Ethnic Studies examines how historically marginalized populations have experienced, survived, and engaged the United States nation-building project.

We analyze the social dynamics of ethnicity, race, racism, state violence, Spanish and European-American settler colonialisms, U.S. imperialism, chattel slavery, legalized discrimination, institutionalized inequality, indigenous resilience and survival strategies, and the internalized logics of domination and assimilation.

Individually and collectively, our courses forge strong scholarly connections among the related fields of Native American, Africana, Asian American, and Chicano-Chicana studies.

With a commitment to scholarly excellence and research rigor, we crucially contribute to interdisciplinary, intersectional discourses regarding the meaning of human freedom. As part of our pedagogical philosophy, we strive to provide an empowering literacy that expands students’ horizons and cultivates the writing, complex reasoning, and critical thinking skills necessary to participate fully in society and the world.

Ethnic Studies Department Chair:
Robert Perez
robert.perez@ucr.edu