LatinxConnect Conference

LatinxConnect Conference 2026

The Pulse of Hope: Power and Praxis · El Pulso de la Esperanza: Poder y Praxis · O Pulso da Esperança: Poder e Práxis — is a celebration of how we thrive. How do we keep lifting each other higher? How do we honor our heritage while growing into the future? How do we show up for one another in ways that keep our communities vibrant, connected, and full of life? The answer is already unfolding all around us — in classrooms and cultural centers, in art studios and town halls, in the everyday acts of care, creativity, and connection woven into the fabric of our neighborhoods. LatinxConnect 2026 is where we come together to celebrate, amplify, and learn from all of it.

Please REGISTER for the LatinxConnect Conference 2026.
Links to virtual activities will only be sent to registrants.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS. TELL YOUR PEOPLE. WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.

#LatinxConnect2026 #ElPulsoDelaEsperanza #somoslatinx #somospitt #LatinxExcellence #h2p

About this Conference

The Latinx Connect conference aims to move us beyond “celebrating” Latinxs, calling for empowerment and justice for Latinx communities, who face numerous inequities in the US and across the world, particularly for those at marginalized intersections of Latinx identity (e.g., Afro, Indigenous, Queer, Trans*, Undocumented).

As the largest pan-ethnic group in the United States, Latinxs are extremely diverse by race, gender, language, immigration, and experiences along the diaspora, which creates opportunity for dialogue. Participants will discuss together what it means to thrive as Latinx/a/o/e/Hispanic at the intersections of their identities in topic areas including but not limited to education, public health, arts, and history.

There is no cost to attend the conference, and all are welcome.

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

9:00-10:00 am - Graduate Student Research Presentations

Format: Hybrid
Location: 4217 Posvar Hall | Zoom Webinar

We invite graduate students to share their research at the LatinxConnect Conference 2026, an opportunity to showcase ideas, engage with a broader community, and contribute to ongoing dialogues on Latinx experiences, identities, experiences, and contemporary issues. Coffee and pastries will be provided. Contact: Milena Sosa (mis578@pitt.edu)

11:00 am - 12:30 pm - Seminar & Field Trip Presentations

Format: Hybrid
Location: 4217 Posvar Hall | Zoom Webinar

Hear from students who participated in the CLAS Seminar & Field Trip to Medellín, Colombia, as they share reflections on their academic and cultural experiences. Panelists will discuss how the spring seminar prepared them for the field experience, their engagement with local communities and organizations, and how the program shaped their understanding of Colombia and Latin America. Students will also offer insights and advice for those interested in participating in future programs.

Participants: TBA

Moderator: Ana Paula Carvalho, University of Pittsburgh

1:00-2:30 pm - Envisioning the Future of Latinx Studies at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs)

Format: Virtual
Location: Zoom Webinar

This roundtable invites scholars, educators, and institutional leaders to explore the evolving landscape of Latinx Studies, especially at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), using the case of University of Notre Dame, University Pittsburgh, and University of Iowa to frame our conversation. Participants will discuss the challenges and
opportunities of institutionalizing Latinx Studies at PWIs, including curricular coherence, faculty collaboration, student interest and community engaged learning.

We welcome contributions from institutions at various stages of program development and hope to spark dialogue that advances Latinx Studies nationally.

Panelists:

Dr. Belkys Torres, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Angie Ocampo-Roland, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Jason Ruiz, University of Notre Dame
Dr. Rene Rocha, University of Iowa

3:00-4:45 pm - Centering Community in Trauma Research: Multi-Method Approaches Across Latin America

Format: Hybrid
Location: 4130 Posvar Hall | Zoom Webinar

This symposium highlights how centering community voices transforms trauma research into collaborative, culturally grounded practice across Latin America. Through four multi-method projects, presenters emphasize reciprocity, lived experience, interpersonal support in youth mental health, and community-driven approaches to safety and resilience—demonstrating that ethical research must be conducted with communities, not just about them.

5:00-6:00 pm - CLAS Speaker Series: Genealogies of Public History in Colombia

Format: Hybrid
Location: 4130 Posvar Hall | Zoom Webinar
Pizza Provided

Speaker: Dr. Sebastian Vargas Alvarez, CLAS Billie Lozano Scholar (Universidad del Rosario, Colombia)

Collaborative Research, Politics, and Transmediality in the Second Half of the 20th Century

6:00-7:30 pm - Latinx Alumni Gathering

Format: In-Person
Location: 4303 Posvar Hall/Center for Urban Education (CUE)

Latinx Alumni mix-and-mingle/networking event with students.

