Latin American Studies

Be a conscious global citizen.

Latin America is no longer a geographically contained idea. It’s a vibrant presence around the world—bringing gifts, opportunities, and challenges to everyone, everywhere. At Macalester, you’ll come to understand this multi-dimensional phenomenon, viewing Latin America from anthropological, historical, literary, cultural, geographical, artistic, sociological, political, and economic perspectives.

Do you know, for example, about the environmental crisis in Brazil or Central America? Did you know that demand for quinoa and avocados in the U.S. have displaced thousands in Latin American countries and threatened the survival of the monarch butterfly? You’ll learn more about the Latin American diasporas, why people migrate, and the incredibly complex impact of that multidirectional process on people, cultures, countries, and resources across the globe.

Why Macalester? Rich experiences, on and off campus.

The Latinx and Latin American community in the Twin Cities is humming with life, giving you real opportunities to engage with people from all over Latin America and of Latin American ancestry, live and breathe the culture, taste the food. At Macalester, you’ll conduct your own deep research in the Twin Cities and/or in Latin America, and complete a mind-stretching and life-changing study away experience. And, you’ll leave with knowledge and skills that you can leverage into a meaningful career. Macalester LAS majors go on to graduate school and transnational companies and NGOs; they become activists, immigration lawyers, professors and teachers, and more engaged and conscious world citizens.