Vision & Mission
Chicano Studies was founded in 1970 and it is based at the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso. UTEP has 23,922 students, of which 76% are of Mexican origin, reflecting the ethnic composition of the U.S.-Mexico border region it serves. In addition, UTEP has one of the largest enrollments of Mexican nationals and a strong nexus with Mexican institutions of higher education. UTEP aspires to become a tier-one Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é with a 21st Century demographic profile.
Chicano Studies is an instructional and research program dedicated to the study of the Mexican origin population in the United States, its antecedents and salient contemporary socioeconomic issues. Chicano Studies offers an undergraduate academic major and four academic minors. An additional field of study in Chicano Studies is available under the Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies degree.
Chicano Studies offers a comprehensive cultural dissemination program to the El Paso community and student body. Regional cultural production is conveyed through the annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration in the fall and the César Chávez Celebration in the spring and various publication outlets, such as an Occasional Papers Series. Faculty, students and community members participate in a wide range of research, fellowship, internship and community service initiatives, as well as international academic exchange and research programs.
Chicano Studies has a well-established U.S.-Mexico Border research component. The program regularly houses scholars from the U.S., Europe, Cuba, Asia and Mexico that are engaged in research projects that focus on the region and/or the Mexican origin population. The UTEP Library and Chicano Studies archives are significant resources of the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é that attract scholars. Chicano Studies is an active member of research consortia like the Inter-Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é Program for Latino Research, the Mexico-North Research Network and the Seminario Permanente Interinstitucional en Género, Violencia y Diversidad Cultural. Additionally, Chicano Studies has operated a research exchange program with the Centro de Estudios Hemisféricos y sobre Estados Unidos (CEHSEU) at the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Havana since 1994.