Our Mission
The Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies (CLLAS) at the University of Oregon advances interdisciplinary research, teaching, and community engagement focused on Latinx and Latin American experiences across Oregon, the United States, Latin America, and the broader hemisphere. Serving as a hub for collaborative scholarship and creative work, CLLAS uses a hemispheric framework that places Oregon in meaningful conversation with the Americas. Through integrated research, experiential learning, and public programming, the Center cultivates intellectual community, supports student and faculty innovation, and produces knowledge that responds to urgent social, cultural, and political questions. CLLAS plays a vital role in the university’s commitment to diversity, belonging, and access by strengthening connections among students, faculty, staff, and community partners.
About Us
Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies (CLLAS), University of Oregon
The Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies (CLLAS) at the University of Oregon is an interdisciplinary knowledge hub dedicated to advancing research, teaching, and community engagement related to Latinx and Latin American communities, both locally and globally.
Founded in 2007 and launched as an independent research center in 2010, CLLAS has grown into a vital campus and community resource. Our work bridges the fields of Latinx and Latin American studies, placing them in conversation with one another and with the state of Oregon. We support scholarship that is historically grounded, socially engaged, and publicly accessible.
CLLAS promotes equity and inclusion through faculty and student research grants, collaborative programming, and public events that center voices and experiences often underrepresented in higher education. We are proud to support projects that explore themes such as migration, identity, human rights, language, cultural production, and social justice.
What We Do
-
Research Support: We fund and showcase research by UO faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates whose work contributes to Latinx and Latin American studies across disciplines.
-
Public Engagement: We host lectures, symposia, film screenings, and cultural events that bring campus and community members together.
-
Student Empowerment: Through grants, awards, and hands-on programs like the Latino Roots course and documentary film project, we equip students to tell powerful stories, develop research skills, and contribute to public knowledge.
-
Community Connection: We collaborate with local, national, and international organizations to amplify the histories and contributions of Latinx and Latin American communities in Oregon and beyond.
Signature Initiatives
-
Latino Roots Project: A two-course sequence where students research and document the lives of Latino Oregonians through oral histories and short films archived in UO Libraries.
-
Graduate and Faculty Research Grants: Annual funding that supports cutting-edge research on Latinx and Latin American issues across a wide range of fields.
-
Undergraduate Awards: Recognition for outstanding student work related to Latinx and Latin American topics in any academic discipline.
-
Public Events: From tamale socials and film celebrations to academic presentations and national conferences, our events foster community and critical dialogue.