About

Center for Mexican American Studies

The mission of the Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS) is to serve Texas and the nation as a leader in the intellectual development of Mexican American and Latina/o studies. Faculty and students affiliated with CMAS study the cultural practices, historical development, and socioeconomic conditions of Mexican American and Latina/o communities.

Born of the civil rights movement, the Center was established in 1970 with renown Professor Américo Paredes as one of its principal founders and its first director. The University’s establishment and continued support of CMAS represents the institutional recognition that the Mexican American and Latina/o communities are crucial to understanding the past, present, and future of the United States and the Americas.

Together with the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies and the Latino Research Institute, the Center continues to provide intellectual leadership for the development of the field. CMAS remains more relevant than ever in expanding the knowledge base needed by policy makers, community leaders, and everyday people for today’s complex decision-making processes.