Ethnic Studies

This introductory course in rhetoric emphasizes clear, effective written communication and preparation of the research paper.

This course provides an exploration of intellectual, psychological, social and physical factors that impact lifelong learning, well-being and success. Topics include motivation and self-efficacy; critical thinking, academic integrity and active study strategies; health issues and lifestyle choices; relating to others as a global citizen; written and oral communication; time management; career exploration; and educational planning.

ENGL 2 recommended for transfer options

must be a different discipline than "Intra-Ethnic" course taken in semester 2

See the full list: Required Elective Course from "Intra-Ethnic Studies" list below

this GE area may already be satisfied based on previous choices. If so, this would be an open Elective Course

See the full list: SMC GE Area II-A Course

this GE area may already be satisfied based on previous choices. If so, this would be an open Elective Course

See the full list: SMC GE Area II-B Course

Level 1 Foreign Language recommended

Cultural Anthropology is the study of human society and culture, analyzing both similarities and differences amongst cultural groups. This course will introduce students to important socio-cultural concepts used by cultural anthropologists including material culture, social organization, religion, kinship, ritual and symbolic systems, race, ethnicity, and language amongst others. Students will examine how cultural anthropologists understand the notion of culture in the study of human behavior in different regions of the world. The ethnographic method as a key methodology will be stressed throughout this course.

This course focuses on the oral interpretation of poetry and prose, with a special emphasis on literature by and about cultural groups in the United States including African-Americans, Asian-Americans, European-Americans, Jewish-Americans, Latino/a-Americans, Arab-Americans, Indigenous peoples of the United States and others. Through the process of oral interpretation, students will analyze works of literature, discover a personal connection to the material, and share their emotional and intellectual creation - using voice and body - with an audience. By studying and performing multicultural literature, students will learn to appreciate the similarities and differences among cultures and how culture affects the author's voice.

This course focuses on the identification and analysis of processes and challenges of communication as affected by different cultures, especially as it affects communication among the various cultures found within the United States (e.g. African American, Asian American, Latino/a, Middle Eastern, Native American, European American and Gay/Lesbian cultures) and among the various cultures throughout the world. The course focuses on the principles of communication theory as they apply to the intercultural setting with an emphasis on the effects of differences in beliefs, values, attitudes, socio-political organization, role expectations, language and nonverbal behavior, etc.—all of which are interrelated.

This course surveys American motion pictures that have been made by filmmakers representing three United States ethnic groups, including African Americans, Latino Americans, and Asian Americans. Students will also analyze Hollywood's treatment of those ethnic cultures throughout film history.

This course is a study of humanity and its planetary home of distinctive places, spaces, landscapes, and environments. The course systematically considers geographic patterns, processes, and issues, beginning with the basic questions of Where? and Why There? Specific topics examined include human population change and migration; agriculture and food systems; urban-economic development; cultural and environmental change in an age of globalization, with specific attention paid to language, religion, ethnic identity, and biodiversity; and international geopolitics.

This course surveys the physical and human geography of California and the processes shaping its landscapes. Topics include natural features and resources, such as geology, climate, plants and animals, and hydrology. Historical and current trends in human population, migration, and settlement patterns are considered, including a review of the state's major cultural groups. Primary and advanced economic activities are examined within modern rural and urban settings. Emphasis is on the profound connections between these topics, on California's unequaled diversity and the rapid change that is transforming our people and its landscapes.

This course is a historical overview of media representations of race, ethnicity, and gender in the United States. Intersectionality of race and ethnicity with gender and other forms of difference are highlighted. Using readings from selected texts and clips from various forms of media, students critically analyze media representations and critical events in the histories and cultures of one or more of the following four historically defined racialized core groups: Native Americans, African Americans, Latina/o Americans, and/or Asian Americans. By actively engaging with anti-racist issues, students help build a diverse, just, and equitable society beyond the classroom.

The evolution of American food culture is examined from a historical, contemporary, economic, political and scientific survey of ethnic groups in America, including Native Americans, European Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos. Immigration, enculturation, acculturation, religion, food availability, food preference, food behavior, food preparation, food beliefs and food-related gender roles are considered. These factors are compared and contrasted across the ethnic groups and regions in America. The impact of “Americanization” on ethnic cuisines and impact of ethnic cuisines on the American economy are explored. Current research on the health- and nutrition-related implications of ethnic groups’ food choices/practices is reviewed. Engendering cultural sensitivity and competency is at the core of this course.

This course introduces the study of society and human social interaction. Both macro and micro sociological theory are discussed, as well as methods of sociological inquiry, culture, socialization, deviance, social change and social stratification--particularly in the areas of social class, race and ethnicity, and gender. Students are highly encouraged to complete Sociology 1 prior to enrolling in other sociology courses.

