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Call for Abstracts

Cambio De Colores (Change of Colors) 2005

Latinos in Missouri: Connecting Research to Policy and Practice - Hoy y Mañana

March 30 – April 1, 2005

Reynolds Alumni Center

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, Missouri

www.cambiodecolores.org

 

Deadline for submitting abstracts is December 3, 2004
Please send abstracts to JeanettaS@missouri.edu or EspinosaL@missouri.edu

 

 

Cambio de Colores is an annual conference that brings together researchers, practitioners, and community members to discuss the issues that Missouri faces as a result of demographic changes reflected in the 2000 Census, especially related to the increase of Latino population in most state counties.  Cambio de Colores is a collaboration among the campuses and University of Missouri Extension, other educational institutions in the state, as well as government and private organizations, that  brings together those working in Latino/a communities to address critical needs and promote networks, so that the resources and capabilities available can be accessible to Missouri’s  communities and organizations.  In 2005 the program will be interested in research efforts that impact policy making and shape the practices being implemented in communities.  To what extent is research affecting policy and what kinds of programs and practices are resulting from research efforts?  What are the policy implications of current and ongoing research efforts?

 

The conference program builds on the sharing of university and community resources ranging from academic studies to the practice perspective of those working at “ground zero” as well as the everyday experiences of non-professionals.  In 2004, the conference program vividly captured the scope of the problems and crucial immigration and cultural issues that communities encounter, clearly demonstrating that Missouri and other proximate Midwestern states need to acknowledge the opportunities and challenges that are presented by the ongoing arrival of Latinos.

 

The 2005 conference will strive to provide a platform to discuss, learn and identify critical areas of need in developing information and best practices to facilitate the successful transition of Latino newcomers into Missouri's communities.

 

This is a call for abstracts for research and best practice presentations.  There are five themes (explained later in this document) that provide the framework for the deliberations:

 

  1. Change and Well Being: Economic, Social, Cultural, and Political Participation
  2. Civil Rights
  3. Education
  4. Health
  5. Youth, Families, and Communities

 

All submitted abstracts should relate broadly to one or more of the themes and specifically to the theme issues outlined below. Those with selected abstracts will submit papers to be published on the Cambio de Colores 2005 website.  Some of the submitted papers will also be published in Cambio de Colores 2005 Proceedings.  For a sample of the 2004, 2003, and 2002 proceedings, please go to Cambio de Colores Web site at http://www.cambiodecolores.org/ and review the Program pages of the archival Web sites.  In addition, certain academic articles will be selected for an edited journal.

 

Papers selected for the program will be submitted in electronic format by February 21, 2005. 

 

The conference will be composed of four different learning tracks with plenary sessions addressing each of the themes.  Breakout sessions will provide a forum for sharing research, best practices, and workshops.  In addition, on the last day learning stations will provide presenters an opportunity to share their research or practice with small groups in 15 minute presentations.  Each learning station will repeat its presentations three times. 

 

Please indicate whether your abstract is a:

 

Panel Presentation (20 minutes)

Research Paper Presentation (15 minutes)

Best Practice Paper Presentation (15 minutes)

Workshop (up to 75 minutes)

Learning Station (15 minutes)

 

Abstract content:

 

Please indicate the following in the abstract

 

  1. Contact information of the author(s): Name, Address, Phone, Email, Title and Organization
  2. The theme the abstract is designed to address
  3. Whether the presentation is research or best practice; if research, please specify methodology (qualitative, quantitative, case study, etc.)
  4. Summary of the presentation (500 words or less)
  5. Focus of the presentation: Of local, state, or national level
  6. Intention to have the paper considered for inclusion in a conference proceedings publication or as part of a special volume of a peer-reviewed journal
  7. Indicate if you agree to set up a poster display if your paper is not selected for oral presentation

 

 

Committees have been formed around each theme, and they will evaluate and select the abstracts based on the descriptions provided below. Selection of presentations will be completed by December 17th, 2004.

 

All presenters will be responsible for their own travel expenses and conference registration fees.

 

Please submit abstracts electronically to one of the following people:

 

Stephen Jeanetta:     JeanettaS@missouri.edu

Linda Espinosa:        EspinosaL@missouri.edu

 

Deadline for submitting abstracts is December 3, 2004. 

 

  

Description of the Conference Themes:

 

Change and Well Being: Economic, Social, Cultural, and

Political Participation

 

Missouri’s rising Latino population has affected communities, organizations and institutions, and given birth to many programs and practices across the state.  Taking the learning, research and experience of best practices to the next step of informing policy is the goal of this year’s Change and Well Being theme.  It also seeks to learn from other experiences in the Midwest and beyond.  Submissions which address the opportunities, vulnerabilities, uniqueness, and commonalities associated with urban and rural Latinos in the areas of economic development, cultural diversity, and policy leadership are encouraged.

