The focus of the CAS Program is always comparative and transnational. It studies the continuum of experience from traditional Central American cultures to the urban experience of Central American families today in Central America, Los Angeles and across the United States.
The CAS Program recognizes the powerful impact of science and technology on Central American communities. It provides students with the tools for both critical reflection and action with regards to the impact of science and technology on culture, values, language, work, and immigration.
The CAS Program emphasizes the pervasive influence of race, class, gender, and sexuality on every aspect of Central American experience with a particularly strong emphasis on the roles of Central American women in the cultural, social, economic and political life of the community.
The CAS Program is committed to the study of the formative role of war and violence and its legacy in the institutional, social, and private lives of Central Americans with the aim of promoting better understanding and resolution.
The CAS Program emphasizes a range of experientially - based approaches to learning including community-based research, service learning, and the compilation of oral histories.
The CAS Program recognizes the vital role of Central American students and the Central American United Students Association (CAUSA) in the continuing development of the program and its relationship to the communities it serves.