(This document is also available in printable, PDF format.)
· January 7th, 2009: Abstract submission starts (Online)
· January 23rd, 2009: Final day for submitting abstracts
·
February 10th,
2009: Notification to authors of accepted abstracts
·
April 2nd,
2009: Deadline of submissions of papers for publication in Proceedings
·
May 18-20,
2009: Cambio de Colores – Latinos in the Heartland conference
Cambio de Colores is an annual conference that, since 2002, brings together researchers, practitioners, and community members to discuss the issues that Missouri and Heartland states face as a result of the demographic changes that became evident in the 2000 Census. That census clearly showed significant numbers of immigrants—most of them Latino or Hispanic—settling in almost every county of the state. Cambio de Colores is a collaborative effort of the University of Missouri campuses and Extension, other educational institutions in the region, as well as government and private organizations.
The 2009 meeting will be a multi-state conference. For this occasion, the University of Missouri's Cambio Center is working in cooperation with the twelve-state North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, and the Immigrants in Midwestern Communities Inter University Network.
The meeting will bring together policy makers, practitioners, and academics working in Latino-growth regions in the Heartland, to address critical needs and promote networks to share available knowledge, resources, and capabilities, and to tend bridges toward a smooth and lasting integration of the newcomers.
The conference program builds on the sharing of university, government, and community resources, from rigorous academic studies to the practice-perspective of those working at the heart of the changing communities, and the everyday experiences of non-professionals.
The 2009 conference aims at bringing state-of-the-art research and best practices, both to benefit the participants and to inform decision-makers and policy makers, of the multiple ways in which Heartland stakeholders are addressing this most significant demographic change of the last decades. The conference will provide a platform to present, discuss, share, learn, and identify critical areas needed in developing information and promising practices to facilitate the successful transition of Latino newcomers into our communities, as well as to provide all members of these communities the elements to make these changes in a way that is beneficial to all. It will also be a very timely event to see the effects that current nation- and statewide discussions about immigrants and immigration are having in this transition.
This is a call for abstracts for research and best practices presentations.
These are the themes that provide the conference framework:
Committees have been formed around each theme, and they will evaluate and select the abstracts that best fit the needs of their respective tracks. Additional information will be sent to the presenters of the accepted abstracts with instructions for the conference. If you need assistance with abstract preparation or submission please send a message with your questions to the e-mail address decolores@missouri.edu.
All submitted abstracts should relate to one or more of these themes. For a detailed explanation of these topics, as defined by the conference planning committee, please refer to the Description of Themes included at the end of this document,
If your abstract submission is approved, you will be able to present your work at the conference, and to submit a paper for publication in the 2009 Cambio de Colores book of proceedings. The conference proceedings will be distributed to all participants at the conference. Please see the paper submission guidelines for details on preparing papers for the proceedings
All presenters will be
responsible for their own travel expenses and conference registration fees.
Hotel and registration fees will be posted in mid-January, 2009.
Please include each of the following in the abstract:
· Organized panel presentation (75 minutes total, three to five speakers)
· Research paper presentation (15 minutes)
· Best practice paper presentation (15 minutes)
· Workshop (up to 75 minutes)
Please submit your abstract on line by January 23rd, 2009. The submission page will be available at www.cambiodecolores.org, starting January 7th, 2009.
If you have difficulties uploading your abstract, or if you have any questions, please send a message to decolores@missouri.edu
Papers and presentations selected
for the conference will be notified by February 10th, 2009.
Presenters selected for the program will be requested to provide the paper in electronic format by April 2nd, 2009.
Once an abstract is accepted, authors will be notified to submit articles for the conference proceedings. Proceedings will be distributed to all participants at the conference.
For a sample of proceedings from previous years, visit the Cambio de Colores Web site At www.cambiodecolores.org. You will also be able to review each year's Program pages in the Archival Site, and the Library page.
Submission Date for
Papers: Papers will need to
be submitted by April 2nd, 2009 in order to be included in the 2009
conference proceedings.
Length: Limit the
length of the paper to 6 pages maximum, References should be included and do
not count against the six-page limit. Papers should be double-spaced with one-inch margins in Times Roman or equivalent 12
pt font. Include Title of the Paper, Name and affiliation of each author
beginning with the primary author.
Format: Text formats
only, including .doc, .docx, .rtf and .txt. Please do not submit as a pdf file.
Citation: Please follow
APA style guidelines (www.apastyle.org).
All graphic elements, including diagrams and charts and graphs, must be submitted as .jpg attachments with the paper. They must be high-quality images at no less than 300 dpi and be at least 3.5 inches wide.
