Africana & Latin American Studies (ALST) Program

Africana and Latin American Studies (ALST) is an interdisciplinary program studying the histories and culture – both material and expressive – of the peoples of Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America, as well as African Americans.

About ALST

You can pursue a major or minor in Africana and Latin American Studies with a concentration in one of the following four areas:

• African Studies
• Caribbean Studies
• African American Studies
• Latin American Studies

The geographical areas we study and the diverse peoples who inhabit them provide rich opportunities for interdisciplinary and comparative studies. That is why, in the course of your studies, you will be challenged to draw on information and research methods from disciplines as diverse as political science and music in order to develop a fuller picture of these communities.

We aim to promote an understanding both of the constituent regions individually and their mutual interdependence. Our studies include the examination of the indigenous civilizations of these regions and studies of the impact of migration, imperialism and colonialism, racism, nationalism, and globalization in shaping the lives, ideas, and cultural identities of their inhabitants.

A statement from the director and coordinators of ALST Regarding the Events of 5/1/2017:

The Africana and Latin American Studies Program is troubled by the way the incident on Monday night was handled by Campus Safety. We recognize the importance of taking reports of suspicious activity on campus very seriously, but we are concerned about the appearance of racial profiling in this case that could, had things gone differently, have resulted in the death of one or more of our students. While we are heartened by the decisions taken by President Casey, we expect that this entire matter will be thoroughly investigated and ventilated. However, it should not end there. This is (yet another) opportunity to go beyond mere talk and take specific concrete and effective steps aimed both to change the way matters affecting the minority community on campus are treated, and also to change attitudes at all levels. We, therefore, call on our administrators to seize the moment to introduce substantive (not cosmetic) structural changes that will have a real impact on the experience particularly of students of color. To our students, many of whom are still in shock, please be assured that you can count on us for succor and support in these difficult times.

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