What is Ethnic & Gender Studies?
The Ethnic and Gender Studies program brings together two distinct yet related academic fields that emerged out of the late 1960s racial power and women’s movements, respectively.
Both fields challenge and expand the boundaries of disciplinary knowledge, critically evaluate and connect scholarship from multiple fields of study, and seek transformative change through critical and humanistic praxis.
Ethnic Studies 101
Ethnic studies is the xdisciplinary study of ethnicity, race, and indigeneity with a focus on the experiences and perspectives of people of color within and beyond the United States. The first ethnic studies program was established in 1968 at San Francisco State as a direct result of student-led protests against the marginalization and exclusion of people of color within and beyond the U.S.
The original sub-fields within the ethnic studies framework included African American studies, Asian American studies, Chican@ Studies, and Native American studies. There are also several fields that have emerged to reflect community growth and disciplinary shifts, including Latinx Studies, Critical Pacific Islander and Oceania Studies, Hmong Studies, and Pilipino Studies.
Each area of study focuses on the specific histories and cultures of their respective ethnic groups and collectively employ comparative approaches that examine the relational nature of racial and ethnic groups, diasporic migration, and the interconnected nature of racism with other systems of power and privilege.
What can I do with a degree in Ethnic & Gender Studies?
The knowledge and critical thinking skills gained from ethnic studies will prepare you to tackle some of the most pressing issues of the day. Ethnic studies strengthens social and cultural awareness, builds bridges between different experiences and perspectives, and improves student performance and graduation rates (Sleeter 2010; Anderson 2015).
People with degrees and coursework in ethnic studies have gone on to make valuable contributions to society by disrupting inequitable institutions and practices and cultivating new ones rooted in love, hope, respect, and solidarity. As such, a degree in ethnic studies can lead to a variety of meaningful and fulfilling careers in education, health care, law, journalism, social work, business, public administration, and STEM (Colatrella, 2014). It is also an excellent complement to many other programs of study at Highline and transfer institutions, including human services, geography, education, business, nursing, psychology, political science, and sociology.
Anderson, Melinda. “The Value of Ethnic Studies–For All students.” Teaching Tolerance
January 15, 2015 – Read Now
Colatrella, Carol. “Why STEM Students Need Gender Studies”
June 2014 – Read Now
Ginsberg, Alice. “The Evolution of American Women’s Studies”
March 2009 – Read Now
Sleeter, Christine. “The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies: A Research Review”
June 2011 – Read Now