Pursuing the Potential of Digital Mapping in Latinx Studies

FAIN: HAA-277190-21

UCLA; Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA 90024-4201)
Marissa Katherine Lopez (Project Director: June 2020 to November 2022)
Kelley Arlene Kreitz (Co Project Director: October 2020 to November 2022)

A two-day workshop and support network to build capacity in digital mapping methods for scholars in Latinx Studies.

We request a Level 1 grant for a two-day workshop at UCLA on August 12-13, 2021. Latinx Studies is built on understanding how spatial struggles shape racial, ethnic, and national identity. As Latinx Studies scholars increasingly use digital mapping in their research and teaching, we will bring scholars, GIS experts, and public and academic research librarians together to: 1) provide technical training to help participants build skills and advance their individual projects; and 2) plan a support network to facilitate the creation of shared data repositories, partnerships with libraries, training and mentoring opportunities, and an online hub of best practices and teaching materials. The workshop will draw on UCLA’s extensive resources and expertise in GIS research. In line with the “A More Perfect Union” initiative, this project will advance digital mapping as a method of increasing understanding of the enduring presence of people of Latin American descent in the history of our nation.