Ethnic Studies
5 courses · El Camino College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Winter 2027 · Spring 2027
ESTU 1 Introduction to Ethnic Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture
- Advisory
- Eligibility for English 1A/English C1000 or equivalent
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course provides a multidisciplinary introduction and analysis of ethnic groups in the United States. Various theories and perspectives will be examined to better comprehend the effects of institutional racism, marginalization, socio-economic and political discrimination, and ethnocentrism on American ethnic and racial groups.
ESTU 1H Honors Introduction to Ethnic Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture
- Advisory
- Eligibility for English 1A/English C1000 or equivalent
- Transfers to
- CSU
This honors course, intended for students in the Honors Transfer Program, provides a multidisciplinary introduction and analysis of ethnic groups in the United States. Various theories and perspectives will be examined to comprehend better the effects of institutional racism, marginalization, socio-economic and political discrimination, and ethnocentrism on American ethnic and racial groups. This course is enriched through extensive, rigorous reading, writing, and research assignments.
ESTU 3 The Chicano in Contemporary United States Society
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture
- Advisory
- eligibility for ENGL 1A (now ENGL C1000)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course introduces the student to the complexity and diversity of contemporary Chicano society in the United States. The impact of American values on the socialization of Mexican Americans will be assessed with particular emphasis on political, economic, social, cultural and educational institutions.
ESTU 5 Chicano Culture
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture
- Advisory
- eligibility for ENGL 1A (now ENGL C1000)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course is an interdisciplinary study of Chicano culture in the United States. Emphasis is placed on the historical roots and development of the cultural contributions of Chicanos to American society in the arts, literature, language, music and other expressions of contemporary popular culture. Analysis of the central components of Chicano cultural values, norms and customs will also be assessed.
ESTU 9 Introduction to Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture
- Advisory
- Eligibility for English C1000 or equivalent
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course will provide a critical analysis and review of the struggles faced by Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) communities as they demonstrate resistance and solidarity in their efforts to achieve liberation and racial and social justice. Students will apply interdisciplinary, college-level concepts that explore the foundations and theories in the Ethnic Studies discipline to extend the analysis to APIDA studies. Students will read scholarly, literary, and visual texts to gain a deeper understanding of the APIDA experience. Students will learn how to apply various perspectives and theories to analyze the struggles of APIDA individuals and communities. Through an interdisciplinary approach, this course will explore how various APIDA groups in the United States implement academic inquiries and perspectives that highlight issues of race, nationality, class, gender, sexuality, community building, Orientalism, transnationalism, culture, assimilation, and activism. Topics include, but are not limited to, the intersection of identity construction, media analysis, anti-Asian violence, immigration policies, labor, gender and sexuality, and social justice and liberation movements.