American University by Hillary Reilly

C e n t e r

f o r

Latin American

& Latino

Studies

C e n t e r

f o r

Latin American & Latino

Studies

The Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University, established in January 2010, is a campus-wide initiative advancing and disseminating state-ofthe-art research. Our Faculty-Affiliates and partners are at the forefront of efforts to understand economic development, democratic governance, cultural diversity, peace and diplomacy, health, education and environmental well-being. CLALS generates high quality, timely analysis on these and other issues in partnership with researchers and practitioners from AU and beyond.

distinguished

faculty, Fellows & Partnerships

A young girl washes clothes in Lake Managua, in the shadow of a volcano, in the mid-1980s. Photo by Bill Gentile.

Partnerships

Building on the breadth and depth of faculty expertise on Latin America and Latinos at American University, CLALS reaches beyond the campus to engage community organizations, research institutes and universities in the US and abroad. Examples include: • El Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (CONACULTA)

CLALS draws upon more than 70 Faculty-Affiliates, spanning AU’s six Schools and Colleges: School of International Service, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Communication, School of Public Affairs, Kogod School of Business and Washington College of Law. The Center hosts fellows who carry out research independently and participate in Center-sponsored initiatives. Doctoral candidates undertaking dissertation research in Washington D.C. related to Latin American or Latino studies can apply to CLALS’ research fellows program, which provides access to work space in the Center, to the library and other research infrastructure.

• Instituto Centroamericano de Estudios Fiscales (ICEFI) • CentroNía • FLACSO-Costa Rica • Programa Salvadoreño de Investigación Sobre Desarrollo y Medio Ambiente (PRISMA) • Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) • Universidad Rafael Landívar - Instituto de Investigaciones y Gerencia Política (URL-INGEP) • Instituto Nacional de Estudos sobre Estados Unidos (INCT/INEU) • Coordinadora Regional de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales (CRIES) • National Council of La Raza (NCLR)

cutting-Edge

research

Creating knowledge and disseminating the findings of cutting-edge scholarship to diverse stakeholders is at the core of the Center’s mission. The Center encompasses all of AU’s Schools and Colleges and is uniquely situated to act as a catalyst for interdisciplinary research projects, with partners both inside and outside of the AU community. Projects typically fall within five thematic clusters: development & inequality; democracy & justice; cultures & creativity; health, environment & society; and hemispheric relations.

select collaborative research projects Reconfiguration of

Religion and Violence

Impacts of Innovative

Elites and Political

in Latin America:

After-School

Power in Central

Perspectives on the

Programming on

America

Past and Present

Latino Children’s

This investigation explores the historical context, transformation and continuity in elite composition as well as how elites relate to the economic, political, and social orders in the five core countries of the isthmus: Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras. Funding is provided by the Ford Foundation.

This project examines the response of religious institutions to different forms of violence in conditions of dictatorship and democracy in Latin America. Funding is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation’s Initiative on Religious and International Affairs.

Development and

Hemisphere in Flux

the US

CLALS has jointly assembled a consortium of researchers with INCT/ INEU and CRIES for a multi-pronged initiative of research, publication, training, consultations and public events aimed at exploring key questions of the increasing independence of Latin American countries and their new regional organizations.

With over 90% of immigrants deported from the U.S. being of Hispanic descent, CLALS is exploring the wide-ranging and potentially long-term health concerns deportation poses to households affected by this phenomenon.

Learning

An in-depth multi-year evaluation of how CentroNía’a cultural and arts-based after school program effects Latino youth academic and social development in the D.C. neighborhood of Columbia Heights.

Deportation and

Cuba Initiative

the Health of Latino

A multi-year project that engages scholars at AU and from Cuba in diverse activities, encompassing economics, social policy, law and journalism. Funding is provided by the Christopher Reynolds Foundation.

Communities within

Innovative

multimedia

CLALS supports multimedia projects that bring real-time analysis of events within Latin America and Latino communities to the general public, policy makers and the scholarly community. • “Latin Pulse”, a halfhour-long weekly podcast available through Link TV and iTunes, reaches 20,000 listeners around the globe each week. The program analyzes news and public affairs in Latin America and hosts regional experts who offer critical commentary.

