Ohio Latin Americanist Conference

October 3 - October 4, 2024
9:00AM - 5:00PM
Bowling Green State University

Date Range
2024-10-03 09:00:00 2024-10-04 17:00:00 Ohio Latin Americanist Conference CLAS is pleased to support the 20th Annual Ohio Latin Americanist Conference (OLAC), taking place October 3-4, 2024 at Bowling Green State University.The call for proposals is currently out, and more information will be added to this event page as it becomes available.Some of the key events of the conference are:Keynote Address by Dr. Rita M. PalaciosDr. Rita M. Palacios holds a doctorate in Spanish with a specialization in Latin American Literature from the University of Toronto. She is a professor of languages in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario. Her research examines contemporary Maya literature from a cultural and gender studies perspective. She co-authored a book Unwriting Maya Literature: Ts’íib as Recorded Knowledge (2019, 2022) with Paul M. Worley, in which the authors privilege the Maya category ts’íib over constructions of the literary in order to reveal how Maya peoples themselves conceive of cultural production.Staged Reading of “Mojada” written by Luis Alfaro and directed by PhD student from Theatre & Film, Haley Anisa AlvarezMojada: Medea and Jason have escaped the worst. After a harrowing journey across the Mexican – American border, the couple has made it safely to the States, where they can work toward a better life for their family. While Jason is convinced the future looks bright, Medea fears a darker fate as they face the challenges of living without documentation. Blending Euripides’ classic with Mexican folklore, Luis Alfaro examines the tragedy behind America’s immigration system and the destiny of one family caught in its grip.Capoeira Art Performance by Mestre Lobinho Fabio Da Cunha, and his group Mangalot Capoeira, Brazilian Michigan Cultural CenterCapoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of movement, martial art, and music. Capoeira players form a circle at the center of which two players engage with one another. The performance will include a portion of live music/singing with Brazilian percussion, plus a demonstration of capoeira acrobatics and movements. It will also include a portion of samba, and finally a musical/movement part with capoeira musical instruments combining the jogos (games) in the capoeira circle with live music.Translation GamesThe Translation Games are a live-action and in-person translation competition. Teams of three contestants work under an exhilarating time crunch to translate one text from Spanish into English and another from English into Spanish. Contestants work to capture the meaning, with all its nuances, and the style of the source text in their original translation. In their quest, they are permitted to use online dictionaries and other approved translation resources.CLAS's support of this event is supported in part by grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI NRC funding. The content of this event does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Bowling Green State University Center for Latin American Studies clas@osu.edu America/New_York public

CLAS is pleased to support the 20th Annual Ohio Latin Americanist Conference (OLAC), taking place October 3-4, 2024 at Bowling Green State University.

The call for proposals is currently out, and more information will be added to this event page as it becomes available.

Some of the key events of the conference are:

Keynote Address by Dr. Rita M. Palacios

Dr. Rita M. Palacios holds a doctorate in Spanish with a specialization in Latin American Literature from the University of Toronto. She is a professor of languages in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario. Her research examines contemporary Maya literature from a cultural and gender studies perspective. She co-authored a book Unwriting Maya Literature: Ts’íib as Recorded Knowledge (2019, 2022) with Paul M. Worley, in which the authors privilege the Maya category ts’íib over constructions of the literary in order to reveal how Maya peoples themselves conceive of cultural production.

Staged Reading of “Mojada” written by Luis Alfaro and directed by PhD student from Theatre & Film, Haley Anisa Alvarez

Mojada: Medea and Jason have escaped the worst. After a harrowing journey across the Mexican – American border, the couple has made it safely to the States, where they can work toward a better life for their family. While Jason is convinced the future looks bright, Medea fears a darker fate as they face the challenges of living without documentation. Blending Euripides’ classic with Mexican folklore, Luis Alfaro examines the tragedy behind America’s immigration system and the destiny of one family caught in its grip.

Capoeira Art Performance by Mestre Lobinho Fabio Da Cunha, and his group Mangalot Capoeira, Brazilian Michigan Cultural Center

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of movement, martial art, and music. Capoeira players form a circle at the center of which two players engage with one another. The performance will include a portion of live music/singing with Brazilian percussion, plus a demonstration of capoeira acrobatics and movements. It will also include a portion of samba, and finally a musical/movement part with capoeira musical instruments combining the jogos (games) in the capoeira circle with live music.

Translation Games

The Translation Games are a live-action and in-person translation competition. Teams of three contestants work under an exhilarating time crunch to translate one text from Spanish into English and another from English into Spanish. Contestants work to capture the meaning, with all its nuances, and the style of the source text in their original translation. In their quest, they are permitted to use online dictionaries and other approved translation resources.


CLAS's support of this event is supported in part by grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI NRC funding. The content of this event does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.