Latina/o/x Identity in the United States

All Genders Course; Prerequisite - Successful completion of one year of high school social studies or permission from the administration; ​Fall Semester or Full Year Course

Course Overview

What does the term “Latina/o/x” mean, and who exactly does the term represent? This course examines the experience of people living in the United States who identify as Latina/o/x and have ethnic and cultural origins in Latin America. Students examine what historical forces have driven the adoption of this pan-ethnic identity through the lens of race, colonization, migration/immigration, and the media. Special consideration is given to regional differences in Latina/o/x identity formation, the impact of political activism like the Chicano Movement, and the recent creation of “Latinx” to include non-binary identities. Students explore topics of their choosing that focus on specific Latina/o/x communities (e.g., Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, etc.), intracultural differences across Latina/o/x communities, or unique expressions of Latina/o/x identities like Mestizaje, AfroLatinidad, and Chicanismo. This course offers students a deeper understanding of diverse and complex identities that make-up Latina/o/x communities.


“Ms. Rosas is an amazing teacher and I have loved taking her course. She puts so much care and attention to detail into every assignment. She also values each of her students and wants the best for us.”

Course Approval

This course is approved by the NCAA.

One Schoolhouse is fully accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges through December 1, 2025. We are an approved online publisher for the University of California. 


Academic Program Teachers

Academic Program teachers are passionate about helping students flourish and thrive.

  • With small sections (averaging 15 students), teachers inspire, encourage, and instill confidence in their students.

  • Teachers are drawn from top independent schools across the country and participate in our extensive training on current research and best practices in online instruction methods.

  • Teachers are experts in their subject field and also highly qualified, with over 80% having a master’s degree or a terminal degree.

What Happens In The Second Semester?

Students wishing to pursue an identity project may enroll in the course for the full year. For students continuing into Semester II, the course shifts into personalized, project-based work, where students engage in deep, sustained inquiry, authentic and iterative research, critical analysis, and rigorous reflection, revision, and assessment as they journey through a self-designed, long-term activism, design, or research project on the topic of their choosing. Guided by a One Schoolhouse teacher, students pursue individual study/self-assessment or collaborative seminar/peer-review. Pathway options from which students choose include:​

  • Spring Activism Seminar

    In this seminar, students identify a need and create a plan to effect economic, environmental, political, or social change in a target community. Utilizing a social science approach to research and evaluation, students are guided through the process of planning the deployment of a novel idea and identifying markers of success. Students may create a strategic plan for a club or non-profit or design an artistic product in this seminar. 

  • Spring Design Seminar

    In this seminar, students design a technological solution to a real-world problem. Through the engineering design process/scientific method, students gather and analyze data to determine the effectiveness of their model or the accuracy of their hypothesis. Students may prototype and produce a public product in this seminar. 

  • Spring Research Seminar

    In this seminar, students answer a theoretical or ethical question. Utilizing the social science/humanities tools for source evaluation, students collect, critique, and evaluate artifacts or primary source documents to explore their thesis. Students may create a written or multimedia product in this seminar. 

​Upon completion of their inquiry-driven project, students will have gained academic maturity and expanded their ability to engage in a diverse and changing world. They will be able to draw and defend conclusions from theoretical underpinnings, contextual background, and mathematical analysis or source evaluation. Finally, they will have created and tested something useful of their own design or will be able to defend a position based on their own research.

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