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Monday 9am - 4pm Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 4pm Thursday 9am - 4pm

San José State University Mexican American Studies Department

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San Jose, CA
San José State University Mexican American Studies Department

Chicana and Chicano Studies
Clark Hall, Room 231
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192-0118

Phone: 408.924.5760
Hours: 8:30a.m.-4:30pm

The Mexican American Studies Department at San José State University was created in 1968 and is the oldest Graduate Program in Chicana/o Studies in the country. Today, MAS at San José State is still one of only five Graduate Programs in Chicana/o Studies in California and the only one north of Santa Barbara. The Mission of the Mexican American Studies Department is to serve SJSU students and diver

se communities through an interdisciplinary Chicana/o Studies Program that is based on principles of Social Justice. The program prepares students to critically examine and address intellectual traditions and contemporary issues resulting from race, class, and gender intersections in Chicana/o-Latina/o and other communities. The curriculum is grounded in the interdisciplinary Chicana/o Studies tradition of pursuing carefully developed, culturally grounded solutions to community needs. The individual courses and programs are intended to bridge the worlds of theory, cultural analysis, and practice. Students build on a solid foundation of historical and cultural analyses and attempt to develop new approaches to long-standing social, economic, educational, political, and intellectual problems that face Chicana/o, Latina/o and other communities. The department is committed to being a cutting edge Chicana/o Studies department as we respond to the ever-changing needs of our students and communities. We train students to become leaders in a number of professional fields, including: teaching, social services, policy, health care, government, and community service. We also prepare students for doctoral study in Chicana/o Studies, Ethnic Studies and other academic fields. Source: http://www.sjsu.edu/mas/About/history/index.html

05/20/2026

Happy Commencement, Spartans! 🎓✨

From Wednesday, May 20, through Friday, May 22, we celebrate the hard work, resilience, leadership, and accomplishments of our graduates. This milestone reflects years of dedication, perseverance, late nights, meaningful connections, and unforgettable memories made here at SJSU.

As our graduates take the next step toward new opportunities and future goals, we are proud to recognize all they have achieved and the impact they will continue to make in their communities and beyond.

Visit www.sjsu.edu/commencement to view the full commencement schedule and ceremony details.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! Your Spartan journey continues, and we cannot wait to see what you accomplish next. 💙💛

05/19/2026

Please note that the CCS office will be closed on Monday, 05/25, in observance of Memorial Day.

We will reopen on Tuesday, 05/26, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful holiday weekend. ☀️

05/18/2026

Summer 2026 Course Spotlight 🌸

Looking for a meaningful summer class that centers gender, sexuality, race, and community through a Chicana Feminist lens? CCS 160: Gender & Sexuality in the Chicane Community is being offered asynchronously during SJSU Summer Session 2 from July 6 through August 7, 2026. ✨

This exciting course explores the limitations and possibilities of gender expression and sexuality among different gendered and racial/ethnic groups. Collectively, we will apply a Chicana Feminist lens to examine how patriarchy, race, and class shape Chicanes’ and BIPOCs’ everyday lives in the U.S.

📚 Asynchronous format
🗓 July 6 to August 7, 2026
👩🏽‍🏫 Taught by Dra. Christine Vega

05/14/2026

📚 Finals season is officially here! 📝✨

Mark your calendars and start prepping because final examinations begin on Wednesday, May 13th, and end on Tuesday, May 19th, 2026. 💙

Stay focused, stay confident, and remember to take care of yourself during exam week. You’ve worked hard all semester, now it’s time to finish strong! 💪🎓

Good luck, Spartans! 🍀

05/13/2026

Summer just got productive ☀️📚

CCS Summer Sessions are here and it’s your chance to stay on track, catch up, or get ahead.

🗓 Session 1: June 1 to July 2
🗓 Session 2: July 6 to August 7

Multiple CCS courses available with amazing faculty. Fully online and ready for you to enroll now.

⏰ Don’t wait
Session 1 add deadline: June 8
Session 2 add deadline: July 13

Spots fill fast so secure your classes today through MySJSU.