• InSight Crime is a webbased clearinghouse of information and analysis on organized crime in Latin America. It serves as a resource for scholars, governments, businesses, journalists and NGOs. Support is provide by the Open Society Foundations.

www.american.edu/clals/ latin-pulse

www.insightcrime.org

• Free Online Repository of Latin American Visuals – Thousands of photographs, drawings, films and other visual materials that tell stories of Latin America through its imagery will be made available to students, teachers and researchers through a free online searchable repository, maintained by AU’s Bender Library. www.american.edu/clals/ FreeVisualRepository.cfm

dynamic

communication

Research findings are disseminated through a variety of channels: • The CLALS website is a platform for discussion papers, updates on current research initiatives, and events of importance to the Center’s mission. www.american.edu/clals

• AU Latin America (AULA) Blog, hosted on the Center’s website, is a space for cutting edge analyses of Latin American public affairs and U.S. policy towards the region. www.aulablog.net • The Center organizes public seminars and presentations to disseminate research findings in Washington D.C. and beyond.

CenterForLatinAmerican &LatinoStudies @AU_CLALS | @aula_blog

timely

Events

CLALS hosts a number of high profile events each year. Recent examples include:

• Latinos and the 2012 Elections • Central American Fiscal Policy in a Time of Crisis

• NCLR/CLALS Discrimination and Latino Rights Advocacy • Brazil: Sustainability, Global Trade and Investment

3. 4. 4.

• 33rd Annual MACLAS Conference 2012

• Violence, Discrimination and Sexual Orientation in the Caribbean: • Economics, Politics The Role of Legal and Violence in Education Contemporary Mexico

• Housing, Health and Poverty Alleviation: Challenges to Basic Needs Provision in Cuba

1. Provost Scott A. Bass at the CLALS inaugural reception 2. “Reconfiguration of Elites and Political Power in Central America,” meeting in Guatemala 2.

3. “Brazil: Sustainability, Global Trade and Investment,” panel discussion

4. “Economics, Politics and Violence in Contemporary Mexico,” workshop 5 . “Reconfiguration of Elites and Political Power in Central America,” meeting in Guatemala

6. “Religion and Violence,” planning meeting 7. “Economics, Politics and Violence in Contemporary Mexico,” workshop 8.

8. “National Council on La Raza (NCLR)/CLALS Discrimination and Latino Rights Advocacy,” workshop 9. “Latinos and the 2012 Elections,” panel discussion

in-depth

training

CLALS fosters knowledge acquisition by students, professionals and the public by: • Funding AU faculty and graduate students to conduct research leading to large scale projects. • Convening seminars and conferences to debate ongoing research and providing a space to share dynamic scholarship with diverse audiences. • Supporting the delivery of programs relating to Latin America and Latinos under the auspices of Schools and Colleges across campus. • Providing customized training programs in partnership with government and nongovernment organizations.

ideal

location

American University, with its location in Washington D.C., is an ideal venue for carrying out research, with close proximity to policy makers, think tanks, and international financial institutions. The city is also home to a vibrant and growing Latino population and to nationallevel Latino advocacy groups and research centers. The Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich academic community provides ample opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Mailing address

Center for Latin American and Latino Studies American University 4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, DC 20016-8137 Office location

4545 42nd St., NW Suite 308 Washington, DC 20016 T: 202-885-6178 F: 202-885-6430 clals@american.edu www.american.edu/clals CenterForLatinAmerican &LatinoStudies @AU_CLALS | @aula_blog

center initiatives

The Center for Latin American & Latino Studies Mailing address

Center for Latin American and Latino Studies American University 4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, DC 20016-8137 Office location

4545 42nd St., NW Suite 308 Washington, DC 20016 T: 202-885-6178 F: 202-885-6430 clals@american.edu www.american.edu/clals CenterForLatinAmerican &LatinoStudies @AU_CLALS | @aula_blog