SDSU Oaxaca Center for Mesoamerican Studies
Our Shared Community
San Diego State University honors the deep connections between Oaxaca and California through academic engagement and research. In 2022, SDSU opened the Oaxaca Center for Mesoamerican Studies, which serves as a base camp for teaching, research and collaborative community engagement. Hundreds of thousands of Indigenous Oaxacans live in California, including many migrants who became U.S. citizens in the late 1980s. SDSU’s facilities and programs in Oaxaca reflect its heritage as a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution and align with its Aztec Identity initiatives based on respect for Indigenous peoples.
The SDSU Oaxaca Center
The SDSU Oaxaca Center for Mesoamerican Studies is the centerpiece of the SDSU’s cultural and linguistic initiatives and student engagement efforts in Oaxaca, Mexico. The center houses classrooms, office space, a rooftop patio, a kitchen, technology infrastructure and administrative offices. It exemplifies SDSU’s commitment to Oaxaca by providing workspace not only for the university’s extensive programs but also for its partners in Oaxaca and beyond.
Adela de la Torre President, SDSU
“The SDSU Oaxaca Center for Mesoamerican Studies reflects our commitment to global engagement and to the enduring connections that link our binational region. Situated in Oaxaca—Mexico’s most culturally and linguistically diverse state—the center serves as a hub for transformative learning, research, and collaboration, advancing partnerships that bridge cultures, strengthen transborder diplomacy, and expand SDSU’s impact beyond our borders.”
Program Opportunities for Students
Research Opportunities
Faculty are encouraged to explore research opportunities in Oaxaca. SDSU has several faculty who regularly conduct research in Oaxaca across fields such as anthropology, public health, Indigenous languages and culture, identity and empowerment, psychology, migrant youth and community development. Students also engage in research, and they learn various methods of qualitative research design and implementation through hands-on field experience. The SDSU Library entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Archivo General del Estado de Oaxaca to digitize archives and support research, with an additional digital archive and research agreement in the works with a local university partner. To view images of the Oaxaca experience, visit the Oaxaca Photo Gallery.
