Ethnic Studies Minor
The Ethnic Studies (ETS) program at Nevada State College is grounded in the social justice struggles and activist roots from which Ethnic Studies programs nationwide historically emerged. The interdisciplinary courses offered through ETS focus on a variety of themes in United States history relevant to understanding the historical and contemporary experiences of culturally and ethnically diverse groups (e.g. Asian-Americans, African-Americans, Native Americans, and U.S. Latinas/os-Chicanas/os). ETS provides students with the methodological tools to critically examine the political, cultural, social and historical structures that have shaped the identity of underrepresented racial and ethnic communities in the United States. The mission of ETS is to also provide students a space in which they engage in community based learning where they incorporate the knowledge they have acquired in ETS and elsewhere and apply it to service/internships with organizations in the surrounding communities of Henderson and Las Vegas.
Learning Outcomes
- To allow students to gain a better cross-cultural understanding of American ethnic communities (e.g. Asian-Americans, Native Americans, African-Americans and U.S. Latinos/as-Chicanos/as).
- To allow students to gain knowledge of the power relations that exists between underrepresented ethnic communities and dominant society.
- To teach students the fundamental, theoretical, and political questions regarding the social construction of categories of race, ethnicity, gender, and class.
- To reinforce comparative analysis and critical thinking within an interdisciplinary framework.
- To encourage students to apply classroom theories and discussion to activism and community-based service-learning.
- To prepare K-12 teachers for a culturally diverse student population; and subsequently teach material that reflects this community.
- To encourage students to examine their own socio-political and cultural positions in relationship to underrepresented American ethnic groups.
Degree Requirements
Required Courses
| ETS 101 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | 3.00 |
| ETS 302 | Theories and Methods in Ethnic Studies | 3.00 |
Pick one course from each of the following groups (12)
African-American Studies (3 credits)
U.S. Latino/a – Chicano/a Studies (3 credits)
| ETS 375 | U.S. Latino/A-Chicano/A Experience | 3.00 |
| HIST 444 | Latinos in the American West | 3.00 |
| ENG 496A | Themes in Modern Chicano Literature | 3.00 |
Asian-American Studies (3 credits)
| ETS 435 | Asian-American Identities in Comparative Context | 3.00 |
| ENG 490 | Asian-American Literature | 3.00 |
Native American Studies (3 credits)
| HIST 418 | History of United States: American Indian Relations | 3.00 |
| ENG 494A | Native American Literature | 3.00 |