Document:Open Letter on Latina Studies at Macalester

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cozelcarelo

This is an ¡Adelante! document from the 2004-2005 year.

May 6, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

We, the students of Macalester College, write with the highest ideals of this institution in mind, to voice our feelings and demands regarding an ongoing crisis in the college curriculum. This letter shall address four issues, those being:

  1. The current state of US Latin@ Studies at Macalester, as defined within the Hispanic Studies Department,
  2. The vacancy of the sole position on campus in the next year for a Latin@ Studies Professor,
  3. The canceling of Latin@ Studies Courses in the coming 2005-2006 academic year,
  4. The permanent hire of faculty and the relocation of Latin@ Studies to the American Studies Department.


[edit] Current State

First, we address the dual issues of the current state of Latin@ Studies and the vacancy of the one and only professorship dedicated to its existence. The reality of Latin@ Studies' status at Macalester College is that thus far it merely represents a failed attempt to fulfill the aim of the College's Mission Statement wherein Macalester commits itself to "being a preeminent liberal arts college with an education program known for its high standards for scholarship and its special emphasis on internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society."

On a smaller scale, the treatment of Latin@ Studies also represents a failure by the leadership within the Hispanic Studies Department to honor its own Mission Statement which "echoes the mission of the College to promote internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society. [And is] Interdisciplinary by definition…." Latin@ Studies in of itself is the embodiment of those ideals. Latin@ Studies is transnational, interdisciplinary, and civically-engaged and thus the ideal fit for this campus environment.

We should bear in mind that Latin@s are the largest "minority" population in the nation, standing at approximately 38 million (a population that is at once both foreign and domestic) and that there are over 144,000 Latin@s in Minnesota alone (Where between 1990 and 2000 the population increased by 250%, counting a 4x increase in Hennepin County - Minneapolis - and a 2X increase in Ramsey County - St. Paul. These statistics indicate that Minnesota currently houses one of the fastest growing Latin@ populations in the country).

A survey conducted by the Provost in the past demonstrated an interest in Latin@ Studies clearly existed in the student body. As a result of the large demand shown for the introduction of professors and courses specializing in this field, a hire was made, bringing Maria Elena Cepeda to the Macalester Hispanic Studies Department. Her role primarily addresses the third and fourth areas of the department's new major, which claims to be interdisciplinary in nature and include Spanish as a domestic language. She is the sole professor whose responsibility is Latin@ Studies in particular. She is one of eleven professors in the Hispanic Studies Department but due to the nature of her scholarship and teaching she carries a disproportionate amount of responsibility for expanding the curriculum in the areas of interdisciplinarity (she serves not only Hispanic Studies, but also American Studies, Latin American Studies, Media Studies, and Women and Gender Studies students).

The state of Latin@ Studies on campus is unacceptable. Current course offerings reflect the Hispanic Studies Department leadership's tendencies to unevenly distribute classes: the current imbalance of upper-level courses vs. language studies and the load that one professor is expected to shoulder demonstrates that Latin@ Studies is deemed secondary and "less necessary" in comparison to other components of the department's teaching responsibilities, namely language instruction. Furthermore, faculty both within and outside of the Hispanic Studies Department are supportive of Latin@ Studies as a legitimate and important field of academia that must have a presence on this campus. American Studies, Latin American Studies, Humanities and Cultural Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, among others, are departments that support the idea of Latin@ Studies having a significantly larger role at Macalester. The nature of Latin@ Studies as a field that consistently cross-lists into these departments is evidence of its inherently interdisciplinary character..

[edit] Vacancy

This goes unappreciated, however, as inflexibility and hostility towards change in the leadership of Hispanic Studies has led to a rift in the department, further inhibiting the ability to implement Latin@ Studies courses at Macalester. This conduct has led to the introduction of an outside mediator to negotiate the issue - itself a tardy initiative now that the sole professor of Latin@ Studies has left the school. This fissure within the department hampers the ability for it to respond to the needs of its professors, but more importantly, to those of its students.

We are not ever consulted by the department leadership (Maria Elena Cepeda has in fact been the only faculty member to consistently approach us for our opinion and participation) to determine the department's future and are subsequently forced to agitate only after unilateral decisions, actions, or discussions have taken place. We are strictly of the opinion that Hispanic Studies, like any other department on this campus, exists to serve the students and we should be solicited for input not only on minute details, but also regarding issues so fundamental as to affect the existence of an entire field of study. The department leadership does not reflect student interests and has consistently proven itself inflexible, irrespective of student demands. We are disappointed with the leadership's handling of Latin@ Studies and especially with its continuing positions regarding its professors: as is the case with Maria Elena Cepeda, the decision has been to relegate Latin@ Studies to language-oriented academics, excluding the interdisciplinary and multilingual nature of the field. We are of the opinion that this is wholly disingenuous. The department has failed to fulfill its mission and we as students have lost faith in its leadership.

