cfp: Gender, Religion, and Migration (deadline Jan. 30, 2008)

Call for Papers for a Book Proposal

Title of Project: Gender, Religion and Migration: Pathways of Integration

Description:

The convergence of religion and migration remain contested in a globalized yet security-braced world. Since 9/11 there is a heightened awareness of the role of religion in the dis/integration of immigrants in western societies. Often than not religion is used as benchmark on the immigrants’ capacities to adapt to the perceived norms in host societies.

While mostly viewed as outside the purview of state control and regulation in liberal democracies, religion plays an integral aspect of the migration and settlement process of immigrants in multiethnic societies. Religious institutions and their social networks are increasingly becoming the first point of contact among newcomers. Women and men have differing experiences in the migration process and how they make use of faith-based beliefs and practices in their settlement and integration is the focus of this book project. The transformative potential of religion in migration suggests a need for a closer examination of these two most contested themes to promote possible partnership towards social cohesion.

We are seeking submissions of interest from scholars and practitioners working on migration and religion. We aim to highlight the often missed connection of the positive role of religion and faith-based communities in facilitating varied integrative ways of belonging for immigrants. Case studies from different parts of the world are most welcome. We endeavour to provide a global perspective on the intersection of religion and migration in our highly gendered lives.

Submit the title of your proposed paper with a 300-word abstract and short bio in word format to Glenda Lynna Anne Tibe Bonifacio and Vivienne Angeles on or before January 30, 2008. Succesful contributors will be informed on or before February 25, 2008. Completed manuscripts should be submitted by May 30, 2008. Please direct queries to:

Glenda Lynna Anne Tibe Bonifacio, PhD
Women’s Studies Program
University of Lethbridge
4401 University Drive
Alberta, Canada T1K 3M4

Vivienne Angeles, PhD
Department of Religion
La Salle University
Philadelphia 19141 USA

“Asian-American History in Trans-national Perspective” special issue of Pacific Historical Review, Vol 76: 4

There is a special issue of the journal Pacific Historical Review called “Asian American History in Transnational Perspective” (Vol 76, Iss 4) that has just been published by University of California Press.

Pacific Historical Review:  Special Issue on Asian American History in Transnational Perspective, Volume 76, Number 4

The award-winning Pacific Historical Review, edited at Portland State University, announces the publication of “Asian American History in Transnational Perspective.”  Transcending national boundaries but noting the importance of the nation state, a variety of voices informs this insightful volume, thoroughly and thoughtfully infusing life into the study of world-wide movements of Asian people.

Eight thought-provoking essays adopt a transnational perspective in exploring issues of race, nationality, gender, and class inherent in the Asian American migrant and immigrant experience, frequently shifting the primary focus from land to water, from “the West” as defined by movement from the east to a region defined by its links across the Pacific.

Mae Ngai introduces the four main articles on the Asian American experience in transnational perspective

Erika Lee discusses the movement and settlement of Chinese, Japanese, and South Asian immigrants throughout the Western Hemisphere and exclusionist movements that evolved in response.

Dorothy Fujita-Rony considers the Pacific Ocean as significant historical space in Asian American communities.

Judy Tzu-Chun Wu examines the “Radical Orientalism” that developed through transnational ties between American and Asian activists during the Vietnam War.

Paul Spickard questions how what we think we know about Asian America would change if we widened the lens on how we define the Asian American coalition.

Thomas Bender and David Igler offer commentary on the four essays and consider new directions in this exciting and rapidly developing field.

Krystyn Moon examines the careers of three Asian American performers in her review essay on new trends in Asian American biography.

Published by the University of California Press, this special issue follows in Pacific Historical Review’s over 75-year tradition of analyzing historical events with a uniquely “Pacific” perspective. Full of rich, useful information, this issue of the PHR will be of great value to teachers and scholars of Asian America, immigration history, American, Western, and Pacific Rim history, and ethnicity, nationality, and civil rights in a global context.

For further information link to the URL:
<http://ucpressjournals.com/journalSoc.asp?j=phr>

—
Nick Lindsay
University of California Press
510-642-8883

cfp: Postmodernism, Truth, and Religious Pluralism, Apr. 11-12, 2008 (Gordon College, MA)

SCPT: The Society for Continental Philosophy and Theology
CALL FOR PAPERS
SCPT’s Fourth Biennial Conference: Postmodernism, Truth, and Religious Pluralism

April 11-12, 2008
Gordon College (Wenham, MA)

Keynote Speakers:
Roger Haight (Union Theological Seminary)
Richard Kearney (Boston College)

With the so-called “return of religion,” it is almost impossible not to address the issue of religious pluralism, which acutely raises the question of truth. What kind of positive sense of religious truth is possible in a postmodern era? What is religious truth—is it representational, propositional, orthopractical, symbolic, aletheiological, or something else altogether? How does the notion of “truth” square with a multiplicity of religious traditions? Is the very term “religion” appropriate in a pluralistic society, since the term is distinctly western? How might the earnest faith of a Christian, say, be compatible with the equally earnest faith of other believers or even non-believers? With the varieties of religions (not to mention the varieties of expressions of religions), how can their respective differences be respected? Are there forms of religious expression that simply cannot find a place in the public square?

