Latin American and Latine Studies
About the Minor
At Hamilton, Latin American studies offers an intense exploration of the history, culture, and politics of Latin America — the more than 40 nations and independent states that stretch from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of the Americas. Students are challenged to see this emerging, energetic, and often contradictory region through new eyes. Those who want an immersion in a Latin American culture find ample opportunities to study abroad.
A Sampling of Courses
Introduction to U.S. Latinx Literatures
Examines cultural production of representative U.S. Latinx writers primarily from the civil rights movement to present. The course explores Latinx writers’ engagement with language, political status, race, gender, nationality, and generational markers to reveal both the fluidity and instability of the Latinx imaginary. Readings include autobiographical and biographical works, bildungsroman, memoir, historical novel and vignettes in an exploration of the self and one’s relation to collective identity.
Explore these select courses:
Meet Our Faculty
Mackenzie Cooley
Associate Professor of History, Director of Latin American and Latine Studies
History of science; early modern world; Colonial Latin America; environmental history; intellectual history; digital humanities; history of gender and sexuality; animal studies; genetics and history
19th-21st century Latino literature and culture
Musical theater, popular music, Latin American music, 20th- and 21st-century music, and popular-classical crossovers
Latin American literature, Mexican literature, and culture and gender studies
international economic development and labor economics
Andean indigenous cultures and literature, Latin American literature, Environmental Humanities, and Spanish as a second language
Comparative politics, Latin American politics, protest and social movements, political violence, and state capacity
Careers After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who took Latin American studies courses are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
- Audit Programs Manager, Elysian Energy
- Senior VP of Strategic Marketing, Bank of America
- Research Associate, George Washington University
- Vice President, Global Recruitment, Protis Executive Innovation
Explore Hamilton Stories
Politics in Latin America Class Takes on Wikipedia
Get an inside look into a Latin American studies class thanks to Anna Richardson ’26: "Our class’ largest assignment for the semester is to find and revise a Wikipedia article covering Latin America. Each group [of four] chooses a different topic and corresponding article to revise. Anything from the 1952 Cuban coup d’état to Brazil’s affirmative action policies to the history of feminism in Latin America is fair game."
Wellin Museum Presents René Treviño’s “Stab of Guilt”
The recent Wellin Museum of Art exhibition, "René Treviño: Stab of Guilt," highlights how the artist's multidisciplinary practice encompasses a range of mediums and reflects personal inspirations as well as Treviño’s research into Maya and Aztec history, Catholic symbolism, astronomy, pop culture, and queer theory to recast his heritage and identity in a new light.
Connecting the Dots: Latin America, Sociology, Media
Natasha Espinosa ’18 went into her first year at Hamilton with the goal of taking full advantage of the open curriculum. For Espinosa, this meant exploring her long-held interest in and personal connection to Latin America.
Contact
Department Name
Latin American and Latine Studies Program
Contact Name
Mackenzie Cooley, Program Director
Clinton, NY 13323