By relying heavily on the instructional method of service-learning, this course introduces the study of society and human social interaction. Both macro and micro sociological theory are discussed, as well as methods of sociological inquiry, cultural development, the process of socialization, social structure, social stratification--particularly in the areas of social class, race and ethnicity, and gender--and social change. Students are highly encouraged to complete Sociology 1 or 1s prior to enrolling in other sociology courses. This course requires students to engage in learning outside the classroom in conjunction with various community-based organizations.

This course surveys artworks made by African Americans in the United States and abroad. Students will explore visual and material culture from the inception of chattel slavery in the sixteenth-century to contemporary Black Art Movements including Reconstruction and the Harlem Renaissance. Additionally, the impact of political movements on artists and their work such as the Black Liberation Movement and #BlackLivesMatter. In addition, students will consider how artists have contended with issues of race, gender, and sexuality and will examine transnational artist networks in Latin America and Europe among other places. Course content includes cross-historical phenomena such as the AIDS crisis, Afrofuturism, and the history of the Black Panther.

This course explores the works of Afro-American writers of the essay, novel, short fiction, drama, and poetry. The course develops students’ close reading, analytical writing skills, and promotes an appreciation and a critical understanding of the cultural, historical, and aesthetic qualities of this portion of the American literary tradition.

This course will study the major literary works of Asian American writers of the essay, novel, short fiction, drama, and poetry. Through close reading and analytical writing, students will gain an appreciation and a critical understanding of the cultural, historical, and aesthetic qualities of the rich mosaic of Asian American communities. The course will explore the varied and complex nature of the Asian American experience and locate the literature of these communities in the broader context of contemporary American literature.

This course explores literature by Latino American writers whose primary purpose is to view life in the United States through the lenses of the Latino community. Through fiction, non-fiction, poetry, theater, and film, students study such topics as history, identity, culture, sexuality, and socio-political aspects of the ever-changing U.S. Latino community. The course studies the ways in which Latino American's writing has been part of the fabric that is the United States, from the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica through the turbulent 1960s in the U.S. and into the present, from Mexico, South and Central America, the Caribbean, New York to Los Angeles.

Selected poems, short stories, novels, tribal tales, speeches, and memoirs of Native Americans will be examined to deepen the student's understanding of the experiences and perspectives of native peoples in American and native cultures.

This course surveys African-American history from its beginnings in Africa through slavery, abolition, the Civil Rights movement, and into the present. The course will pay particular attention to the development of internal and external definitions of freedom and equality and to the influences of African Americans on the social, economic, political, and cultural development of the United States.

This course surveys Native-American history from earliest settlement to the present, addressing such topics as colonial-era interactions with Europeans, the development of U.S. Indian policy, and the effort to reclaim sovereign rights. Focusing primarily on native peoples of the United States, this course pays particular attention to the development of internal and external definitions of freedom and equality and to the influence of Native Americans on the social, economic, political, and cultural development of America.

This course provides a comparative historical survey of the political, cultural, social, and economic experiences of Latinos/as in the United States, concentrating on major demographic groups. Topics include migration and immigrant settlement, economic integration, and the formation of group identities among and politicization of Chicanos, Central Americans, and Cuban, Puerto Rican, and other Caribbean Americans.

This course surveys the history of the US Southwest from Native-American settlement through the periods of foreign colonization and conquest to contemporary times. Focusing primarily on Mexican Americans in this border region and, more currently, throughout the nation, the course pays particular attention to the development of internal and external definitions of freedom and equality and to the influence of Mexican Americans on the social, economic, political, and cultural development of America.

This course surveys Asian American history from western colonialism, to early immigration and settlement, to the present. This course highlights transnational and intergroup relations, paying close attention to Asian American development and influences on the social, cultural, political, and economic meanings of freedom.

This course involves a sociological examination of the social, cultural, political, and economic conditions experienced by African Americans in the United States. Current and past institutional practices relating to inequality, institutional discrimination, segregation, cultural pluralism, and assimilation are analyzed. Social movements within African American communities as well as intra- and intergroup relations are also considered.

This course introduces students to the characteristics and issues facing the large pan-ethnic Latina/o population in the United States. Attention will be given to the social, cultural, economic and political factors impacting the various Latino groups, as well as how those factors contribute both to differentiate and build coalition with other groups in American society. While the experiences of the diverse Latina/o groups will be examined, particular emphasis is placed on the experiences of Mexican Americans.

This course introduces students to the social conditions and issues facing Asian/Pacific Americans. Using a sociological perspective, the pan-ethnic identity of Asian/Pacific Americans will be critically examined. Attention will be given to the social, cultural, economic, and political factors impacting the various Asian/Pacific groups, as well as how those factors impact both intra- and intergroup relations.