fearless scholarship.  

In the 1960s, Mexican American student activists at the University of Texas at Austin agitated for the creation of an academic program that reflected their lives, experiences, and ways of knowing. From their efforts, in 1970, UT created the Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS), with Américo Paredes named its first director. Over the past fifty years, UT has become an important scholarly center for Mexican American, Chicano/a/x, and Latino/a/x Studies. It wasn’t until 2014 that the University granted us an independent major, Mexican American and Latina/o Studies. In addition to both major and minor undergraduate degrees, the department is one of only a few in the country to offer a Latino Studies doctoral degree. The department continues to grow and distinguish itself through emboldened scholarship that challenges traditional narratives and embraces a dynamic understanding of the Latino experience.