A Latine Studies certificate program at Whatcom Community College lies just beyond the horizon. With a student-centered approach, it would aim to bridge lived experiences and course curricula, recognizing the campus community as one extended familia.
The possibility for a Latine Studies program at Whatcom Community College has hung in the air for some time now. In the fall of last year, professors Andrea Romero, Jeffrey Klausman, and Inés Poblet secured a $45,000 three-year College Spark Grant to develop the idea, as well as a publication with the theme of “Narratives/Cajitas.”
The theme prizes students’ agency in their own educational goals and outcomes, and takes inspiration from University of San Diego professor Alberto López Pulido’s concept of the cajita “as a sacred box, a knowledge canvas, a creative vessel, or an artistic canvas.”
Latine Stories, a Latine literature-centered course here at WCC, is the first of its kind in Washington state. It has met success in its first run this spring, introducing students to cultural concepts, the works of notable Latine women writers, and the lived experiences of people of various backgrounds.
“We want to bring visibility to diverse groups on campus,” said Romero.
The program could include classes in disciplines such as English, Spanish, the social sciences, the sciences, and education. Romero believes “the interdisciplinary possibilities are endless” and says they are “open to hearing and incorporating all ideas.”
A 20-25 credit (4-5 class) certificate would be the intended outcome of the program.
Romero’s essay on the proposed Latine Studies curriculum, “Write From the Heart (Escribe desde El Corazon): Connecting Lived Experiences to Course Curriculum,” will be published in the journal Teaching English in the Two-Year College in September 2024.
“We want interdisciplinary faculty to work together and see how the students can benefit academically and professionally from earning a Latine Studies certificate,” Romero said.
Interested students should contact Romero or enroll in this fall quarter’s English 194: Special Topics in Literature (“Latine Stories”), where they may find themselves creating cajitas and discussing their own experiences within the diaspora.
