Latino Civil Rights Seminar

The next Latino Civil Rights Seminar is scheduled for Fall 2025. Read on for seminar details, then apply by March 28 to be considered for this unique opportunity.

Purpose

Explore the history and theory relating to the diverse experiences and ongoing struggles for Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x civil rights and social justice.
Encourage and foster a covenant community of belonging at BYU.
Provide students with the historical knowledge, faculty and peer mentorship, and inspiring learning that facilitate the ability and confidence to engage in leadership opportunities.

Seminar Highlights

Students in this course will be introduced to major events, historical themes, people, places, and strategies in the ongoing struggle for Latino/a/x/e civil rights. As we explore the long struggle for racial equality, self-determination, and social justice, we will focus primarily on events and mobilizations from the 1930s to the present in the southwestern United States. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a five-day trip visiting museums, historical sites, present-day communities, and meeting with individuals and organizations committed to Chicano/a/x/e and Latino/a/x/e civil rights and social justice.

In the past, the Latino Civil Rights Seminar has featured the following highlights:

In-depth classroom discussions led by underrepresented faculty with expertise in the fields of Chicano/a/x/e and Latino/a/x/e history, civil rights, immigration, and social justice
Cohort-based learning with underrepresented students and faculty and others of diverse backgrounds
Tour museums, cultural centers, and monuments like the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Education Building in San Antonio, La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles, the Boyle Heights Museum, and the Bracero Monument in Los Angeles, and Centro Cultural de la Raza in San Diego
Tour murals and public art installations that depict Chicano/a/x/e and Latino/a/x/e history and civil rights in San Antonio’s Westside, East Los Angeles, The Great Wall of Los Angeles and Chicano Park in San Diego
Tour and meet with students, faculty, and staff from Chicano/a/x/e and Latino/a/x/e programs and research institutes at UT Austin, UT San Antonio, UCLA, and USC
Tour historic Chicano/a/x/e and Latino/a/x/e communities in San Antonio, Los Angeles, San Diego, Corpus Christi, Austin, Salt Lake City, Tucson, and Tempe
Meet with individuals that organized and participated in Chicano/a/x/e civil rights and political organizations like the Mexican American Youth Organization, Crusade for Justice, La Raza Unida Party, Brown Berets, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, National Chicano Moratorium Committee and the Farmworkers Movement
Meet with individuals leading contemporary Chicano/a/x/e, Latino/a/x/e and immigrant rights organizations
Attend Sunday worship services in a Latino/a/x/e congregation
Present research, experiences, and lessons learned through the seminar to members of our BYU community
Pre-and post-seminar gatherings and reunions

Apply for the Fall 2025 Seminar by March 28

Expectations

Be a Diligent Student
Students are expected to come to class well-prepared, having completed their weekly assignments, and ready to engage in meaningful dialogue. To facilitate conversation and make allowance for processing the material, class periods will last 90 minutes and attendance will factor heavily into the final grade. Every necessary preparation is required to ensure no class periods are missed and attendance is prompt and for the full 90 minutes.

Be an Engaged Participant
This seminar will consist of a group of diverse individuals who will engage with the topics of racial inequality, civil rights, and social justice in the United States. Because of the weight of these topics, students are expected to communicate with respect, compassion, and honesty.

Become an Active Citizen
This seminar is designed for students to develop an informed perspective on the experience and contributions of Latinos/as/x/e. With this understanding, students will be more prepared to cultivate racial equality within their everyday interactions, among their friends and families, and throughout their broader communities.

Important Dates

Application deadline	March 28, 11:59 p.m. MT
Interviews	End of March through mid April
Admission notification	Mid to late April
Fall 2025 Course	Fridays, 10-11:30 a.m. Location TBD
Travel Experience	Nov. 21–24, 2025 Specific departure and arrival times TBD

Cost

The College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences sponsors the Latino Civil Rights Seminar and covers costs associated with the travel, including airfare, hotel accommodations, ground transportation, and most meals.

Apply for the Fall 2025 Seminar by March 28

Selection Criteria & Process

Eligibility

Be registered as a day-time continuing student at BYU for the semester of the Seminar (Fall 2025)
Be available for each class during the semester on Fridays from 10–11:30 a.m. Conflicts with other classes, even for small overlaps, will disqualify students from participating.
Complete application by deadline (March 28, 2025, 11:59 p.m. MT)

Additional Considerations

Program logistics
Seminar administrators will select applicants for interviews with two or more faculty or administrators. Depending on the number of eligible applications, all applicants will likely not have the opportunity to be interviewed. Interviews will help us determine:
- Connection to, interest in, and/or understanding of Chicano/a/x/e and Latino/a/x/e history in the United States with particular interest in civil rights, immigrant rights, and social justice
- Interest in and potential for actively participating in community building, civic engagement, mentorship, and leadership
- Commitment to the Seminar as an academic experience
- Commitment to generating, facilitating, and participating in dialogue about potentially sensitive matters in a forthright, thoughtful, courteous, and constructive manner
- Group dynamics
Class standing will also be factored into the final decision, because it impacts:
- The number of times a student will have future opportunities to participate should they not be selected
- The amount of time to serve in, or be served by, a mentoring relationship

If you have additional questions or concerns regarding the Latino Civil Rights Seminar application or course, please email David-James Gonzales.

Apply for the Fall 2025 Seminar by March 28

Learn More About Latino/a/x/e Civil Rights

Although unique, the Latino Civil Rights Seminar is not the only way to learn more about Chicano/a/x/e and Latino/a/x/e history, civil rights movements, and the history of race relations in the United States. Regardless of whether or not you are selected to participate in the Seminar, you are encouraged to explore other opportunities through Multicultural Student Services and the BYUSA club Hispanos Unidos, along with courses from Latin American Studies, History, Sociology, and Global Women’s Studies, such as:

HIST 221: The United States Since 1877
- Professor David-James Gonzales
HIST 385: Latinos in the United States
- Professors David-James Gonzales
HIST 362: US Immigration History
- Professor David-James Gonzales
LA AM 211: Introduction to Latin American Studies
- Professors Jeff Shumway and Matt Hill
SOC 112: Social Problems
- Professor Jane Lopez
SOC 323: Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
- Professors Jacob Rugh and Ryan Gabriel
SOC 423: Sociology of Immigration
- Professor Jane Lopez
GWS 341: Women and Global Migration
- Professor Kif Augustine-Adams
HONRS 227: Social Sciences & Arts - Race and Music
- Professor Jacob Rugh
SC ED 353: Multicultural Education for Secondary Teachers
- Professors Eric Bybee
EL ED 200: Introduction to Education
- Professor Bryant Jensen
EL ED 203: Multicultural Education
- Professor Bryant Jensen