 

Some of the questions of interest include:

 

  • How have policies been changed or created to embrace Latinos at the local and regional levels?
  • What mechanisms are being developed to inform policy at the state level?
  • What are the essential elements to move successfully from research and program to policy?
  • What information is useful to policymakers, and how can better linkages be formed between researchers and policymakers?
  • What have we learned from the research on specific efforts in various geographic settings?
  • What similarities and differences (situation, characteristics, risks, needs, interests) exist between urban and rural Latinos?
  • What is the role of the arts in developing and affirming cultural identity and inclusion?
  • How is art representation being used as a way of cooperation in the community or as an inclusive model? 

 

 

Civil Rights

 

With the dual goals of raising awareness about the legal challenges that Missouri Latino immigrants face and of finding the best tools to address these challenges, the civil rights panel of the 2005 Cambio de Colores conference invites the submission of abstracts that further these goals.  The abstracts may be about topics to be presented at the conference, research to be published as part of the conference proceedings, or resources to be shared with conference participants.

 

The focus of the 2005 civil rights panel will be on positive legal changes that Latino immigrants and their advocates can and should strive for.  In this post 9/11 environment of anti-immigrant sentiments, we believe it is important to move forward with an agenda to improve the legal rights of immigrants, rather than just play defense to preserve the legal status quo.  In particular, we are interested in building a legislative agenda based on the priorities established by Latino immigrant communities and supported by current research. 

           

Other topics that the panel would be interested in addressing:

 

  • Acceptance of “matrícula consular” cards by banks and other institutions and ways to encourage their acceptance.
  • Possible state legislation to grant drivers’ licenses to undocumented persons (similar to the legislation recently passed in California).
  • Legislation, increased training, and other efforts to address racial profiling by Missouri law enforcement officials (in tandem with a discussion about the growing practice of local law officials to enforce federal immigration laws
  • Legislation and efforts on the community level to insure that immigrant workers are treated fairly
  • Educational rights issues for children of immigrant families who have graduated from high schools in the state

 

This list of topics is not exhaustive, and we welcome abstracts related to any aspect of immigrants’ civil rights in Missouri. 

 

Education

Education plays an important role in the lives of Latinos in the Unites States.  Cambio de Colores is interested in exploring educational issues, policies and practices that impact Latino/a learners of all ages.

 

Key research/policy themes include:

 

  • The impact of cultural differences, and competencies in students’ academic achievement.
  • The implication of the No Child Left Behind Act on the education of Latinos.
  • The educational needs of Latino students.
  • Retention and successful education of Latino students.
  • Identification of the barriers that prevent Latinos from accessing higher education and how to prepare them for post-secondary education.
  • Differences in the educational program approaches between rural and urban school districts.
  • How are Missouri colleges of education preparing their students to address the needs of students who are non-native English speakers.

 

 We are seeking best practices on the following:

 

  • Exemplary schools with English language learners.
  • Instructional approaches for young English language learners.
  • Comprehensive services for children with special language needs
  • Latino parent involvement programs.
  • Successful after school programs for Latinos.
  • Higher education recruitment and retention for Latino students.

 

Health

 

Panels, presentations and workshops will focus on physical and mental health as they relate to rural and urban Latino communities.  Past conferences examined issues of cultural competency and their impact on the quality of translation at health care facilities, health risks for Latino women, cultural attitudes regarding health care, and the impacts of federal and state law on providing health care services to people with limited English proficiency. 

 

Key research themes include:

 

  • Identifying the barriers encountered by Latinos (children, families and the elderly) with regard to access to health care. Hispanic patients' double burden: lack of health insurance and limited English.
  • What are strategies to overcome barriers to access?
  • What are the barriers to and perception of quality of health care by Latino newcomers?
  • How do issues of cultural competency impact the access and quality of health care?
  • Policy and legislative issues affecting health care access and quality for Hispanics/Latino newcomers
  • How can Latinos in Missouri be educated about health and preventive care? 

We are seeking best practices on the following:

  • How to build effective local, regional, and statewide networks, to address health care of economically vulnerable diverse populations
  • Effective methods for improving communication between health care practitioners and people of different cultures and languages (e.g. the Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care, or CLAS model)
  • How are community-based health care programs effectively addressing the needs of their clients? (e.g. Promotora model, free clinics, FQHCs, etc.)

 

 

Youth, Families, and Communities

 

From a framework recognizing theory and knowledge related to human behavior in the social environment, this track seeks presentations in the following areas:

 

Emerging issues related to individuals at various lifecycle stages

 

  • Family formation including dating, marriage and childbearing issues
  • Peer relationships across ethnic and racial categories
  • Identity formation and its relationship to mental health, risk behaviors, and other issues
  • Juvenile delinquency, gang involvement
  • Family Functioning
  • Intergenerational relationships, especially related to generational variation in assimilation
  • Distribution of roles in the household as related to individuals and the community, as well as culture
  • Differences between high and low functioning families
  • Adaptation of consumption patterns in new communities (child care, food preparation and consumption, purchasing patterns, housing, etc.)

 

Community responses to the needs of youth and families and the impact of communities on youth and families

 

  • Specific programs that work
  • Sustainability of programs
  • The roles of community-based institutions in receiving communities (churches, financial institutions, social service agencies, civic organizations, etc.)
  • Specific responses to any of the above individual and family issues

 

Reviewed: 5 November 2004