Latinos represent three percent of the population in Detroit and two percent of the population in the seven counties of southeastern Michigan. Although smaller than such populations in other major cities, the Latino community contributes to the rich cultural diversity that characterizes metropolitan Detroit. It also shares many of the same political, cultural, socioeconomic and educational challenges faced by larger Latino communities across the nation.

Since 1971, the Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies at Wayne State has supported metropolitan Detroit's Latino community and educated the general public about Latino issues through a comprehensive program of student services, university advocacy, community outreach and research.

The primary focus of the Center is on the recruitment, academic development and retention of Latino students. The Center enrolls students who qualify for regular admission, but places particular emphasis on the recruitment of promising students who do not meet the university's entrance requirements. Students are personally guided through the application process for admission and financial aid, and oriented to Wayne State's physical and academic environment. Parents and students sign a contract to affirm their commitment to fulfilling the requirements of a college education.

The Center's two-year academic and retention program is designed to sharpen skills in English, math and computers, and to provide a fuller appreciation of cultural heritage. Most courses fulfill general university requirements and count toward graduation. With a major grant from Michigan's Office of Minority Equity, the Center along with the university's College of Lifelong Learning is perfecting an early warning and intervention system and developing a cutting-edge retention program encompassing several academic units. Beyond the Center's formal academic program, its support services are available on a voluntary basis to its alumni and other university Latino students. The Center awards up to $100,000 a year in scholarships to students who qualify on the basis of merit, need and service. The awards are made through the Latino En Marcha Fund endowed by the John Helfman estate.

The Center has had noteworthy success in recent years in advancing the awareness of Latino issues both within the university and metropolitan Detroit. The Center's curriculum provides the university with a substantial part of its courses on Latin America and Latinos in the United States. Center staff members participate in numerous university committees to provide a Latino perspective, while the Center serves as an informational resource for the campus and the larger community. The Center is the university's nexus for national linkages to other institutional entities concerned with Latino issues through its membership in the

As part of the university's urban mission, the Center facilitated the creation of the Detroit Latino Agenda and Coalition (DLAC) in 1990 to identify the challenges and opportunities facing the Detroit Latino community; promote the exchange of ideas and experiences within the community and with parties outside of it; and facilitate the coordination of human and other resources to effect constructive change on Latino issues. Wayne State's Latino Issues Conference brings the university together with the Detroit Latino community each year to discuss one of the issues of the Detroit Latino Agenda. The Center's staff has also played a leadership role in the Hispanic Coalition for Equal Education Opportunity and takes particular pride in its contribution to the establishment of the Academy of the Americas, one of the Detroit public "schools of choice."

The Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies serves as a solid example of community-university cooperation, remaining true to its origins in an agreement between the university and Latino community agencies in 1971. It contributes to the university's continuing efforts to nurture rich and diverse cultural campus and metropolitan environments. The Center's approach is not only to advance Latino issues, but to promote cooperation among the various ethnic and racial groups for their mutual benefit in the belief that diversity and unity can be complementary dimensions of the human condition.

Parking is available in Parking Structures V and II on Anthony Wayne Drive.

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Wayne State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Wayne State University - People working together to provide quality service. All building structures and vehicles at WSU are smoke-free. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.

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"No mas quiero pasar por el ojo de la aguja."

"I just want to get through the eye of the needle."

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José Cuello
Associate Professor of History

Director, Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies
Room 3327 FAB
Wayne State University
656 W. Kirby St.
Detroit, MI 48202

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For more information please call: (313) 577-4378/9

or

Fax: (313) 577-1274/8800

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Last Updated: March 28, 1996