Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity

The Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity (CCSRE) is Stanford’s premier hub for interdisciplinary research, teaching, and community engagement focused on race and ethnicity. Comprising both vibrant Academic Programs and a dedicated Research Institute, CCSRE provides a vital intellectual space to explore how racial and ethnic categories are constructed, how they undergird global social systems, and how they shape the lived experiences of diverse populations.

In an increasingly interconnected yet stratified world, CCSRE advances racial understanding and justice by studying the intersections of race with class, gender, technology, and power. The center serves as a dynamic community crossroads, bringing together students, faculty, and staff from across the university—including the humanities, social sciences, law, medicine, and engineering—to translate academic insights into positive social transformation.

Academic Programs and Undergraduate Major Tracks

CCSRE offers a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary environment with academic pathways tailored to both undergraduate and graduate scholars. Undergraduates can pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a minor in five distinct, specialized program areas:

• Asian American Studies: Exploring the history, culture, and contemporary social issues of people of Asian descent in the United States and the broader diaspora.

• Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies: Investigating the historical, political, literary, and artistic contributions and challenges of Chicana/o and Latina/o communities.

• Comparative Studies: Examining race and ethnicity as comparative, global phenomena, allowing students to analyze systemic inequalities across regional and national boundaries.

• Jewish Studies: Analyzing Jewish history, literature, religion, and culture from antiquity to the modern era, with a focus on identity and diaspora.

• Native American Studies: Centering the histories, sovereign rights, languages, and contemporary experiences of Indigenous peoples of North America.

At the graduate level, the Center administers a highly regarded Ph.D. Minor in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, providing doctoral students across Stanford’s departments with advanced theoretical and methodological training in critical race studies.

Special Programs and Experiential Learning

CCSRE is deeply committed to bridging academic theory and real-world practice, offering students unique, fully supported opportunities for hands-on learning and public service:

• Community-Based Research (CBR) Fellowship: A competitive program offering students full-time, paid summer research fellowships. Fellows design and execute independent research projects in direct collaboration with community agencies and advocacy organizations.

• Public Policy Institute: A distinctive, two-week residential seminar held before the Autumn Quarter. The institute provides participating students with room, board, and materials while introducing them to pressing public policy issues through interactive workshops with policy experts.

• Service-Learning and Community Programs: Offering specialized, community-engaged courses that couple academic coursework with direct service. The center also hosts quarterly community luncheons, panels, and networking events to foster a tight-knit student-faculty network.

The CCSRE Research Institute and Focus Areas

The CCSRE Research Institute supports cutting-edge faculty research, visiting scholar fellowships, and public-facing projects that address the most urgent challenges of our time. Key research and advocacy frontiers include:

• Race, Technology, and Artificial Intelligence: Examining how algorithmic bias, machine learning, and digital technologies impact racial equity and civil rights.

• Criminal Justice and Systemic Inequality: Investigating racial disparities in policing, incarceration, and legal frameworks to propose transformative policy reforms.

• Art, Media, and Public Education: Supporting creative expression, public exhibitions, and digital publications that center the voices and experiences of marginalized communities.

• The Faculty Development Initiative (FDI): A university-wide recruiting initiative managed by CCSRE to bring outstanding scholars of race and ethnicity to Stanford's core departments.