History

The Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program was established in 1977 as the Hispanic-Latin American Studies Program (HLAS) with seed money from the same grant that established an International Studies Program. In its initial years the faculty sought to refine its focus, and the program evolved first into Latin American Studies and then later, under the leadership of Dr. Robert Pastor, into LACS. In Fall 1988, the Program’s newly designed Introduction to Latin American Studies course (LACS 101) was launched and quickly became a cornerstone of the program.

From its inception, LACS has had a strong tradition of sponsoring exhibits, lectures, symposia, and performances that reflect the research interests of its affiliated faculty. With the internationalization of Emory and the explosion of Latin American and Caribbean immigrants to the greater Atlanta area, the Program continues to adapt and grow. Over the last five years the program has played an active role in the broad Area Studies programming on campus and has expanded its funding for graduate student activities.