We encourage papers that draw on continental figures; philosophical traditions such as deconstruction, feminist philosophy, hermeneutics, and phenomenology; and religious traditions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

Only complete papers (maximum of 3,000 words) will be accepted. Papers should be prepared for blind review and sent to Trent.J.Koutsoubos@Wheaton.edu as email attachments.

DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 15, 2008

The Society for Continental Philosophy and Theology seeks to promote inquiry at the intersection of philosophy and theology. For more information about SCPT, visit http://www.scptonline.org. For further information regarding the conference, contact Bruce Ellis Benson.

***********************
Bruce Ellis Benson
Professor and Chair
Department of Philosophy
Wheaton College
501 College Avenue
Wheaton, Illinois 60187
(630) 752-5817 (office)
(630) 752-5555 (fax)

Introducing SANACS!

First 40 paid charter members will receive a free book!

ISAAC is delighted to announce the formation of the Society of Asian North American Christian Studies. SANACS seeks to provide a community for scholars who are interested in Asian North American Christianity. We are a part of a growing interest in the study of religion in Asian and Pacific North America.

SANACS is currently administered by Dr. Russell Yee of ISAAC, who also serves as the Managing Editor for the SANACS journal.

The annual membership fee is $45 ($25 for graduate students). Members will receive a copy of the SANACS Annual journal upon publication in the Fall.

We invite you to be a charter member.

The first 40 paid members will receive a free copy of forthcoming books by Jonathan Tan (Introducing Asian American Theologies) or Amos Yong (Hospitality and the Other). Both books are published by Orbis Books and will be available in the Spring 2008.

So sign up now to reserve your free copy!

Click thumbnails below to view larger size…

cfp: CUNY Conference on Asian American Women (May 16, 2008, NYC)

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

From the Association of Asian American Studies list

Asian American/Asian Research Institute
CUNY CONFERENCE ON ASIAN AMERICAN WOMEN
Celebrating Successes, Meeting Challenges

Friday, May 16, 2008
CUNY Graduate Center – Elebash Recital Hall
365 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York

Deadline for Proposals: Friday, January 18, 2008
E-mail: conference@aaari.info
For more information: www.aaari.info/2008women.htm

Established in 2001 by the City University of New York Board of Trustees, the Asian American/Asian Research Institute (AAARI) is a university-wide scholarly research and resource center that focuses on policies and issues affecting Asians and Asian Americans.

AAARI’s objectives include: bringing together scholars in order to develop and sustain an intellectual and cultural center that addresses the needs of New York’s diverse ethnic subgroups of Asian origin; stimulating the study of Asian people, languages, cultures, and countries, as well as Asian immigrants and their descendants who live in the United States; identifying and researching relevant issues that affect the Asian and Asian American communities; disseminating research results and educating the public about Asian and Asian American issues.

The City University of New York (CUNY), with twenty-three institutions city-wide, is rich in faculty who have expertise in Asian and Asian American studies. Each year CUNY enrolls over 31,000 Asian American students, who will soon emerge as a vital segment of New York City’s workforce and leadership. AAARI serves a pivotal role for the diverse CUNY community – faculty, staff, and students alike–and seeks to ensure that public discussion regarding Asian and Asian American issues remains dynamic and relevant.

2008 AAARI CUNY CONFERENCE
Asian American Women: Celebrating Successes, Meeting Challenges

The Asian American/Asian Research Institute will host a one-day conference on May 16, 2008 titled Asian American Women: Celebrating Successes, Meeting Challenges, a forum where we will examine past, present, and future challenges and objectives for Asian American women.

Asian American women’s experiences and concerns illustrate the heterogeneous and complex histories and interests of this important segment of the U.S. population. This year’s AAARI conference will investigate the landscape of Asian American women’s historical and contemporary experiences, examining and evaluating past accomplishments while maintaining a critical and pragmatic eye to future goals. The conference seeks to explore the manifold realms of Asian American women’s lives from the diverse vantage points of scholars, researchers, business professionals, educators, activists, artists, legislators, writers, and students. During the conference, we will ask ourselves what we have learned from Asian American women’s histories, and how we can apply this knowledge to present and future challenges for our communities.

