College of the Pacific

Welcome to the Ethnic Studies Program

Ethnic Studies Mission Statement

The Ethnic Studies Program at the University of the Pacific is dedicated to integrated multidisciplinary learning which equips students with the conceptual and practical skills necessary for participating competently and responsibly in all aspects of civic life that contribute to advancing social equity, inclusive democracy, and global citizenship.

The Ethnic Studies Program offers students an interdisciplinary minor, incorporating courses from various schools and departments.

Through our curriculum, we provide students with multiple models of critical theories and methodologies for examining the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, culture and class in the historical formations of the United States.

An emphasis is placed on the experiences and perspectives of historically disenfranchised populations such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos and Native Americans.

We believe the Ethnic Studies Program benefits students by:

• Broadening their major fields of study.
• Preparing them for interdisciplinary inquiries at the graduate level.
• Enhancing students' employment opportunities in law, education, business, medicine, government, communication and social services, among other professions.

We enrich student experience in our program through a number of events, guest speakers and field trips. We often collaborate with other programs such as Gender Studies, the Humanities Center and Writing in the Disciplines, in hosting activities that are relevant to interdisciplinary areas of study.