Hello Senior Seminar... my name is Daniel Judge and i am majoring in Latin American Studies with a minor in Sociology. This is my fifth tear up at App and i am hoping to graduate in May. I changed from Sociology to Latin American Studies after my Sophomore year when Cynthia came and tlaked to one of my classes. Just in the last 2 years i ahve been taking many insightful classes about Latin America. Starting with Latin American geography, i found what really was considered Latin America. My Indigenous resistance class has showed me the impactof indigenous peoples and their growing influence in the political realm. On the other hand, my Farmworkers class showed me the influence of Latin America here on our own soil. Hispanics have recently becom ethe number one minority within the US and is only growing. Programs like the H2A program that bring workers here for the Christmas tree industry from areas like Mexico are only increasing this population change. Areas like Boone are now getting little Mexican tiendas on the corner and they are here to stay. In 10 years they might be Hispanic grocery stores who knows. If you look at the Latin American continent right now, there is a growing Socialist movement. With the world climate right now, we are catching heat from the middle east of course, parts of Asia, Europe, problems in Africa and Latin America is starting to voice its opiniona nd at the present it doesnt seem to like us either. These are a few aspects of LatinAmerican Studies that are finally coming together for me to realize that this discipline is interdisciplinary... such a relief to have that interdisciplinary vision i have been trying to grasp for a few years...