dream” through the lens of the underprivileged.
“It’s interesting to see that today we may feel we have a more sophisticated social structure, but we are still having the same problems we have always had,” Berny said.
In class, the students often share personal stories that tie into weekly topics. This gives the atmosphere a conversational feel and avoids the traditional teacher-to-student teaching method. In this experiment of getting to know one another, the class members are willing to address the challenging social and ethnic questions at the root of their study.
“You cannot avoid the Chicano(a)/ Latino(a) culture. It has a growing influence in the United States, especially with recent discussion on immigration laws and elections. As Felipe Fernández-Armesto says in his book “Our America: A Hispanic History of the United States,” ‘Hispanics belong in the entire story of the country- as part of its origins and part of every important episode in its unfolding,’” Rojas said. “ETHN 357 class offers an excellent opportunity to APU students to learn and discover the story and contributions of Hispanos, Latinos, Chicanos to America, a story often ignored by history books and media.”
Throughout the class, students are asked questions like, “What is poverty?” Concepts such as “open and closed mobility” are frequently mentioned as the class studies South American history and it’s recent repercussions.
“The SCRD seeks to uphold the university’s value of ‘God-honoring diversity,'” Associate Director of the Student Center for Reconciliation and Diversity Kristine Cody said. One way in which we do this as a department is by supporting students in their development of multicultural awareness and competency. However, there are other avenues outside of our office that also afford this type of development. Ethnic Studies courses are valuable opportunities for students to lean into this process by learning about and engaging with a facet of multicultural identity. I believe these courses are essential to providing relevant education in a pluralistic society.”