Find your path in Latina/Latino Studies
Community Resources
- In 2026, we will celebrate 30 years at the University of Illinois. We owe our history to the 1992 student movement for Latina/o rights on campus. The courageous activism and dedication of Latina/o students, faculty, and staff led to the creation of a Program in Latina/Latino Studies in 1996. In 2010, we became the first Department of Latina/Latino Studies in the country. As we near the 30 year milestone, we're looking back at our history, and... Read full story Honoring our history: Celebrating 30 years of the Department of Latina/Latino Studies at Illinois
- Second-year student Cecelia Escobar, who is double majoring in political science and Latina/Latino studies, was selected for the three-week Understanding Northern Ireland” summer program at Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland. Read full story Latina/Latino studies major Cecelia Escobar selected for Fulbright's Summer Institute
- Congratulations to the class of 2025! Read full story Congratulations to our 2025 graduates and award winners!
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Why Study Latina/Latino Studies?
Professor Mirelsie Velázquez shares the value of the major, favorite spots in Champaign-Urbana, and why the Latina/Latino studies department is the best kept secret on campus in an interview with the College of LAS.
Upcoming events

Alumni spotlight: Andrea Barron ’14 – Professional Bilingual School Counselor, Kelly College Preparatory
Andrea Barron graduated with a double major in LLS and History from the U of I in 2014. As a student, Andrea was heavily involved with social justice organizations, volunteering in the community, and supporting programming at La Casa. After graduating, she returned to the La Villita where she worked for ENLACE supporting first generation students apply to college. This inspired her to pursue and complete a M.Ed in School Counseling at DePaul University. Andrea currently works at Kelly College Preparatory. At Kelly College Prep, Andrea supports students in three different domains: SEL (...

Faculty spotlight: Aja Y. Martinez
Aja Y. Martinez' scholarship, published nationally and internationally, makes a compelling case for counterstory as methodology through the well-established framework of critical race theory (CRT).