05/12/2026

🌟 CCS 190 - Epistolary Storytelling Final Presentations ❤️‍🔥

Dra. Vega shares this invitation:

“I want to invite you to stop by and listen to our CCS 190 Majors present their work on the Chicana and Chicano Studies Capstone projects. We have taken the journey towards letters through an epistolary storytelling approach to their work, as it’s informed by Decolonizing Methodologies, “Suspending Damage: A Letter to Communities,” and “To My Relations: Writing and Refusal Towards an Indigenous Epistolary Methodologies.”

I am incredibly proud of our CCS Majors and the work they have dedicated to their own visions and storytelling as a way to do Chicana and Chicano Studies in relation to migration, education, gender, motherhood, and language brokering.

I hope you can join us for cafecito or tea and cookies.”

📅 May 12
⏰ 1 to 3 PM
📍 Clark Hall 227

Come support our CCS 190 scholars and experience storytelling rooted in community and care 💌

05/11/2026

Thank you to our SJSU College of Social Sciences Dean, Anne Marie Todd, for always recognizing and uplifting the meaningful work happening across our college. 💙

Congratulations to all of this year’s awardees, and especially to our Chicana and Chicano Studies Department Analyst, Erlinda Yanez, for receiving the Staff Excellence Award! ✨

Erlinda’s dedication to our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community is truly unmatched. We are deeply grateful for the continued care, commitment, and excellence they bring to our department and campus every day. ❤️🙏

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day from the CCS Department 💐

Today we celebrate the strength, care, and dedication of mothers and mother figures everywhere. Your support, resilience, and love shape families, communities, and future generations in powerful ways.

We are grateful for all that you do each day, often without recognition. May today bring you appreciation, joy, and a well deserved moment to be celebrated.

With gratitude,
The CCS Department

05/07/2026

Celebrating brilliance and powerful voices at the 2026 McNair Scholars Research Reception ✨

We are proud to recognize our CCS scholars Lilliana Espinoza, Samantha Salazar, Perla Rangel Rangel, and Ariadna Sánchez Hernandez for their dedication and impact.

Lilliana shared her research on Chicana Q***r Mothers, highlighting the realities of systemic violence and the ongoing journey toward intergenerational healing. Her work reminds us of the strength found in community, resilience, and truth.

Below is her speech:
“Hello, my name is Lili Espinoza, and I am in my first semester as a senior majoring in Chicana and Chicano Studies and minoring in Legal Studies.

My research interests are q***r Chicana mother work, intergenerational trauma, Indigenous healing, decolonization, and the impacts of drug and gang violence on system impacted mothers.

I am working with Dr Vega and Dr Miranda, who are top notch professors in the Chicana/o department.

My research project focuses on the links between colonization, intergenerational trauma, and motherhood among q***r Chicana women. I examine the lived experiences of q***r Chicana mothers impacted by gang violence, drug addiction, and unjust systems, and explore how intersecting identities shape these experiences. I also consider how reconnecting with Indigenous traditions and cultural practices can support intergenerational healing.

I want to thank my Chicana/o department who has pushed, motivated, and given me the ganas to reach for the stars.”

Grateful to the TRIO McNair Scholars Program for uplifting and honoring these scholars 💛

04/21/2026

Meet the poets ✨

Introducing Andrea Nevarez, a thoughtful and dynamic voice joining us at our CCS Friend Raiser.

Andrea’s poetry is reflective, rhythmic, and organic, creating space to explore emotion, connection, and mutuality. Through her work, she invites us to slow down, feel deeply, and find meaning in both the everyday and the extraordinary.

We’re excited for you to experience her perspective and presence at our event 💫

Address

Clark Hall, Room 231, One Washington Square
San Jose, CA
95192

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm

Telephone

+14089245760

Website

http://www.sjsu.edu/ccs/, https://www.instagram.com/ccs_sjsu/, https://linktr.ee/ccs_sjsu

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