About Us
Mission Statement
The Center for Mexican American and Latino/a Studies (CMALS) at the University of
Houston was established in 1972 as an interdisciplinary academic program encompassing
the liberal arts, education and social sciences focusing on the Mexican American and
broader Latino experience in the U.S. Its mission is to advance knowledge, promote
critical thinking and foster the value of service to the community. This involves
designing a broad spectrum of public and scholarly programs. Located within the College
of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, CMALS has evolved into an academic unit with
several major components: teaching,