CSUN SEEKS ETHNIC MAJOR CENTRAL AMERICAN STUDIES PLANNED.

Byline: SUSAN ABRAM Staff Writer

NORTHRIDGE -- More than 30 years after the stormy launch of ethnic-studies classes at Cal State Northridge, the campus is now embracing what could become the nation's first-ever major in Central American studies.

Though awaiting approval from local and state officials, university officials want to add dozens of classes to the flourishing Central American minor program that debuted in 2000.

``We anticipate all of this is going to go very smoothly,'' said Elizabeth Say, dean of the College of Humanities, which already has approved the courses. ``It's a timely and appropriate department that fits in with other types of studies, as well as from a global perspective.''

Los Angeles County is home to more than a half-million people with ties to Central America, according to 2005 Census Bureau figures. More than half claim El Salvador as their homeland, while a little more than 100,000 have roots in Guatemala.

While MacArthur Park and the Westlake and Pico-Union districts of Los Angeles have become major hubs for Los Angeles' Central American community, university officials say they think the population in the San Fernando Valley also has flourished.

And enthusiasm among students eager to major in Central American studies is high.

60 enrolled

About 60 students are enrolled in the minor program with 500 more taking various courses.

Administrators and students have said the program is a perfect fit for the campus, where an estimated 2,500 of the 34,500 students at California State University, Northridge, have ties to Central American countries, according to school figures.

The 22 courses the College of Humanities offers cover the Central American diaspora, the changing roles of women, modern and ancient history, religious movements, and literature and art.

``They are interested in knowing more about their culture, to understand Central American identity,'' said Josue Guajan, president of the Central American United Student Association. ``Many of us don't know much about our parents' countries or where they come from, so we want to learn more about it.''

The seven countries that make up the Central American region have ``played important roles with the U.S., and the U.S. has been involved with Central America for a long time,'' said Guajan, who is Guatemalan-American.

``But we need more information on that. Now that I'm taking all these classes and learning more about my community and all that my people have been through, sometimes I think I should do something about or for my community.''

The opportunity to establish the Central American studies major is rooted in the efforts of the founders of CSUN's Chicana and Chicano and Pan African departments, said Beatriz Cortez, Central American Studies Program coordinator at CSUN.

Three decades ago, the Valley and the university were less receptive to ethnic studies programs.

Then, in 1968, after noticing that their communities and experiences were neglected, black and Latino students demanded that the university recruit more minority faculty. They wanted programs that would meet the needs of these students, according to historical accounts.

Hostages taken in '68

Students stormed the Administration Building, took hostages, were arrested, and presented a series of demands to the university president, according to the Chicano Studies program Web site.

By 1969, the students got what they wanted. And since then, other groups were able to establish departments, from the Armenian and Asian-American programs, to women's studies.

``It's a beautiful story of how these students came together to create these departments,'' Cortez said.

``In our case, there hasn't been that resistance.''

If approved, future classes would include more on Central American immigration, indigenous groups, religion and social movements, as well as violence and revolutions.

``We're looking forward to establishing the program and being an inspiration for other programs for Central Americans and for other students,'' Cortez said.

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com

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