Movement and Movements in Latin(x) America

October 2-3, 2026
Viterbo University
La Crosse, WI

CALL FOR PAPERS

A border is a dividing line, a narrow strip along a steep edge.
A borderland is a vague and undetermined place
created by the emotional residue of an unnatural boundary.
It is in a constant state of transition.
The prohibited and forbidden are its inhabitants.

-Gloria Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera

In what ways have migration and displacement shaped the Americas (Abiayala), challenging the rigid boundaries imposed by nation-states? How do social movements and ever-unfolding cultural practices reshape the continent? These questions are particularly urgent in our era of political crisis and social upheaval. Following Peruvian-Alabamian author Daniel Alarcón’s suggestion—that to write of Latin America is to write of the U.S.—we ask: What is Latin(x) America now? We encourage participants to explore how personal stories reflect the local and the international alike. What do we gain—or lose—when we view Latin America as a single, unified whole? We invite conference attendees to engage with these themes through the lens of “Movement and Movements.” We welcome scholars, students, and activists to share their research and lived experiences as we seek to deepen our collective understanding of Latin America’s profound complexities and its vital ties to the rest of the world.

We interpret movement and movements as encompassing an expansive array of fields—including music, education, economics, religion, technology, literature, and disability studies, among others. The organization invites proposals for panels, roundtables, and papers across all disciplines. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

• Sociopolitical movements, activisms, and artivisms

• Migration, migrants’ rights, and transnationalism

• Latin America’s role in global and regional affairs

• Economic development and environment justice

• Indigenous and Afro-descendant rights and sovereignties

• Pedagogy and teaching about Latin(x) America

• Epistemic challenges (e.g., the conceptualization of Abiayala)

Interdisciplinary and comparative analyses are welcome. Proposals may focus on any region and may be written and presented in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Teaching panels concerning pedagogical strategies, teaching and learning methods, and innovative approaches are especially invited. Papers and panels linking a common theme in Latin America across several disciplines are encouraged. Graduate and advanced undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to participate. The NCCLA is especially interested in presentations of faculty-student collaborative research.

At this year’s conference we are thrilled to share in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Viterbo University’s Latin American Studies Program!

Proposals (250-300 word abstracts) must be submitted by June 15, 2026. Please submit your paper or panel proposal using the webforms linked below:

SUBMIT AN INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL

SUBMIT A PANEL/ROUNDTABLE PROPOSAL

A limited number of student travel grants of up to $200 each are available, for full-time students (graduate and undergraduate) who are not professionally employed. Please submit your student travel grant application by August 30, 2026 using the webform linked below:

APPLY FOR A STUDENT TRAVEL GRANT

All conference presenters are eligible for NCCLA Research and Teaching Awards.

Direct questions about the conference to:

Benjamín Narváez (University of Minnesota Morris), NCCLA Program Chair 2026: bnarvaez@morris.umn.edu