The potential for a new Latin American studies major finally allows Tufts to catch up to academic and personal realities of the university and its surrounding community.
While the process to add the new major is a long one, the decision to add Latin American studies should be a slam-dunk.
A new major in Latin American studies builds on the nascent program Tufts currently offers as a minor, and centers the university's focus on its local community as well as the greater world.
For a school that prides itself on its internationalism and that has a large number of students with ties to Latin America, offering a major that focuses on the region's rich cultural and political tapestry allows Tufts students to learn more about an area and culture that is important to our community and from coast to coast.
Somerville's large Latin American immigrant population shapes daily life immediately beyond Tufts' boundaries. We can further our understanding about the peoples and cultures of the world by taking notice of those around us.
The large number of Latin American students at Tufts and the even larger number of immigrants across the United States shows just how integrated the Americas are.
While ties among nations have existed for centuries, it takes academic focus to create a new generation of leaders who are better able to cement future economic, cultural and political ties between all the countries of the Americas.
With the ongoing debate on U.S. immigration policies, more level and educated heads are needed to create a policy that works to serve everyone's best interests.
Further study in Latin American life can yield a greater understanding about the immigration issue from a deeper perspective not usually grasped by the average American. All of this signals how Tufts is taking an important step toward integrating its global aims with the world's interrelated reality.
Moreover, the new programs give academic depth to the large Latino cultural influence felt on campus. The Latino culture house and other Latin American cultural programs show Tufts' interest in the region already.
Countless Tufts-affiliated service trips to the region make it clear that Tufts students realize just how important Latin America is.
When considered with the large numbers of Tufts students who are from Latin America, have family ties, or others who show an interest in working to improve communities there, the need for a comprehensive academic element to an otherwise large and thriving Latino community is pressing.
Hopefully, this news will lead to a stronger push towards the creation of a Portuguese language curriculum in the department of romance languages.
The largest nation in the Americas, Brazil's population of well over 100 million must be heard-and should be heard-in their language. A Latin American studies program would surely suffer lacking intensive coursework on an important country in the region and in the world.
For the university to answer to this widespread concentration of time and effort in Latin America with an academic concentration is a good example of the Tufts administration responding to students' wishes, but the concentration remains incomplete until Portuguese arrives in Olin.
