Ethnic Studies
5 courses · Las Positas College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Summer 2026 · Fall 2026
ETHS 5 Psychology of Race and Identity
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course is an introduction to the impact of race and ethnicity on identity in the United States, which focuses on how these influence human behavior and shape one’s understanding of the world around them. We will study a variety of topics related to race, ethnicity, social and cultural group developmental norms and the extent of influence these norms may have on an individual’s worldview. This course seeks to strengthen diversity awareness and knowledge by engaging in difficult discussions surrounding race and identity. This course will review a broad range of theories and research findings regarding race and ethnicity’s influence on human behavior and cognitive process. Topics covered include stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, racism, the intersection between race, ethnicity and other forms of oppression, privilege, and identity development. Students may receive credit for ETHS 5 or PSYC 21, but not both.
ETHS 6 Introduction to Race and Ethnicity
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
- C-ID
- SOCI 150
A sociological introduction to the social construction of race and ethnicity, and a critical analysis of the structural factors that produce racialized consequences. Examines the cultural, political, legal, and economic institutions involved in racial formation, racial and ethnic disparities, and patterns of interaction among racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Examples are drawn mainly from historical and sociological assessments of racialized lived experiences, focusing on the perspectives of African Americans, Hispanic/Latinx Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. Students may receive credit for ETHS 6 or SOC , but not both.
ETHS 10 Introduction to African American and Black Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary approach of African American and Black Studies and its major concepts and analyses. African American Studies is unique as an academic discipline in that it defines and redefines the lives of Africana peoples from their own perspectives. By relying on social justice and the anti-racist tradition, the course critically examines the histories, current issues, and unique lived experiences of people of African ancestry in the United States and the diaspora along with the intersection of racial and ethnic identities with other forms of social identity such as class, gender, sexuality, religion, indigeneity, and immigration status. The values, experience, and cultural contributions of Black/African American individuals in the United States will be identified, examined, and authenticated.
ETHS 20 Introduction to Asian American Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary approach of Asian American Studies and its major concepts and theories. By relying on social justice movement and the anti-racist tradition, the course critically examines the diverse histories and contemporary social, cultural, and political experiences of Asian Americans in the United States with an emphasis on the intersectionality of racial and ethnic identities with other forms of social identity such as class, gender, sexuality, religion, indigeneity, and immigration status in the contexts of U.S. imperialism and colonialism, urban and suburbanization, labor, citizenship, community activism, and identity formation. The course also introduces students to the key scholarly works, theories, and frameworks that inform the field of Asian American Studies and considers the political stakes of academic research on Asian American communities.
ETHS 30 Introduction to Chicanx and Latinx Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary approach of Chicanx and Latinx Studies and its major concepts and analyses. By relying on social justice and anti-racist tradition, the course examines the histories, the current issues, and the unique lived experiences of Chicanx and Latinx Americans along with the intersection of racial and ethnic identities with other forms of social identity such as class, gender, sexuality, religion, indigeneity, and immigration status. The relationships between distinct Chicanx and Latinx communities and identities, historical legacies, contemporary issues, and their impact, and socio-political and economic institutions and their effects on the Chicanx and Latinx communities are analyzed. The values, leadership, activism, and contributions of Chicanx and Latinx peoples in the United States are also examined.