Description & Requirements

Ethnic studies is the study of the social, cultural, and historical forces that have shaped the development of America's diverse ethnic peoples over the last 500 years and which continue to shape our future. Focusing on immigration, slavery, and confinement, those three social processes that combined to create in the United States a nation of nations, ethnic studies intensively examines the histories, languages, and cultures of America's racial and ethnic minority groups in and of themselves, in their relationships to each other, and, particularly, in structural contexts of power.

The curriculum of the Department of Ethnic Studies is designed to 1) study intensively the particular histories of different ethnic and racial groups in the United States, especially intragroup stratification; 2) to draw larger theoretical lessons from comparisons among these groups; 3) to articulate general principles that shape racial and ethnic relations both currently and historically; and 4) to explore how ethnic identity is constructed and reconstructed over time both internally and externally.

A degree in ethnic studies offers training of special interest to those considering admission to graduate or professional schools and careers in education, law, medicine, public health, social work, journalism, business, city planning, politics, psychology, international relations, or creative writing. A major in ethnic studies is designed to impart fundamental skills in critical thinking, comparative analysis, social theory and research analysis, and written expression. These skills will give students the opportunity to satisfy the increasingly rigorous expectations of graduate admissions committees and prospective employers for a broad liberal arts perspective.

An ethnic studies major offers excellent preparation for teaching in the elementary schools. If you are interested in earning a California teaching credential from UCSD, contact the Teacher Education Program for information about the prerequisite and professional preparation requirements. It is recommended that you contact TEP as early as possible in your academic career.

THE MAJOR

To receive a B.A. degree with a major in ethnic studies, students must meet the following requirements:

1. A three-quarter course lower-division sequence (Ethnic Studies 1A-B-C). Ideally this sequence should be taken during the sophomore year as an intensive introduction to the history and theoretical dimensions of ethnic diversity in the United States. Ethnic Studies 1A-B-C, Introduction to Ethnic Studies, will consist of the following three courses: Population Histories of the United States, Immigration and Assimilation in American Life, Race and Ethnic Relations in the United States.

2. A minimum of twelve four-unit upper-division courses in the Department of Ethnic Studies must be completed from the following five categories:

A. One four-unit upper-division course that intensively explores the theory and comparative methods of ethnic studies (Ethnic Studies 100: Theories and Methods of Ethnic Studies). All ethnic studies majors should complete this course before proceeding with the other requirements listed below.

B. Four upper-division ethnic studies history and social science courses from those listed below:

ES 102: Racial Inequality in America
ES 103: American Culture and Ethnic dentity
ES 104: The Idea of Race in America
ES 105: Ethnic Diversity and the City
ES 106: Ethnoracial Transformations of U.S.Communities
ES 107: Ethnographic Field Work in Racial and Ethnic Communities
ES 112: History of Native Americans in theUnited States
ES 115 The Sociology of Indian-White Relations
ES 119 Multiracial Societies in the Americas
ES120 Comparative Asian-American History, 1850-1965
ES 121: Contemporary Asian-American History
ES 123: Asian-American Politics
ES 130: Social and Economic History of the Southwest l
ES 131: Social and EconomicHistory of the Southwest 11
ES 150: Politics of Cultural Pluralism and National Integration Ethnic Politics in America
ES 151: Ethnic Politics in America
ES 152: Law and Civil Rights
ES 155: The Supreme Court and the Constitution
ES 156: Civil Liberties-The Rights of Criminals and Minorities
ES 157: Ethnic Conflict in the Third World
ES 158: Immigration Policy and Politics
ES 169: African Society and the Slave Trade
ES 170: Slavery and the Atlantic World
ES 171: Slavery and Freedom in the Nineteenth-Century United States
ES 197: Field Work in Racial and Ethnic Communities*
ES 198: Directed Group Studies*
ES 199: Supervised Independent Study and Research*

*only two will be counted in fulfillment of this requirement.

Colloquia

ES 180: Topics in Mexican-American History
ES 181: American Slave Communities in Comparative Perspective
ES 182: Segregation, Freedom Movements, and the Crisis of the Twentieth Century
ES 183: Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Class
ES 189: Special Topics in Ethnic Studies

C. At least three upper-division courses that focus on language and ethnicity:

ES 140: Language and American Ethnicity
ES 141: Language and Culture
ES 142: Languages of Africa
ES 145: Spanish Language in the United States

Due to the limited course offerings in this general area during the 1994-95 academic year, this requirement may be fulfilled by taking either three upper-division courses in language (e.g., Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, etc.) or area studies (e.g., Latin American studies, Third World studies, Japanese studies, etc.), or some combination of language and area studies. Students must seek faculty advice on which three upperdivision courses would best satisfy this requirement and yield the most rigorous training.

