In Fall 2024, the Abya Yala Project was awarded funds through the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences’ Big Ideas Grant.
The Dresher Center for the Humanities joined the project as administrator.
Faculty Facilitators: Thania Muñoz (Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication); Tania Lizarazo (Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication and Global Studies); Yolanda Valencia (Geography and Environmental Systems); and María Célleri (Gender, Women’s + Sexuality Studies)
Project Statement: Abya Yala is one of the Indigenous names for the Americas. As decolonial Latin Americanists, we are committed to community-building scholarship that does not center on one single language, nationality, or field of study. As a first step in what we hope becomes an established community space, we propose publishing an open-source edited volume about Latinx presence in the DMV area. The volume will be elaborated in a series of events, including a workshop, a writing retreat, and a local conference to build momentum about the ongoing collaboration between Latinx faculty, students, and community members. In the process, we envision creating/strengthening support networks among our growing Latinx campus community.
Stay tuned for more information.