Student Work
Margarita Smith came to the UO on the Undergraduate Support Program, joined the Honors College in her second year the UO, and became a McNair scholar soon after. Smith says that she found her home in the ethnic studies program. The professors in the program are so good, she says, that they “could be teaching the history of dry toast and it would be intriguing and fascinating.” Smith, who also has a minor in history, focused her thesis on representations of African American women and poverty in film and also examined welfare reform.
Khanh Le started as a political science major, but added ethnic studies after taking a couple classes in the program. “Ethnic studies allowed me to explore and recognize how society works,” he says. Le, who was born in Vietnam, is also a McNair scholar, and his thesis focuses on the Vietnamese lawsuit against the chemical companies that manufactured Agent Orange. In addition to his academic work, Le served as student senator for two years, was co-chair of the UO chapter of the OSCC, and has worked at the MCC since his freshman year, serving as co-director for one year.
Diertra Lynn was still testing the academic waters when she enrolled in an upper division ethnic studies class. “I immediately took to the professor and the class,” she says. “The ethnic studies program continues to offer incredible, challenging classes, which hold my interest.” Lynn is focusing her studies on Native American issues and has been active in the NASU, volunteering her time to tutor Native youth.
Selected Faculty Work
Associate Professor Michael Hames-García is the director of the ethnic studies program. He researches published literature from prisoners in the U.S., as well as how they respond to ethical questions about the nature of freedom. “Many of them think of freedom beyond personal terms,” he says. “[For them] it’s about the sense of freedom and connectedness between people.”
In addition to Philosophy Professor Naomi Zack’s research and many publications on race, seventeenth century philosophy, and feminism, she explores existentialism, contemporary ethics and current philosophy of mind. She is strongly committed to helping students develop critical skills in thinking and writing.
Assistant Professor Brian Klopotek’s research interests include American Indians of the Southeastern United States, American Indian educational history, federal recognition of Indian tribes, and Native Americans and gender. Klopotek has published a variety of pieces, including Across the Great Divide: Cultures of Manhood in the American West, in which he discusses his findings on American Indian responses to hypermasculine imagery in cinema.
Assistant Professor Ernesto Martínez is the first joint faculty in the ethnic studies and women’s and gender studies programs. His areas of research include American multi-ethnic literature, LGBTQ studies, U.S. Latina/o literature, and literary theory. Martínez is also a member of the national coordinating team for the Future of Minority Students (FMS) Research Project.
Career Prospects
As an ethnic studies major, you will have many career paths open to you. Ethnic studies is an excellent foundation for a career in teaching and education. It will serve you well if you are interested in political affairs. A practical choice for a career in law or business, ethnic studies is also an excellent background for work with a variety of grassroots and governmental organizations that aim to strengthen communities. As the United States becomes an increasingly multicultural nation, understanding the dynamics of ethnic relations is critical to any career plan.