Conference topics: Civil Rights and Political Participation

Civil Rights and Political Participation track: 

The goals of the Civil Rights and Political Participation themes are to raise awareness and to share initiatives about legal rights, civil rights, and political engagement issues that affect and involve the livelihoods and integration of Latin@s/Latinxs/Hispanics, other immigrants, and historically marginalized groups, especially in new destination states and regions. Changes and potential changes on the federal level, including to DACA, DAPA, deportation priorities and ICE detention policies (including prolonged detention, racial profiling, and right to counsel), voting rights, targeted registries, and others deserve discussion, as well as ongoing attempts by state and local policymakers to address issues of immigration, and the effects those policies may be having on the integration efforts of communities. Special attention will be given to presentations addressing Latin@s/Latinxs/Hispanics, immigrants, and other groups that experience discrimination and threats that impact their effective engagement, participation, and representation in our democracy and public institutions; and addressing Latin@s/Latinxs/Hispanics and immigrants within the growing movements for racial and economic justice; among other topics.We encourage submissions that deal with appropriate legal changes, as well as training and information dissemination programs that strengthen the ability of immigrants, receiving communities, and supporting organizations to respond to legal, political, and cultural challenges, as well as to develop political agency in the newcomer population.

We encourage submissions that deal with different ways in which Latin@s/Latinxs/Hispanics participate in social and political activities, as active and engaged members of society (i.e. through democratic and social processes such as contacting and becoming policymakers, voting, using petitions, protest, volunteering at neighborhood, educational, religious, political and other organizations, among other actions). Cambio de Colores is especially interested in presentations and workshops about outreach programs and legislative efforts that have improved, or might improve, the climate in communities receiving Latin@s/Latinxs/Hispanics and other immigrants, the study and analysis of the transition from undocumented to legal status and impacts on the individual and community, political engagement processes, and in presentations on current and historical research about the factors that favor or preclude integration of immigrants in the receiving communities.

The Cambio de Colores conference is a multistate conference about integration of immigrants in new destinations in the Midwest. It is a professional development opportunity that engages practitioners, researchers, and those working with immigrant communities in sharing experiences and knowledge that facilitate the integration of immigrants in new settlement areas.

The 19th annual conference will take place in St. Louis on June 17-20, 2020.

The following themes provide the conference framework:
1. Change and Integration
2. Civil Rights and Political Participation
3. Education
4. Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
5. Health
6. Youth Development