SESSION TRACKS

COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
Asian American community advocates are spearheading work to garner visibility and recognition of Asian American women’s issues.  These issues include domestic violence, literacy, labor organizing, the low-wage economy, bias crimes, housing, and immigration legislation. How do individuals and organizations at the forefront of these issues forge and sustain relationships with dynamic Asian American communities? What obstacles do they face as liaisons between Asian America, the media, private industry, and government agencies?

BUSINESS, LEADERSHIP, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Focusing on the resources and strategies that support and encourage Asian American women as they seek to become better leaders in both local and global economies, the session will examine gender, ethnicity, and cultural norms in the workplace, while highlighting the differences between small business and large corporations and issues of executive management in political, public service, educational, and non-profit fields.

BALANCING CAREER AND FAMILY
Women, in general, have to negotiate familial responsibilities while also focusing on their careers.  Have Asian American women been successful in balancing career and family? What roles do immediate and extended families play in helping Asian American women juggle career and family? This session will explore how Asian American women address issues such as child-  care, professional commitments, day-to-day domestic chores, and elderly parents. Related topics include stress- and time-management as well as financial resources.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNMENT
Historically, Asian American women have been underrepresented in positions of authority in public administration and government. What are the personal and professional obstacles for women in reaching their career goals in these areas?  Do the voices of Asian American women have an impact on policy and decision making?  What does the future hold for other Asian  American women who want a meaningful role in public administration or to serve in public office?

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Science and engineering have traditionally been dominated by men. Although the number of women working in these fields is increasing, we still hear of cases where teachers, faculty, and advisors actively discourage female students from studying science and/or engineering. With many women actively contributing as scientists and engineers, it is time to ask how Asian  American women have negotiated and become successful in these traditionally male-dominated fields, and to examine the challenges and obstacles Asian American women face in their academic and professional careers.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Asian American women face distinct social, cultural, and political barriers to physical and mental health and wellness. The purpose of this session is to explore occupational, genetic, environmental, and cultural factors in disease or health risks for this population. We will also examine how cultural beliefs, traditional practices, and linguistic deficiency impact health care delivery, wellness education, government policy, and disease prevention for Asian American women.

MEDIA, VISUAL, AND PERFORMING ARTS
Representations of Asian American women are changing, and examinations of racial stereotypes are insufficient in representing the complex position of Asian American women in the U.S. How are Asian American cultural producers seeking to examine and complicate the intricate relationships between popular culture, artistic production, and identity? What roles do historical depictions of this community play in expanding our artistic understandings of Asian American women in the present and the future?

LITERATURE
No longer relegated to the back door of autobiography, Asian American women writers are charting new literary maps through formal and thematic innovations that reflect complex intersections between gender, race, class, sexuality, religion, and language.  This session seeks to examine how the arc of Asian American literary production informs these writers, and what lies ahead for emerging authors.

NEW DEMOGRAPHICS
The landscape of Asian America is continuously changing: How do we understand these shifts in our examinations of new immigrants, mixed-race identities, and the dynamic diasporic communities that emerge as migratory paradigms evolve?  As local communities are shaped by the changing demographics, what is the response of mainstream culture and public policymakers?  To what extent do transnational businesses and global capital influence Asian American communities?  How do these developments impact the daily lives of Asian American women and define their identities?

PEDAGOGY, EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND CURRICULAR ISSUES
What changes have we seen in college and university curricula since the introduction of courses in Asian American studies? How has the incorporation of Asian America, along with other ethnic and gender studies borne out of civil rights struggles, shifted the U.S. academic landscape? This panel will explore pedagogical and curricular dimensions of the field, including a focused examination of the varied programs inside Asian America, a discussion of how geopolitical differences affect development and funding of Asian American programs east of California, as well as the alliances and/or boundaries between Asian American studies and other ethnic and gender studies programs.

DEADLINE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008

EMAIL PROPOSALS AND QUESTIONS TO: conference@aaari.info

WE WELCOME PROPOSALS FOR THE FOLLOWING:

– Individual papers
– Workshops
– Artistic presentations: performance, literary readings, film screenings (max. 10-12 minutes in length, with technical specifications provided)

PROPOSALS MUST INCLUDE:

– Working title
– Description of presentation (individual paper, artistic presentation, workshop, etc.)  – Brief double-spaced abstract (one to two pages, 11 or 12pt font, one-inch margins)  – Presenter’s name, address, phone number, email address, title, and institutional affiliation

DISCLAIMER

This invitation to submit a proposal to the 2008 AAARI Conference on Asian American Women does not constitute an offer to pay travel or accommodation costs associated with the conference. No speakers’ fee or travel expenses are paid to successful applicants.  Conference presentations may be taped (audio and video) and transcribed for possible future publication.

