Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program
The Program is designed to help students gain a critical understanding of Latin America, the Caribbean and its people throughout the Americas.
The LACS curriculum includes over 70 courses from disciplines both in the College and Williams School, including Anthropology, Art, Business, Economics, English, French, History, Politics Portuguese, Sociology, and Spanish. The interdisciplinary Program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) allows students to explore the region’s histories, cultural practices, socioeconomic structures, and politics, with particular attention to the incremental transformations shaped by the encounter of Indigenous, African, Asian, and European peoples, and subsequent waves of migration from and to the region.
Students who complete the Minor can gain the background necessary for careers in journalism, law, teaching, bilingual education, social work, business, government and international organizations, as well as graduate work in Latin American Studies and related disciplines. Recent graduates have pursued careers in medicine, law, specialized non-profit organizations, business, science research, and urban planning, among others.
More than an area studies about a singular region, the LACS Program explores the Americas in the broader sense. To understand today’s Western Hemisphere students must make interdisciplinary connections that transcend political borders. From Canada to Chile and Bermuda to Brazil, our curriculum focuses on the unique experiences that define the Americas.
Jeffrey C. Barnett
Professor of Spanish
Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program
Twelve W&L Students Awarded Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards of up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students who are Pell Grant recipients.
‘A Night of Miigis Moments’ Brings Indigenous-Led Performance To W&L
The Oct. 8 event is presented by Red Sky Performance and is part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
Indigenous Artist Sandra Laronde to Deliver Lenfest Center Series Keynote Address at W&L
An authentic Indigenous dinner will accompany Laronde’s talk on Oct. 7 and is part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
The Lenfest Center Presents an Evening of Poetry Reading with Rena Priest
Washington’s first indigenous State Poet Laureate will deliver a reading on Oct. 1 as part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
The Lenfest Center Presents ‘Native American Peoples and Lands: Historic Connections to W&L’
The public talk will take place in Kamen Gallery on Sept. 27 and is part of the Lenfest Center’s Outreach & Engagement Series.
CBL Faculty Collaborative Generates New Community Connections
The 2023-2024 academic year at W&L saw the proliferation of several new course offerings for students through a new faculty development initiative offered by the Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL).
W&L’s Anna Bosking ’24 Awarded Fulbright to Colombia
Bosking has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach English in Colombia.
Pablo Abufom to Deliver Lecture on Latin American Politics
The Chilean activist’s talk will be held Feb. 12 at 5 p.m.
W&L’s Seth Michelson Quoted in NPR Segment About a Film Documentary
The Spanish professor appears as a faculty expert in the film that debuted at the Virginia Film Festival last month.
Zoila Ponce de León’s chapter is titled “Health Care and the Public-Private Mix in Mexico, Chile, and Peru” and appears in the Latin American section of the publication.
Staniar Gallery Presents Delilah Montoya: Contemporary Casta Portraiture
The solo exhibition will run from April 24 to May 25 in Staniar Gallery inside Washington and Lee University’s Lenfest Center for the Arts.