Giving Opportunities 2021

The Center for Latin American Studies supports research and public events that grapple with histories of colonialism and structural racism. We highlight and showcase diverse voices from across the region, bringing together voices from different countries, languages, academic disciplines, and perspectives.

Your Gift to CLAS helps us meet three ongoing goals:

1) To highlight diverse people, communities, and perspectives from across the Americas. In the past year, CLAS has organized events that speak to the range of experiences in the Americas, drawing attendance of thousands of people from across the world. Your donation helps CLAS present critical and insightful events, tackling subjects ranging from the concept of racial democracy in the Americas, to the status of the Indigenous subject within current society, to the significance of translating Indigenous texts into colonial languages. 

2) To establish instruction and support the study of Indigenous Latin American languages at UC Berkeley. CLAS offers courses in Nahuatl, one of Latin America’s most widely spoken Indigenous languages, and is leading a multi-university initiative to create a Nahuatl textbook. Your donation helps more students access languages that are not commonly taught. CLAS is currently working with Laney College in Oakland to set up classes in Mam, a Mayan language, for credit at Berkeley. 

3) To create research opportunities for underrepresented students. Field Research Grants allow graduate students to develop their research projects at the pre-dissertation stage, a key point their academic careers. Your support helps us provide essential funding to cover travel and field-related expenses. 

Your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar with a grant that CLAS has secured from the Tinker Foundation. Help us provide field research opportunities to students who would otherwise be unable to access them.

Please help us reach our goal! 

During the week of Giving Tuesday, CLAS is hosting a special donation-based screening of Sin señas particulares (Identifying Features), the award-winning film about a mother searching for her son who left to cross the border to the United States. The film will be available from 9:00 am PST Tuesday, November 30 until 4:00 pm Tuesday, December 7. At 4:00 pm on December 7, the link and film will no longer be available. If you would like access to the film, send your donation confirmation email to janetwaggaman@berkeley.edu. 

For more information, contact Julia Byrd, julia.byrd@berkeley.edu