Latin American Studies

Fun fact: New Orleans has a larger Honduran population than most cities in Honduras. Our geographic proximity to Latin America has made our city’s Latino population very diverse—we have citizens from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Cuba, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and more. Another fun fact: Loyola is not just in New Orleans—it’s part of it. At Loyno, you’ll find it easy to immerse yourself in these cultures as you discover their influence on things like our city’s music and religious traditions. Our program explores the history and sociocultural issues of these countries as well as their contributions to the arts on a global scale.

Overview of Courses

Our program’s curriculum combines Spanish language courses with electives in Latin American culture, society, and history. In addition to major-specific coursework, you’ll have the flexibility to take classes in a variety of disciplines. Here’s a sample of what you can expect to learn and do:

• Introduction to Contemporary Latin American Culture
• This interdisciplinary course focuses on the rich cultural heritage that forms part of the Latin American identity. Using literature, film, music, and visual arts from and about Latin America, students study the issues that have faced the region and its people.
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• Intensive Conversation
• This course places an emphasis on oral expression with exercises to provide students with a working knowledge of conversational Spanish.
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• Culture of Spanish America to 1850
• This course offers a study of the different cultural traditions that have shaped Latin America from the pre-Colombian period to 1850.
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• Latin American Cinema
• This class uses Latin American films to examine some aspects of Latin American colonization and the effects of political, patriarchal, and gender politics domination.
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• Central American Revolutions – A Literary Look
• ​​In this course, students learn how to read, think, and write critically about literature while exploring the historical and cultural realities of Central America revolutions.