Thursday, April 16, 2026

11:00 am - 12:30 pm - Keynote Address: Immigration Law in Turbulent Times

Format: In-Person
Location: Teplitz Memorial Moot Courtroom (Barco Law Building)
Keynote Speaker: César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, A.B., J.D., Chair in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Ohio State University

As the Trump administration prioritizes broad enforcement of immigration law, courts are being asked to identify the limits of immigration law. In this lecture, César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández will discuss the legal challenge posed by the Trump administration’s approaches to immigration law enforcement and citizenship.

Lunch provided after the keynote

12:30 - 1:30 pm - Lunch

Format: In-person
Location: 4130 Posvar Hall

1:45-3:30 - Advancing Our Communities—Latinx Power at the Intersections: The Case of Pittsburgh

Format: Hybrid
Location: 4130 Posvar Hall | Zoom Webinar

As part of our "Border-to-Border Series" at Pitt, this panel brings the global conversation about borders into a local, lived context. While borders are often discussed as lines on a map, Latinx communities experience them daily as barriers to health, economic stability, mental well-being, and belonging. This conversation centers Pittsburgh as a site where global migration, policy, and community resilience intersect—This community-centered panel creates space to reflect on how Latinx communities in Pittsburgh are doing—and what we need to truly thrive—across mental health, physical health, community care, immigration support, and economic and business resources. Panelists and participants will share insights, challenges, and community-based solutions that uplift collective well-being and build power. Together, we will explore how community resources, culturally grounded care, and mutual support can advance healing, resilience, and opportunity.

This panel is open to all and free to attend. Everyone is welcome to listen, learn, share, and connect with resources that strengthen our communities.

Panelists:

Susan Baida, Latiné Unidos of Western Pennsylvania
Rosamaria/Monica, The Latino Community Center, LCC
Alicia Sewald-Cisneros, Ayúdate
Jaime Martinez, Frontline DIGNITY
Diego Chaves-Gnecco, Salud Para Niños/University of Pittsburgh
Guillermo Velazquez, Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation (PHDC)

Moderator: Ankur Sakaria, Office of Mayor Corey O’Connor

3:45-5:00 pm - Latinx Student Voices in Action

Format: Hybrid
Location: 4130 Posvar Hall | Zoom Webinar

This student-led panel brings together representatives diverse Latinx student organizations to showcase how they are transforming ideas into action across their campuses and communities. Through cultural initiatives, advocacy, and community-building efforts, students are creating spaces of belonging while responding to today’s challenges. Representatives will share how they are building community, advocating for equity, and creating spaces of belonging. From cultural initiatives to professional development, mutual support, and civic engagement, students are not only responding to contemporary challenges, they are actively shaping solutions.

Together, this conversation highlights how student leadership drives meaningful change and sustains hope in action.

Representatives:

Alexandra Arana, LAGOS, University of Pittsburgh
Guilherme Meletti, Addverse, University of Pittsburgh
Ana Fontán, ALPFA, Carnegie Mellon University
Yazmin Infante Peña, ALPFA, Carnegie Mellon University
Mayra Gonzalez, LGSA, Carnegie Mellon University
Paola Ortiz, SOCA, University of Pittsburgh
Bryan Calderon, Latinx Student Association,University of Pittsburgh

Moderator: Milena Sosa, University of Pittsburgh

5:15 - 6:30 pm - Book Launch Event: Queer Relajo: Feeling the Nightscapes of Mexicanidad

Format: In-Person
Location: 4130 Posvar Hall
Author: David Tenorio

We are delighted to invite you to the book launch of Queer Relajo by David Tenorio — an exciting new work that promises to spark conversation and community. The evening will open with a short presentation by the author himself, David Tenorio, offering insight into the ideas, inspirations, and stories behind Queer Relajo. Following the presentation, guests are invited to stay for a reception celebrating the book's launch — a wonderful opportunity to connect with the author and fellow attendees.

Win a Free Copy! The first 15 books will be randomly awarded to lucky attendees — so make sure to arrive early for your chance to take home a complimentary copy of Queer Relajo!

Books Available for Purchase - Copies of Queer Relajo will be available for purchase on site, courtesy of the University of Pittsburgh Bookstore.

Reception & Book Signing to follow! We look forward to seeing you there. Come celebrate a remarkable new voice and a remarkable new book.

Friday, April 17, 2026

9:00-10:15 am - Latinx Studies Now: Debates, Methods, Horizons

Format: Virtual
Location: Zoom Webinar

What does it mean to map the "Now" of Latinx Studies? This panel assembles a powerhouse group of scholars to navigate the shifting landscapes of the field, from the transisthmian archives of Central America to the radiophonic feminisms of the digital age. Our discussants move beyond traditional academic borders to explore how sonic politics, digital chisme, and labor narratives redefine our collective power. Join us as we trace the future horizons of Comparative Ethnic Studies, articulating a praxis that bridges the poetic and the practical to meet the urgent demands of our contemporary moment.

