Ethnic Studies
6 courses · Chaffey College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Summer 2026 · Fall 2026 · Spring 2027
ETHN 1 Introduction to Ethnic Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48-54 Lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This survey course is a comparative and interdisciplinary examination of the lived-experiences and social struggles of African American, Asian American, Latina/Latino American and Native American communities in the United States. The course will interrogate categories of identity and power such as race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality and explore theoretical concepts and socio-historical processes, including colonization and immigration; the development of race as a social category; political conditions; economics, labor and the persistence of social inequalities; cultural expression and resistance; and social justice movements.
ETHN 2 Introduction to Native American Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48-54 Lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course provides an introduction to the study of Native American history, social and religious traditions, artistic expression, as well as the U.S. Government construction of settler states and policy toward Native Americans from an Ethnic Studies perspective. Special attention will be given to the Gabrielino-Tongva tribe as the aboriginal tribe of the Los Angeles Basin. Students will engage with text that confronts the structural genocide, regeneration, practices of resistance and resilience of Native people.
ETHN 3 Introduction to Latinx Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48-54 Lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Examines the racialization, lived experiences, and social struggles of Latinx community in local, regional, national, and transnational contexts. Utilizes theory and interdisciplinary approach to assess themes and issues related to the Latinx community in the U.S., including: race and racism, indigenous culture, colonialism, war, identity, language, gender, family, labor, education, expression, and resistance. A critical analysis of modern Latin American history and indigenous and African cultures connected to the Latinx diaspora, including Chicana/o, Mexican, Central American, South American, and Caribbean-American communities in the U.S from an Ethnic Studies perspective.
ETHN 4 Introduction to African American Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48-54 Lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Provides an interdisciplinary survey of African American culture and heritage. Topics include African civilization and diaspora, slavery and emancipation, Jim Crow laws, civil rights and social justice movements. Analyzes the economic, political, social, artistic and intellectual elements of the African American community. Explores concepts such as racialization, the intersection of class and gender, white supremacy and liberation. Pays particular attention to the lived experience of African Americans and the significant impact that African Americans have had on American culture as a whole.
ETHN 5 Introduction to Asian American Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48-54 Lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course examines how U.S. institutions ideologically constructed the category of Asian-ness and materially engaged with people from East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia (five regions of Asia), and the Pacific Islands within the United States and its territories. Ethnic Studies theory will be applied to describe critical events in Asian American histories, cultures, immigration experiences, settlement patterns and intellectual traditions including an examination of how "Asian" communities interact with each other and other racialized/ethnicized communities. This includes a focus on topics ranging from self-determination to imperialism in a move toward building a just and equitable society. Special attention will be given to major Asian communities in the Inland Empire (Filipinos, Cambodians, Laotians, Hmong, Indonesians, and Thai).
ETHN 6 Race, Ethnicity, and Politics in America
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48-54 Lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course explores the role of race and ethnicity in modern American politics. It focuses on social science approaches to measuring the effects of race, both at the individual level and more broadly. Topics include race and representation, measurement of racial and ethnic identities, voting rights and electoral districting, protest and other forms of political participation, and the meaning and measurement of racial attitudes. An examination of United States institutions of social, political and economic power from the history and experiences of African Americans, LatinX, Native Americans, Women, Asian Americans, and Immigrants. Other emphases will be on diverse forms of political participation and how it influences U.S. institutions at the local, state and federal levels in movements towards building a diverse, just, and equitable society beyond the classroom, achieving social justice and a sense of self awareness.