Students push for Chicano studies minor - News - The Battalion - Texas A&M

Students push for Chicano studies minor - News - The Battalion - Texas A&M

 Panel to generate buzz for petition Wednesday

By Pallavi Kaushik

Published: Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Updated: Wednesday, April 9, 2014 00:04

Jenna Rabel

Curriculum
and instruction graduate student Jose Luis Zelaya discusses media
strategies for the Latino-Chicano studies panel Wednesday.

While the University offers a Hispanic Studies minor, some students believe there is a need for expansion of the curriculum.


Aggies advocating for the addition of a Latino-Chicano studies minor at
A&M will convene a panel to discuss the proposal and generate
publicity for online and paper petitions.


Jasmine Jimenez, panel organizer and sophomore political science major,
said the University doesn’t offer enough courses relating to Hispanic
culture aside from those related to literature.


“The University currently offers a Hispanic studies course path, which
concentrates mainly on Spanish literature and arts and a linguistic
course for the Spanish languages,” Jimenez said. “But for someone like
me who wishes to learn about the history, problems and relevant issues,
like immigration and laws, of my people, it’s pretty inadequate.”


According to the current petition, the standing Hispanic Studies minor
has a focus on the Spanish language and literature but fails to
adequately cover disciplines such as history, sociology and political
science.


Joseph Puente, forefront speaker for the panel and senior
telecommunication media studies major, said the addition of the minor
would enrich the educational opportunities at A&M by allowing
students to learn more about the influence of Hispanic cultures.


Puente said he hopes advocating to adopt the Latino-Chicano minor will
empower and create a greater future for those who belong to or are
studying these communities.


Student advocates on the panel are involved with the Council for
Minority Student Affairs, Hispanic Presidents’ Council, Mexican Student
Association, Committee for the Awareness of Mexican-American Culture and
Phi Lota Alpha.


Adam Brennan, author of the petition posted at change.org and freshman
business administration major, said one of the most important aspects of
this movement is to help accomplish the University’s goal of Vision
2020 by diversifying the A&M undergraduate community and educational
standards.


Alfredo Garcia, CMSA president and senior economics major, said the
idea to push for the minor is a culmination of his experiences
advocating for minority students and his conversations with a professor.


“I wished to work together and unite the Latino community at Texas
A&M and so I spoke with sociology professor Pat Robio and he gave me
the idea and inspiration to further the movement for a Latino-Chicano
studies minor here,” Garcia said.


Jose Luis Zelaya, curriculum and instruction graduate student involved
with the panel, said the push for the minor is part of a greater social
legacy that these student advocates aim to leave at A&M. Zelaya said
those advocating can inspire the next generation of leaders to be
better informed of the “Latino reality” and more involved with the rise
of a large minority.


“Texas A&M is where ideas can grow and we wish to allow our
community to be inspired and more educated on a culture that we have
built our communities in America on,” Zelaya said. “We are aiming for
realistic and a beneficial, positive social change.”


The panel, which will involve students and University officials, will be from 7-8:10 p.m. Wednesday in Rudder Hall 308.