D. At least three upper-division ethnic studies courses on the literature and cultural expressions of American racial and ethnic minorities:

ES 101: Ethnic Images in Film
ES 110: Cultural World Views of Native Americans
ES 111: Native American Literature
ES 122: Asian-American Culture and Identity
ES 132: Chicano Dramatic Literature
ES 133: Hispanic-American Dramatic Literature
ES 134: The Chicana
ES 135: Development of Chicano Literature
ES 136: Themes and Motifs in ChicanoLiterature
ES 137: Chicano Prose
ES 138: Chicano Poetry
ES 139: Chicano Literature in English
ES 144: Colonialism and Culture
ES 146A: Theatrical Ensemble
ES 172: Afro-American Prose
ES 173: Afro-American Poetry
ES 174: Themes in Afro-American Literature
ES 175: Literature of the Harlem Renaissance
ES 176: Black Music/Black Texts: Communication and Cultural Expression
ES 177: African Heritage in Contemporary Drama: African, Caribbean, and African-American
ES 178: Introduction to Oral Music
ES 179A-B: Music of Black Americans

E. One four-unit field methods course (Ethnic Studies 190: Research Methods: Studying Ethnic and Racial Communities).

3. Since the goal of the Department of Ethnic Studies is to intensively study both the particular histories of various ethnic and racial groups in the United States and to draw larger theoretical lessons from comparisons among and between groups, students may not fulfill requirements 2B and 2D by focusing all of the seven required courses on only one ethnic or racial group.

THE MINOR

Students may minor in ethnic studies. Students wishing to minor in ethnic studies must take six four-unit upper-division courses from the department's offerings. The department offers several options that allow students to take courses about a variety of ethnic groups or about one group. But all students minoring in ethnic studies must enroll in our two courses in analytic and comparative study of ethnicity-Theories and Methods of Ethnic Studies (ETHN 100) and Research Methods: Studying Ethnic and Racial Communities (ETHN 190.) The minor also requires that at least two, but no more than three of the four remaining courses be selected from either the ethnic studies history and social studies courses (listed above as 2B), or the ethnic studies literature and cultural expressions courses (listed above as 2D.) While the language and ethnicity courses currently offered may also be used to satisfy this requirement, foreign language and area studies courses from other departments may not. Students interested in the African-American experience should consider the following courses:

ETHN 169: African Society and the Slave Trade
ETHN 70: Slavery in the Atlantic World
ETHN 171: Slavery and Freedom in Nineteenth Century United States
ETHN 172: Afro-American Prose
ETHN 173: Afro-American Poetry
ETHN 174: Themes in Afro-American Literature
ETHN 175: Literature of the Harlem Renaissance
ETHN 176: Black Music/Black Texts: Communication and Cultural Expression
ETHN 177: African Heritage in Contemporary Drama: African, Caribbean, and African American
ETHN 179A-B Music of Black Americans
ETHN 181: American Slave Communities in Comparative Perspective
ETHN 182: Segregation, Freedom Movements, and the Crisis of the Twentieth Century
LTEN 188: Contemporary Caribbean Literature
THHS 153: Dance History: Jazz Dance and Related Ethnic Studies

Students interested in the Chicano Experience should consider the following courses:

ETHN 132: Chicano Dramatic Literature
ETHN 133: Hispanic-American Dramatic Literature
ETHN 134: The Chicana
ETHN 135: The Development of Chicano Literature
ETHN 136: Themes and Motifs in Chicano Literature
ETHN 137: Chicano Prose
ETHN 138: Chicano Poetry
ETHN 139: Chicano Literature in English
ETHN 145: Spanish Language in the United States
ETHN 180: Topics in Mexican American History

Students interested in the Asian American experience should consider the following courses:

ETHN 120: Comparative Asian-American History
ETHN 121: ContemporaryAsian-American History
ETHN 122: Asian-American Culture and Identity
ETHN 123: Asian-American Politics

Students interested in the Native American experience should consider the following courses:

ETHN 110: Cultural World Views of Native Americans
ETHN 111: Native American Literature
ETHN 112: History of Native Americans in the United States
ETHN 115: The Sociology of Indian-White Relations