American Studies as a scholarly approach was inaugurated during the Cold War, and it was highly invested in justifying the power of the U.S. nation-state through the study of its culture and society. In our incarnation of American Studies, we focus more critically on the concept of "America," by looking both at those texts and ideas that have been traditionally identified with Americanness, and also by examining those exclusions and tensions that push the boundaries of this concept. The American Studies major seeks to challenge the definition of a unified and unique American culture, through an interdisciplinary and intense look at the various elements that make up that culture.
As an interdisciplinary major, American Studies allows students the flexibility to design their own course of study drawing from a variety of departments and disciplines. But the program is more just than the combination of these courses-it is also a critical intersection and intervention into the study of America. In other words, American Studies is a highly self-reflexive major in which you will constantly be questioning the object of your study. As an American Studies major, you will learn to analyze the interrelations between various aspects of American politics, culture, history, and society, and to think critically about the concept of "America." The theories and methodologies that you will learn will push you beyond your pre-conceptions about what it means to study America. Among the themes typically introduced in the core sequence AMST 2001, 3001, 3002, and 4500 are migration, imperialism, urbanization, globalization, etc. In addition to the core courses, you will select a variety of concentrations on American politics, literature, music, culture, society, and history from different departments throughout the university.
Founded in 2004, the minor in Asian Pacific American Studies (APAS), housed in the American Studies Program at the University of Virginia, is an interdisciplinary program that familiarizes students with the cultural and political contours of Asian Pacific America. In the minor, students will learn about the histories of diasporic and immigrant populations from East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands, in the American context. Our courses draw from both the humanities and social sciences, dealing with community-based and individually-lived Asian Pacific American experiences, and also with social, historical, political and economic trends that impact Asian Pacific Americans on a United States domestic and transnational level.
By being situated in the American Studies Program, students in APAS will also develop a comparative basis for understanding American race relations.
For full details on the APAS minor, please visit Asian Pacific American Studies
The United States Latino Minor in the American Studies Program is an interdisciplinary and pan-Latina/o specialization that seeks to understand and research the history and culture of Latino/as in the United States. The professors and curriculum cover a broad and diverse array of studies from history to film, from language to cultural studies. The minor is organized with the belief that no one specific group of Latina/os, whether Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican American, Chicano or Central American can be understood when studied in isolation. The best path to reach a deep understanding of the history and future of Latino/as in the United States is through comparative studies not only among its diverse populations but also in relation to other constitutive national ethnicities: African Americans and Asian Americans.
The United States Latino/a Studies minor is intended for students who wish to develop a coherent understanding of the achievements and contributions of the Latina/o presence in American culture, history and society. Latina/o designates the diverse populations of United States citizens and immigrants whose ancestors come from the region of the world that spans the United States/Mexico Borderlands, to the Caribbean Diaspora and Central and Southern areas of the Americas. Latina/o Studies seeks to document and interpret the histories, cultures, and social concerns of these evolving communities, individually and collectively.
Students are required to complete a minimum of six courses (18 credits) for the United States Latina/o Studies minor. Students most complete 2 required courses and 4 electives. No more than 3 courses (9 credits) can come from the same department. No courses taken for the minor may be double-counted towards another major. No more than one course taken outside of University of Virginia (study abroad or transfer credits) can be counted towards the minor.
The University of Virginia's Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures is now accepting applications (to begin Fall 09) for its new graduate degree program: For further information see the Department's web page or contact the Director of Graduate Studies