APARRI 2008 (Aug. 7-9, 2008): Berkeley, CA

The Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative
presents

APARRI 2008
(Re)Defining Religious Studies:  The Next Decade of APARRI
Thursday.2008.Aug.7 – Saturday.2008.Aug.9
Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA

2008 celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative, and we invite you to mark your calendars for a conference that will look back over the development of Asian Pacific American religious studies over the past decade and look forward to the coming ten years.

Prof. Michael Omi of the Ethnic Studies Department at U.C. Berkeley, co-author of Racial Formations in the United States:  From the 1960s to the 1990s and one of the most noted theorists on race in the U.S. today, will give the keynote address on Aug. 7.  His presentation is entitled:  “The Unbearable Whiteness of Being:  The Racial Positioning of Asian Americans.”  Additional plenaries will address the state of the field of APA religious studies from various disciplinary angles and discuss emerging issues.  Concurrent sessions will showcase research-in-progress, and structured mentoring will be available for students and junior faculty members.

APARRI 2008 is organized by the Institute for Leadership Development and Study of Pacific and Asian North American Religion (PANA Institute) at Pacific School of Religion, with major funding from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.  The conference is hosted by the Pacific School of Religion and co-sponsored by the Graduate Theological Union, the Asian American Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Ethnic Studies Department at the University of California, Berkeley.

The conference schedule and registration will be available Spring 2008 at www.pana.psr.edu.

Christopher Chua
Program Director
PANA Institute, Pacific School of Religion
1798 Scenic Avenue
Berkeley, CA  94709
cchua@psr.edu
510/849-8210

cfp: Creating a Community of Scholarship on APA Issues

Call for Paper or Panel Proposals

Creating a Community of Scholarship on Asian Pacific American Issues:
A Graduate Student Conference
University of California, Berkeley
April 4-5, 2008

A National Conference
Current scholarship on Asian Pacific American issues is expanding beyond traditional disciplinary and regional boundaries, signaling a movement toward establishing new paradigms of understanding aspects of APA experiences. This conference highlights emerging scholarship of graduate students examining issues pertaining to the Asian Pacific American community as they partake in shaping the future of the field.
What new projects or research questions are emerging? What are new communities of study, modes of analysis, pedagogies, and possibilities for collaboration and comparative research? We hope that interested graduate students will use this conference to become familiar with each other’s research themes and methodologies and come to challenge traditional notions of research in Asian Pacific American scholarship.

We believe this conference will be an excellent way to build a community of scholars because graduate students working in the field of Asian Pacific American studies are most often scattered in different departments at every university. This conference will provide a space for interdisciplinary and intercollegiate exchanges through the presentation and discussion of cutting-edge projects in the field. Following University of Illinois Urbana Champaign in 2006 and University of Illinois Chicago in 2007, this conference marks the third year of organizing efforts specifically in support of graduate student-centered scholarship and research in Asian Pacific American studies.

We welcome paper or panel proposals that advance the knowledge of Asian Pacific American experiences by graduate students at any stage of their research and in any discipline. The proposal should include an assessment of where this scholarship fits within the current literature of the chosen field and how the work contributes to and/or expands the knowledge of APA experiences.

Submission Deadline: November 15, 2007

Email: communitiesofscholars@gmail.com

Paper submissions should include (1) contact information (including university, year in school, address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address); (2) a 300-word abstract summarizing the paper’s argument and assessing its relation to the field; and (3) a one or two page curriculum vitae and a brief biography for each presenter.

Panel proposals should include (1) a cover sheet with contact information for the chair and each panelist (including university, year in school, address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address); (2) a one-page rationale explaining the relevance of the panel to the theme of the conference; (3) a 300-word abstract for each proposed paper, summarizing the paper’s argument and relation to the field; and (4) a one or two page curriculum vitae and a brief biography for each presenter.

Submission guidelines:

• Please submit individual paper proposals or full panel proposals via e-mail attachment by November 15, 2007 to communitiesofscholars@gmail.com with the subject line, “Conference Submission.” Please also direct any questions to that email address.
• Attachments should be in Word, pdf, or rtf formats.
• Submissions should be one document (i.e. include all required information in one attached document).

Notification of acceptance or rejection of all submissions will be by made by December 15, 2007.

Limited support for graduate student travel to attend the conference may be available.
For more information, contact communitiesofscholars@gmail.com

Sponsored by the Critical Filipino/a Studies Working Group, the Asian Cultural Studies Working Group, the Graduate Asian Pacific Islander Collective, and the Asian Pacific American Studies Working Group at the University of California, Berkeley, and University of California, Davis Asian American Studies Graduate Student Group.

—
Ligaya R. Domingo
Washington State Jobs With Justice Annual Dinner Coordinator and Auction Coordinator
Ph.D. Candidate
University of California, Berkeley
Graduate School of Education
Social and Cultural Studies

Mobile: (206) 390-1422
Home: (206) 829-9884
Email: Ligayadomingo@gmail.com