Latino USA major (MAJ09380)

With a population of some 280 million, and composed of 50 states, the USA is the third-largest nation in terms of size and population in the world. It is the only 20th century superpower to have entered the 21st century with its power intact, and still boasts the world's largest national economy, the strongest military, and extraordinary cultural influence on a global scale. The capital is Washington DC, and its two biggest and most cosmopolitan cities are New York on the east coast, and Los Angeles, the centre of the film, television and music industries, on the west coast. Absorbing wave after wave of migrants from all over the world since the original 13 American colonies broke with Great Britain in 1776, the USA is one of the most culturally and racially diverse of nations. This fact, however, has not translated into multicultural harmony, for many members of the nation's African-American, Native American and Latino (Hispanic) populations continue to experience racism, discrimination and socioeconomic marginalisation, despite the profound impact of these minority groups on US culture and society.

The Latino USA major is based on the premise that the USA is one of the world's most-important Spanish-speaking countries. Already in many cities, Spanish has joined English as a de facto second language, and in some parts of the US, Spanish has or is approaching majority status. The Latino population of the USA currently stands at more than 42 million, a figure that does not include 'illegal' residents, estimated at anywhere between 10 and 14 million people, or the 3.5 million residents of Puerto Rico. When legal and 'illegal' residents are combined, the US Latino population is more than two-and-a-half times that of the Australian population, thus making the USA the second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. It is estimated that by 2050, Latinos will comprise more than 25 per cent of the US population.

The Latino USA major is designed for students to learn about and experience first hand the demographic, cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, and political impact of latinisation in the USA. The major also prepares students for understanding how those latinising processes will transform the USA, and how other parts of the world regard and relate to that nation, in the 21st century. Students who select this major will be taking advantage of the current demographic, cultural and linguistic transformation of the USA, giving them important skills for any professional area conducted in the Pacific region. The Latino USA major allows students to learn Spanish, to learn about the history and cultures of the USA's heterogeneous Latino sectors, and to spend an academic year of study at universities in parts of the USA with large Latino populations. This major focuses on the 'core' and longest established Latino sectors: Chicanos or Mexican-Americans, the largest Latino population, and the one swelled by continuing mass migration from Mexico; mainland Puerto Ricans; and Cuban-Americans.

Subjects to be undertaken in this major may be found under MAJ09380 in the Study Package Directory of this handbook.

Students spend two consecutive semesters studying Spanish language and Latino cultures at one of the following sites through arrangements made by the Institute. The sites are located in areas of the United States with a significant Latino community, thus enabling International Studies students to speak Spanish on a daily basis and to undertake research projects based on and in that community:

• California State University, Sacramento
• University of Miami, Florida
• University of Texas, Austin.

Students are assessed on each semester separately and assessment is based on subjects undertaken at the host institutions, as well as assessments administered by the Institute for International Studies.

Due to current exchange rates, students may expect that greater costs are incurred through undertaking a period of In-country Study in Latino USA than are involved in living away from home in Sydney.

Locations

Austin, Texas

Located in the centre of Texas on the Colorado River, Austin, the State's capital, is a thriving and progressive city, located in the counties of Travis and a portion of Williamson, the famous green country of Texas. Austin is often described as a magnet for musicians, writers and artists. In fact, the city is also known as the Live Music Capital of the World, with thousands of events in most 'American' musical genres held yearly in the city's many live-music venues. The city is also deeply marked by the presence of the University of Texas and its massive student population. Yet, with a city population of just under 700,000, Austin is also very manageable, particularly in the inner-city and downtown areas. Like most other urban centres in Texas, the city's demographics confirm extraordinary cultural and ethnic diversity. The fast-growing Latino (Hispanic) sector now stands at about 35 per cent of the total population, with Anglo-Americans representing about 50 per cent, African-Americans 10 per cent, and other groups comprising the remainder.

The University of Texas at Austin is the largest university in the vast University of Texas System, and a major research university home to more than 50,000 students, 2,700 academic and 17,000 administrative staff members. The campus is located in the heart of the scenic Central Texas Hill Country, Central Austin. Programs of study include the following: Architecture, Public Affairs, Business, Liberal Arts, Communication, Natural Sciences, Education, Nursing, Pharmacy, Engineering, Social Work, Fine Arts, law, and Information Technology. The University is also the home to two of the most important Latino Studies research and teaching centres in the United States: The Américo Paredes Center for Cultural Studies and the Center for Mexican-American Studies.

Miami, Florida

One of the most cosmopolitan and latinised cities in the United States, Miami and its surrounding metropolitan area, the Miami-Dade Metro Area, has an overall population of some 2.5 million people. On the edge of the famous Florida everglades, and straddling a series of lagoons and islands, fast-paced Miami has also become one of the financial and economic powerhouses of the US southeast. The city's proximity to the islands of the Caribbean has also made it a first port of call for the region's refugees and exiles; aside from the substantial Cuban-American community that started arriving en masse after Castro's victory in 1959, the city also boasts large Haitian, Dominican, Colombian, and central American populations. At the 2000 US Census, Latinos (Hispanics) made up 57.3 per cent of the total population, and this figure is predicted to increase dramatically over the next few decades. Spanish does not simply function as the city's de facto second language after English, it is in the process of dethroning English as the city's first language.

The University of Miami is a private university and one of the largest in south-eastern United States. The main campus is located on 260 acres of tropical vegetation in the City of Coral Gables, a suburb just south of Miami. The University's 13 colleges and schools offer study programs at all levels. While the Coral Gables campus houses nine schools and two colleges, the University has other specialist campuses and schools in downtown Miami, Virginia Key, and Biscayne Bay. The university also maintains the Koubek Center in Little Havana, which offers a range of study programs in Spanish language and Latino culture. Other notable centres include The Center for Latin American Studies, and The Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.

Sacramento, California

Sacramento, California's State capital, is a laid-back and easy-to-negotiate city of about 420,000 people (county total 1.2 million). Located in the picturesque heart of the State's north, the city is within easy reach of San Francisco on the coast and the Napa and Sonoma valleys, historic gold country and the Lake Tahoe ski slopes. The combination of its twin role as State capital and University City makes Sacramento a fascinating destination for Australian students. As with other major metropolises in California, Sacramento enjoys a cosmopolitan cultural and ethnic mix, with the Latino sector comprising 16 per cent of the city's population.

California State University, Sacramento, is the sixth-largest university in the 23-campus California State University system, with a multicultural student body of just under 30,000. Founded in 1947, today the large campus is situated in beautiful riverside parklands, and is linked to the city by kilometres of hiking trails. Boasting excellent facilities for students, the university offers 60 undergraduate and 40 postgraduate degrees in seven colleges: Arts and Letters; Business Administration; Education; Engineering and Computer Science; Health and Human Services; Natural Science and Mathematics; and Social Sciences.