Panelists:

Dr. Ana Patricia Rodríguez, University of Maryland
Dr. Sharina Maillo-Pozo, University of Georgia
Dr. Esther Díaz Martín, University of Illinois Chicago
Dr. Irene Mata, Wellesley College

Moderator: Dr. Ever E. Osorio Ruiz, University of Pittsburgh

10:30 - 11:45 am - Resistance, Liberation, and Healing in Latinx Studies

Format: Virtual
Location: Zoom Webinar

In an era of systemic displacement and state violence, how do we cultivate a scholarship that not only critiques power but actively facilitates healing and liberation? This panel explores the "Pulse of Hope" through the radical intersections of global solidarity, Afro-Latinx spirituality, and Caribbean hydro-criticism. Moving from the frontlines of Palestine-Latinx coalitions to the sacred waters of the diaspora, these public-facing scholars discuss how recovery—of our histories, our spirits, and our ancestral methods—functions as a vital act of resistance. Come engage in a transformative dialogue on how Latinx Studies can provide a roadmap for communal restoration and radical future-making.

Panelists:

Dr. Sara Awartan, University of Michigan
Dr. Theresa Delgadillo, Penn State University
Dr. Rebeca Hey-Colón, Cornell University

Moderator: Lisa Ortiz, University of Pittsburgh

12:00 -1:00 pm - Emerging Latino Communities Conversations & Latinx: The Double Life of the ‘First, the Few, and the Only’: Performance, Code-Switching and the Second Self

Format Hybrid
Location: 4217 Posvar Hall | Zoom Webinar

Please join us for a special edition of Emerging Latino Communities Conversations as part of the 2026 LatinxConnect Conference. Our speaker will be Michael Thornhill, AfroCuban writer, speaker, and recovering DEI practitioner whose work braids together cultural analysis, personal narrative, and incisive critique. His talk, entitled “The Double Life of the ‘First, the Few, and the Only’: Performance, Code-Switching and the Second Self,” explores what it means to live between worlds, particularly in Emerging Latino Communities where geographic dispersion, language barriers, and cultural isolation create a fragmented sense of belonging.

1:00 to 2:15 pm - Beyond the Tropical: Curating Puerto Rican Art

Format: Virtual
Location: Zoom Webinar

In the popular imagination, Puerto Rico is often reduced to a static "tropical paradise"—a landscape of consumption rather than a site of complex, lived history. But beneath the veneer of the visitor economy and colonial myths, a rhythmic, resilient "pulse" persists. This panel brings together three visionary curators to explore how contemporary art functions as a vital organ of hope, memory, and political resistance.

As the archipelago navigates the tensions of the vaivén (the constant flow between island and diaspora), curatorial practice has become a critical tool for survival. This panel moves past exoticized aesthetics to examine the archipelagic nature of Puerto Rican identity. From the performative archives of the Caribbean-yet-to-come to the dismantling of "paradise" narratives, our panelists discuss how they are building new infrastructures for Latinx Art Studies.

Panelists:

Marina Reyes Franco, Independent Art Curator
Teréz Iacovino, University of Minnesota- Twin Cities
Arnaldo Rodríguez Bagué, Northwestern University

Moderator: Paula Kupfer, University of Pittsburgh

2:30 - 3:45 pm - Latinx Bliss: Queer & Trans Joy as Praxis

Format: Virtual
Location: Zoom Webinar

In an era where the lives of queer and trans Latinx individuals are frequently framed through the lenses of legal precarity, social death, and colonial displacement, what does it mean to center joyful bliss as a revolutionary act? This panel moves beyond narratives of trauma to center joy as a rigorous decolonial praxis. Featuring emerging and field-defining scholars, we explore how "Bliss" functions as a revolutionary archive against legal erasure and social death.

From the sideways struggles of travesti and jotería communities to the lawful fictions of queer migration and the poetics of memoir, our panelists map the vital geographies where queer and trans Latinx life thrives. Join us to discuss how practicing joy sustains our movements, defies colonial logic, and breathes life into the future of the Américas.

Panelists:

Dr. PJ DiPietro (Syracuse University)
Dr. José A. de la Garza Valenzuela (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Dr. Marcos Gonsalez (Adelphi University)

Moderator: Sergio A. Gonzalez, University of Pittsburgh

3:45 - 5:00 pm - Conference Conclusion

Format: Virtual
Location: Zoom Webinar

LatinxConnect is organized and co-sponsored by: Center for Civil Rights and Racial Justice (CCRRJ), Center for Ethnic Studies Research, Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing, PittGlobal/University Center for International Studies (UCIS) - Thank you for your generous support!

LatinxConnect has its origins in, and continues to receive support from, grassroots transdisciplinary and cross-institutional groups of educators based in Pittsburgh.