November 13, 2014
American ethnic studies faculty present at National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies
Submitted by Department of American Ethnic Studies
For the first time in its history, the K-State American ethnic studies department is currently offering Chicana/o Latina/o courses, along with Asian American, Native American and African American courses.
As an expression of the new teaching and research component, American ethnic studies faculty presented at the regional meeting of the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies in Kansas City.
The theme of this year's National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies midwestern regional conference Oct. 23-25 at University of Missouri–Kansas City was "Latin@s in the Midwest: Past, Present, and Future."
Yolanda Broyles-González, university distinguished professor and head of the department, along with visiting instructors Norma A. Valenzuela and Isabel Millán, presented on the panel, "Chicana/o Studies at Kansas State University." They were joined by Marilyn Ortega, a K-State American Ethnic Studies alumna who recently began doctoral studies at the University of Kansas.
Each panelist focused on their unique contributions to the field of Chicana/o studies by examining music, film, oral histories, children's picturebooks and comics. Their presentations reflect the department's expanding course offerings in Chicana/o and Latina/o studies including AMETH 560, Popular Culture in Mexican-America; AMETH 453, The Current Border Crisis and Immigration; and AMETH 453, Transborder Children's Literature available in spring 2015.
The Q-and-A provided the panelists an opportunity to elaborate on their joint efforts to bridge alliances between K-State, Manhattan and surrounding regions.
The American Ethnic studies department is committed to "serve and focus on communities of color historically erased, socially dismissed and institutionally underrepresented," and aims to accomplish this through direct partnerships with community organizations and neighboring universities.