[edit] New_Professor

As a consequence of these events, the sole position dedicated to Latin@ Studies has been vacated and only a single course in this field has been picked up by a gracious and responsive professor. As such, we strongly request and demand the immediate hire of a replacement on a temporary basis for the coming year who specializes in the field of Latin@ Studies while decisions are made as to how the vacant position will be filled for the 2005-2006 school year - certainly four months is enough time for this point and we students are prepared to help in the process. This position is non-negotiable - after more than a decade of agitation and the subsequent hire of a professor, Latin@ Studies at Macalester cannot be left to lie on the table.

[edit] American_Studies

Further, we suggest and demand the removal of Latin@ Studies courses from Hispanic Studies and propose its relocation to American Studies. Though Hispanic Studies has an obligation to study not only foreign language, but also the domestic, Latin@ Studies and its cultural components (in either English or Spanish) find their home outside of this department's exclusive realm. Because Latin@ Studies cannot be effectively studied exclusively in Spanish, the two fields are interdependent but not one and the same. The mission espoused by Hispanic Studies and the theory behind Latin@ Studies do not correlate. The department's leadership is hostile not only in its policies and tendencies, but in its choice of the name of the department itself. In American Studies, we students, in collaboration with enthusiastic faculty, can ensure that this field of study continues to grow and mature in conjunction with the high levels of interest that exist here at Macalester. Additionally, cross-listing courses (some of which would be taught in Spanish) would make sense in this kind of scenario so that Hispanic Studies majors could still benefit from the Latin@ Studies program.

It is now widely acknowledged that Latin@ Studies would be accepted as a component of American Studies since 1993, when the National Endowment for the Humanities called for a national dialogue, in public and private forums, from elementary schools through universities, on the subject of "how people differentiated by ethnicity, race, or culture interact within the framework of our national society."

As a result of that action and in its conclusions, we posit that Latin@ Studies at Macalester would be much more at home in American Studies where one can explore the variety of cultural experiences that have shaped US society through the "lenses" of class, region, gender and sexuality, and race. This assumes that the definitions of both "America" and "American identity" are problematic and comparative, rather than already known or defined by the geographical borders of the United States or by the use of a given language. With this in mind, we hope to continue defining an American Studies major that truly is "the academic focal point for the study of race at Macalester College" and in every respect serves our contribution to the College's mission for high levels of scholarship and emphasis on multiculturalism and internationalism - indeed, we cannot forget that Latin@s represent the largest minority group in the United States, and that the United States currently ranks as the fourth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world by population.

Further, we are uncomfortable with a new professor being brought to Macalester to teach within the Hispanic Studies Department where we believe that the department's leadership lacks basic respect for the field of US Latin@ Studies. We are unsatisfied with the emphasis within Hispanic Studies on a literature-based method of study; it is essential to realize that Latin@ Studies is interdisciplinary and not merely literary in its scope. It is public knowledge that some within the department openly consider Latin@ Studies as inferior to literary studies: this is unacceptable. Latin@ Studies encompasses not only the study of classic texts but also the examination of a historic and vibrant culture here in the United States.

We, the students and faculty of Macalester College are at a disadvantage keeping US Latin@ Studies in the jurisdiction of this Hispanic Studies Department's leadership as it hinders growth and academic excellence whereby professors who specialize in Latin@ Studies are forced to teach it as a subject matter secondary to the Spanish language.

Despite this hindrance, in only two years here at Macalester, Maria Elena Cepeda has contributed significantly to the campus community. She is the only professor in the department teaching the crucial classes outside of language and literature, she bridges multiculturalism and internationalism, has so far served four different academic departments, has organized a successful Latin@ Studies Symposium, and has been one of the few professors from Hispanic Studies to approach ¡Adelante! and other student organizations and individual students about a host of issues. As our professor leaves for Williams College, we are appalled that Macalester has not fought for its professor either here on campus nor in giving a counter-offer as is typical with regards to professors who have been approached by other institutions.

To nurture its reputation as a preeminent liberal arts college, Macalester must ensure a place for US Latin@ Studies. First, a temporary hiring followed by an immediate candidate search must take place. The current tenure-track position should be moved to American Studies and further expanded as is possible. The relocation of this tenure-track position to American Studies is the only logical step and to do otherwise would be a disservice to the students and faculty of Macalester who have spent time and energy making their voices heard for more than a decade.

Thank you for your immediate attention.

Sincerely,

Alex Flores and Vincent García
Co-Chairs, ¡Adelante!

[edit] CC

[edit] Board of Trustees

[edit] Trustees

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