With a population of some 300 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, with many members of the nation's African-American, Native American and Latino (Hispanic) populations continuing 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 largest 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 12 and 15 million people, or the 4 million residents of Puerto Rico. When legal and 'illegal' residents are combined, the US Latino population is more than two-and-a-half times the population of Australia. 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 country, 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.

Students spend two consecutive semesters studying Spanish language and Latino cultures at one of the sites below 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.

• San Diego State University
• University of Arizona, Tucson
• University of Texas, Austin
• University of Miami, Florida

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.

Semester dates:

Semester 1: early January to mid-May (US Spring semester)

Semester 2: early August to mid-December (US Fall semester)

Locations

San Diego, California

Located in the southwest corner of California on the US-Mexico border and faced by the Mexican city of Tijuana, San Diego is the seventh largest city in the USA with a population of 1.5 million. Its Latino population numbers some 850,000. Some 195 kilometres south of Los Angeles, San Diego has long served as a point of cultural transition between California and Mexico. The city's coastal location means that residents have ready access to a string of fine beaches and some of the best surfing on the US west coast. The climate is mild, day time temperatures rarely straying over 30 degrees in summer or dropping below 20 in the winter.

San Diego State University (SDSU) is the largest university in San Diego and the third largest in California. SDSU is home to nearly 33,000 students and approximately 6,400 academic faculty and administrative staff. The main SDSU campus is located in a Mexican-American stronghold, and is connected by regular buses to downtown San Diego, the trip taking approximately half an hour. The campus is compact, most of its streets have Aztec/Náhuatl names, and the buildings are in a fetching neo-Spanish colonial style, surrounded by impressive cactus gardens and lush landscaping. Another campus is located 160 kilometres to the east at El Centro, a migrant feeder town on the California-Mexico border whose population is predominantly Spanish-speaking. SDSU offers undergraduate programs at both campuses in Arts and Letters (Humanities), Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Health and Human Services, Professional Studies and Fine Arts (this faculty includes journalism, tourism, TV/media production, communication, art, design and art history) and the Sciences.

In-country study students and students on exchange have the option of studying at either campus. If based at the main campus, students undertake subjects in Spanish language and culture and US Latino studies, and have the option of taking classes at one of two Mexican universities located across the border in Tijuana. Students based at El Centro undertake the same academic program, but also have a social awareness program built into their academic studies.

In-country study students (Latino USA major) and general exchange students must have a a Credit average or above to apply. This programme is not open to MBA students. Note that there are different requirements for In-country study and exchange students in terms of their study programs at SDSU.

A list of areas of teaching can be viewed online at:

General exchange students should select two subjects in the same area of study, so that they can be admitted to a major which is required in the US system. For the purpose of being granted a student visa, exchange students should study two subjects at the host university from their own area of study (i.e. business students should choose two business subjects). In-country study students in the Latino USA major must select Spanish language as their major.

All students enrol online before arrival. Because class spaces in many majors are limited, students should check the list of areas and have a list of 10 alternative subjects that they are able to study. See the list of impacted majors at:

Exchange students not in a combined degree with International Studies are advised to study elective subjects because of the need for flexibility.

Tucson, Arizona

Arizona, Tucson, is a thriving desert city of some 510,000 people, and a greater county population of some 850,000, in the south of Arizona, some 100 kilometres from the US-Mexico border and the twin cities of Nogales. Bounded by four groups of mountains, Tucson is located in one of the most spectacular desert environments in the USA, home to a huge range of cacti. Given its border and desert location, Tucson has also been one of the most significant US settings for contact and interaction between Anglo-Americans, indigenous peoples and Mexicans. The Tohono O'odham and the Yaqui nations have a significant presence in the city and in nearby reservations. The Latino population of Tucson is around 40 per cent and growing steadily.

The University of Arizona is a student-centered university with over 34,000 students. It is one of the top ranked research universities in the USA. The main campus of the University of Arizona is located in the heart of Tucson, Arizona. UA has 18 colleges and 12 schools, which cover such disciplines as Humanities, Fine Arts, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, Education, Engineering and Mines, Pharmacy, Public Health, Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. In-country study students undertake subjects in Spanish language and culture, and US Latino studies.

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.

Completion requirements

50140 Comparative Social Change		8cp
976601 Contemporary Latino USA		8cp
977620 In-country Study 1: Latino USA		24cp
978620 In-country Study 2: Latino USA		24cp
CBK90484 Spanish Language and Culture		32cp
Total		96cp