UT hosts one of the most impressive collections of Latin American history resources in the nation. The Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies is a premier center for interdisciplinary research on the region, and the Benson Latin American Collection is widely recognized as one of the top repositories for Latin American history.
“One of the things with Latin American studies at UT is that it is huge,” said Lina Del Castillo, modern Latin American history associate professor. “It’s not just in the (College of Liberal Arts). We have partnerships with the LBJ School (of Public Affairs), city and regional planning, (the schools of) architecture … social work, law (and) business.”
However, despite the University’s strength in this field and the department’s active recruitment tactics, recent data have shown LAS may be going unnoticed by undergraduate students.
According to College Factual, UT awarded 20 LAS degrees in 2021-2022. This is considerably lower than the other degrees available within COLA and does not reflect the department’s capacity.
“Students sometimes think that if they study Latin American studies, it might not be as efficient as if they study something closer to a profession, … but I think these are challenges that are easily overcome if we explain the possibilities of Latin American studies,” said LLILAS director Adela Pineda Franco.
UT can play a significant role in the perception of majors in the eyes of prospective and current students. This includes showcasing alumni career outcomes, internships and fellowships and demonstrating how Latin American studies can complement students’ existing academic and professional interests.
By actively highlighting career pathways and the department’s successes, UT can draw direct attention to the significant work of the LLILAS and its degree offerings.
In the many years since LLILAS’s establishment, the department has created and contributed to many incredible projects, including preserving Indigenous languages and archiving evidence of human rights abuses in Guatemala. They’ve also stayed active in hosting events where visiting researchers have used the Benson to present their work.
For some students, working with the institute can develop the ability to approach new opportunities and challenges.
“(Issues) need an interdisciplinary approach,” LLILAS alumna Salomé Valdivieso said. “You cannot only see politics. You also need to see the history (and) culture. So, for me, being in the Latin American Studies (masters) allowed me to see these different issues from different perspectives.”
LLILAS explicitly welcomes double majors and has standing programs for history and international relations and global studies students to add LAS to their existing degrees. Additionally, LLILAS boosted undergraduate recruitment for fall 2026 by providing a $1,500 scholarship for students who declared the LAS major and enrolled in LAS 301.
Sandro Sessarego, associate director of student programs at LLILAS, shared that the success of this scholarship has led to an increase in student enrollment by almost 50% within the past few months.
UT has a responsibility to shine a light on the LAS program and has the resources to do so. Students have a chance to discover many unique opportunities under this powerhouse of a program; whether they will be encouraged to find them is a different question.
Puente is a Plan II and psychology senior from Edinburg, Texas.
