LaGuardia has a tradition of opening the doors to higher education and the professions for nontraditional and ethnic and language minority students. This option follows in that tradition by creating a transfer path to baccalaureate programs in Latin American Studies and related fields. Nationally, the field of Latin American Studies has steadily expanded since its creation in the early 1920's. There are now one hundred and fifty-six U.S. colleges and universities that offer such programs. Among CUNY senior colleges, Brooklyn, City, Hunter, Lehman, Queens, and York offer a major/minor in this field.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Latinos have become the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. As American society becomes increasingly pluralistic and multiethnic, there is a pressing need to prepare teachers and other professionals who are fluent in languages other than English and who demonstrate an understanding and familiarity with cross-cultural issues. Hence, the Latin American Studies curriculum will begin to develop proficiency in Spanish for non-native speakers and will enhance linguistic sophistication for heritage students, while strengthening cultural literacy.
LaGuardia’s Liberal Arts: Latin American Studies option is articulated with John Jay College for Criminal Justice, and many of students also transfer to City College.
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