What do migration and meteorology have to do with Latin American studies? Bridges across disciplines at the United States Naval Academy

Sharika Crawford,Bradford S Barrett,Silvia M Peart

doi:10.23870/marlas.219

Sharika Crawford, Bradford S Barrett + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.23870/marlas.219

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Abstract

This essay explores how faculty from three different disciplines (applied linguistics, history, and meteorology), all with expertise in Latin America, have promoted an interdisciplinary approach toward Latin American studies through their study of migration and climate. The essay begins by reviewing the history and significance of the U.S. Department of Defense’s LREC initiative on tertiary Spanish language education. The essay then describes how climate and human interests in Latin America can be integrated into undergraduate courses and research projects to leverage students’ intellectual interests (in their major subject) with other academic pursuits (via a minor in Spanish). Finally, the essay discusses how demographic changes in the U.S. have impacted higher education in Spanish. The essay concludes by reviewing some of the guidelines that professional organizations and universities have put in place in response to these challenges, and offers some suggestions for how academics might respond in their institutional contexts.

Highlights

Latin American studies continues to be an influential and popular field of study in the twentyfirst century, despite concerns over funding and the development of alternate models in the 1990s (Hale 2014; Alvarez, Arias, and Hale 2011)
Institutions supported by the National Resource Center (NRC), a program of the Department of Education, receive funding to strengthen foreign language and area studies at college and university campuses across the United States
Here we argue that many of these challenges outlined above can be overcome by a multidisciplinary perspective that brings together specialists in different fields who can congregate under a common interest in Latin American Studies

Summary

Introduction

Latin American studies continues to be an influential and popular field of study in the twentyfirst century, despite concerns over funding and the development of alternate models in the 1990s (Hale 2014; Alvarez, Arias, and Hale 2011). Institutions supported by the National Resource Center (NRC), a program of the Department of Education, receive funding to strengthen foreign language and area studies at college and university campuses across the United States.

Results

Conclusion