In this document, the terms Hispanic and Latino are considered equivalent. Midwest and Heartland are also used interchangeably.
The increasing Latino population in the Midwestern United States has affected communities, organizations and institutions, and given birth to many programs and practices across the region. The goal of the Conference is to utilize the research and experience of best practices to better understand the characteristics of the immigrant Latino population in the Midwest and begin to define the characteristics of the immigration phenomenon in the US Heartland and identify effective tools for integrating new populations in our places. For communities to thrive and prosper, they need to ensure that the growing Latino population becomes integrated. Integration, in this context, means full participation of the newcomers in the economic, social, cultural and political fabrics of the communities they live in, while preserving diversity and culture. We seek to learn from the experiences of communities in the Midwest and beyond. We encourage submissions that examine or show the strategies that communities take to address issues of immigration, measure the effects of the recent raids in rural Midwestern communities, and explore the opportunities, vulnerabilities, uniqueness, and commonalities associated with urban and rural Latinos in the areas of economic development, cultural diversity, and policy leadership.
The Civil Rights theme of the Cambio de Colores conference invites the submission of abstracts for presentations or workshops that will increase knowledge and awareness about legal challenges facing Heartland Latino immigrants, and that describe Midwestern experiences of application of specific tools to address these challenges. We encourage submissions that deal with appropriate legal changes as well as training and information dissemination programs that strengthen the ability of Latino immigrants and supporting organizations to respond to legal, political and cultural difficulties. The present situation offers challenges and opportunities: the flames of anti-immigrant sentiment are being fanned by militant anti-immigrant groups and abetted by the economic recession, but this is also a time of hope for better policies both locally and nationally. Cambio de Colores is especially interested in presentations/ workshops about outreach programs and legislative efforts that have improved (or might improve) the climate in communities receiving Latino immigrants, and in presentations on current and historical research about the factors that favor or preclude integration of immigrants into receiving communities.
Education plays an important role in the lives of Latinos in the United States. The 2009 Cambio de Colores Conference is interested in exploring educational issues, policies and practices that impact Latino learners of all ages. This year’s theme will emphasize the unique experiences of Latinos in the Heartland – in comparison to coastal cities and states – as they become more important and prominent throughout the Midwest region of the U.S.. The education committee would like to examine both the challenges that educational organizations may face in providing the best education for Latinos at varying levels and of varying immigration status, as well as consider the strengths that Latinos bring into the educational system. Key educational research, policy and best practice topics include: the relationship of culture and achievement; English language learners; multicultural competencies in teacher training; implications of the No Child Left Behind Act; parental involvement; after-school programs; effects of national and state policies on achievement; retention in high school and universities; community education programs and resources; preparing for and access to post-secondary education; and programs in rural and urban school districts.
Environment, genetics, medical care, and behavior are the primary variables determining physical and mental health and well-being. What is the effect of these factors on the health of Latinos in the Midwest? Topics to be discussed should include comparison of Latino health status to other groups; translating research into practice (best practices); and policies which support or inhibit healthy behaviors. Key research themes may include: Community & research related to health care disparities: barriers to health care access and strategies to overcome them, networking for health care, community-based health care programs; cultural gaps and bridging: positive and negative consequences of acculturation and health behavior modification, influence of race or ethnicity on doctor-patient relationship, cultural competence, traditional practices; health literacy: patient and provider education, policies and community education programs.
This theme seeks abstracts that include practical ideas for implementation and evaluation of programs and services that cater to Hispanic youth, families and communities. Of particular interest are presenters willing to share best practices and research, so conference participants can better replicate and evaluate programs and services in their respective communities. Some topics to consider are gang activity, youth disenfranchisement and other consequences of exclusion, cultural experiences associated with Hispanic families, mentoring programs and community educational initiatives. In addition, persons with information and programming experiences about youth, families, and communities that promote healthy diverse lifestyles in the Heartland are strongly encouraged to respond to this call for abstracts.
Society and Culture is a new theme in 2009. This theme will explore the history, culture, politics, and contemporary affairs of Latino communities in the Heartland and/or of immigration from Latin America to the Midwest. This section is open to both panel and individual submission. Society and Culture intends to attract scholars from a broad range of non-applied historical, anthropological, economic, and sociological perspectives. We are interested in both local level studies and those that link local immigration to larger global shifts –economic, political, and cultural. We encourage scholars working on issues of globalization, transnationalism, cross-age relations, race, and gender to submit papers for this track.
2008-12-19