About the Institute

Latin American Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill

The Institute for the Study of the Americas (ISA) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge of the Latin American experience in the Western Hemisphere. It builds on a long-standing and distinguished tradition of scholarly interest in Latin America, an interest that embraces the diverse regions that make up Latin America, including Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. As early as 1915, Latin American course offerings at Carolina were coordinated in a special curriculum, and the continued growth of interest in Latin America resulted in 1940 in the creation of the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS). ILAS was thus one of the first educational centers in the United States dedicated exclusively to the study of Latin America. Renamed in 2007 as the Institute of the Study of the Americas, ISA is located on the third floor of the FedEx Global Education Center. Learn more.