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Latin American & Caribbean Studies

Available as a concentration

By deepening your personal experience of Latin America and the Caribbean, you'll be able to better understand issues surrounding this vital and historic region. Roanoke's program draws from perspectives across campus, from public affairs and business to literary studies and sociology. Because of a surprising lack of knowledge in the U.S. about this dynamic region, understanding its culture can be an advantage in many careers.

Students in the Latin American and Caribbean Studies concentration have recently traveled to Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica for research opportunities.

Curriculum & Courses

Sample Course Offerings

SOCI 224: Race and Ethnicity 
HIST 273: Latin American Revolutions 
SPAN 312: Civilization and Culture: Spanish America 

A decorated ofrenda in Lucas hall

Student Experiences

Comparing cultures: Costa Rica and the United States

Kaitlyn Bell pictured with children during her internship experience

Kaitlyn Bell spent the summer of her senior year interning in Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica. During her experience, Kaitlyn worked at La Escuela Los Angeles, teaching English to Spanish-speaking students in the first through sixth grades. Her project focused on analyzing the education system in Costa Rica and comparing it with that of the United States. Bell also worked at Mariano Juvenile, an orphanage for teenage girls, teaching English for several weeks during her internship.  

"I am so fortunate to have had this experience interning abroad," said Bell. "I conquered several fears, developed my language ability and discovered what I want to do for the rest of my life. This was an experience that no classroom education could have shown me."

What Makes Roanoke Different?

Yucatán Semester Program

Roanoke has a special semester-long, faculty-led program in the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. Students take classes with their professor, go on cultural excursions, experience language immersion and perform service projects. Learn more.

Students at a natural water pool with a Roanoke College banner
Students in front of ruins in the Yucatan
Students at a natural water pool
Flamingoes in a river
Student holding a spider
Students in front of a mural
Students in front of ruins in the Yucatan
Students getting ready to eat food

Learn By Doing

From Belize to Argentina

Students have many opportunities to study in Latin America and the Caribbean, whether through a semester long study abroad program, a month long May Term course with a faculty member or our new Yucatan Semester program. 

Students by a waterfall in a Latin American country
Rooney stuffed animal in a latin American country
Students climbing up steps to ruins in a Latin American country
Student with children in a Latin American country
Group of students outside in a Latin American country
Two students at a zoo in a Latin American country
Students working on a construction project in a Latin American country
A student with two children, one of which is eating watermelon, in a Latin American country
Community members holding up signs reading "Welcome to Belize"
Students petting a lamb in a Latin American country
Students posing for pictures inside ruins in a Latin American country
Students in cultural clothing in a Latin American country
Students sitting on a hill by a mountain range in a Latin American country
Students posing for a picture in a Latin American country

Faculty

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Professor’s Love for Latin American Politics Finds Home In Book

Dr. Ivonne Wallace Fuentes smiles for a photo

Dr. Ivonne Wallace Fuentes, professor of history, has recently published a new book: "Most Scandalous Woman: Magda Portal and the Dream of Revolution in Peru." She discovered Magda Portal while completing research on university students in Argentina, Peru, and Venezuela. "She just took over my life," Dr. Wallace Fuentes says. Portal was a Peruvian woman who helped the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance to succeed. "She ends up getting written out of their history...and that ended up being a really compelling story and the genesis of the book," says Dr. Wallace Fuentes.

Professor Dolores Flores-Silva | Spanish

Dr. Flores-Silva smiles while talking with other people

Dr. Flores-Silva's one-act play, "La Mision," winner of a Florida theatrical competition, was performed this winter at the Miami Micro Theatre. While reading a Mexican newspaper about the disappearance of young girls, likely related to sex-trafficking crimes, something struck a chord with Flores-Silva and, within a matter of hours, she wrote "La Mision."

"La Mision" is a monologue about the disappearance of a male, though it was inspired by the issue of young girls disappearing. Flores-Silva said she created "La Mision" to be poetic, but also political, in order to bring awareness to the issues occurring in Mexico. The monologue is bilingual (English and Spanish), and it is performed in a way that the audience can understand what happens on stage without knowing both languages. Flores-Silva said she believes that theater and literature help students learn about specific countries and cultures. "My passion for theater has found a purpose here at Roanoke College through teaching with the idea of bilingual importance," she said.

News

Interested in exploring Latin American & Caribbean Studies at Roanoke College?

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By deepening your personal experience of Latin America and the Caribbean, you'll be able to better understand issues surrounding this vital and historic region. Roanoke's program draws from perspectives across campus, from public affairs and business to literary studies and sociology. Because there's a surprising lack of knowledge in the United States about this dynamic region, understanding its culture can be an advantage for you in many careers.

Students in the Latin American and Caribbean Studies concentration have recently traveled to Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica for research opportunities. Their research has ranged from the economic role of Mexican sweatshops to the literature of Latin American writers living in the United States.                                                

Studies in Latin America and the Caribbean can lead to jobs in journalism, advertising, environmental advocacy, education and government work. Recent students from Roanoke's program have pursued graduate school at Arizona State University, University of California Los Angeles and University of San Diego.                                                

We offer a concentration in Latin American & Caribbean studies.