Credit for banner image above: Photo by J. Emilio Flores, The Journal, 2020.
Fourteenth Conference
THE LATINIZATION OF FLORIDA:
ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND CULTURAL REPERCUSSIONS
View the conference program here
The Cuban Research Institute (CRI) of Florida International University (FIU) continued its tradition of convening scholars and other persons interested in the study of Cuba and Cuban Americans by hosting its Fourteenth Conference. The meeting was held on the Modesto A. Maidique Campus on February 15–16, 2024. We encouraged the submission of panels and papers concentrating on any aspects of the main conference theme, but considered all submissions relevant to the history, economy, politics, culture, society, and creative expression of Cuba and its diaspora. The conference was held in person and, because of cost considerations, was unavailable online. This year's meeting was dedicaded to Dr. Uva de Aragón in recognition of her numerous academic and literary contributions to Cuban and Cuban American studies.
The Fourteenth Conference on Cuban and Cuban American Studies took the demographic growth of Florida’s Latino population as the point of departure for reflection and discussion about its past, present, and future. Our main theme, the economic, political, and cultural repercussions of Latinization, invited interdisciplinary approaches to the complex, heterogeneous, and multiple Cuban and Latino communities residing in the state. Although we welcomed discussions about the recent situation and future of Latino Florida, we invited a thorough retrospective examination of the economic, political, and cultural causes and consequences of the Latinization of the state. We were especially interested in assessing the evolving relations between Cubans and other Latinos, particularly in South Florida.
The conference program showed the wealth, breadth, and diversity of recent scholarship, conceptual approaches, and academic debates in Cuban and Cuban American studies. The topics under discussion in twenty-four panels and roundtables ranged widely from the nineteenth-century migration of Cubans to South Florida to food insecurity in contemporary Cuba, from the literary representation of Cuban exile identities to teaching Cuban music in Miami. The conference brought together more than 160 persons, including specialists in numerous disciplines, from literary criticism, history, and musicology to political science, sociology, and economics. The program featured speakers from throughout the United States, Cuba, and other countries.
Once again, the conference gathered renowned experts on the Cuban and Cuban American experience. Many younger scholars and graduate students also participated in the meeting. We were especially proud to host at least four generations of scholars specializing in Cuba and
its diaspora.
The Fifteenth Conference on Cuban and Cuban American Studies will be held in February 2026.