We have the following Call for Papers:
Call for Papers for the Massachusetts Historical Society’s 2024
Conrad E. Wright Research Conference on Citizenship
July 11-13, 2024
Massachusetts Historical SocietyThe centennial of both the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 and Immigration Act of 1924 offers an opportunity to explore the intersection of two subjects that have not always been considered alongside each other. However, as both scholars of Native American and U.S. immigration history grapple with the legacies of settler colonialism in their respective fields, the links between the aforementioned pieces of legislation come into clearer focus. Recent scholarship points out that the “peopling” of the United States not only occurred through the forces of international migration, but also reflects the incorporation of Indigenous peoples, forced or enslaved migrants from Africa and elsewhere, and the movement of borders that turned people into newcomers regardless of whether or not they actually moved. The degree to which those groups were included or excluded from citizenship, cultural “membership,” or even the right to remain in the nation has however varied widely.
The conference committee invites proposals of papers and/or panels that explore themes associated with citizenship and other variations of national belonging reflected in both the pieces of landmark legislation featured here. Possible topics might include but are not limited to Native American engagement with or responses to the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924; immigrant and ethnic group responses to the Immigration Act of 1924, historical articulations of citizenship and their repercussions; examinations of “belonging” for various groups; changes to immigration, naturalization, and citizenship policies, investigations of Native sovereignty and tribal citizenship, explorations of removal and expulsion; transnational Native presences/movements/communities, and other related topics.
As an organization that operates within academia and the public history arena, the Massachusetts Historical Society both champions important scholarship and supports vital public history initiatives like professional development for K-12 instruction. This conference will serve both constituencies—scholars and K-12 educators—by providing a platform to consider how the classroom serves as a key site of historical representation. Teachers will be invited to attend the traditional academic sessions, and scholars in turn will be invited to participate in a concluding teacher workshop at the end of the conference. We encourage participation from scholars who are eager to engage with and learn from K-12 educators, as well as teachers who are looking to incorporate the latest scholarship into the classroom.
-- Karen TaniThe conference and workshop will take place at the Massachusetts Historical Society and Suffolk University in Boston on 11-13 July 2024. The panels and presentations will take place on 11-12 July with the teacher workshop on 13 July. Note that all papers for presentation must be ready for pre-circulation to commenters and conference registrants four weeks prior to the conference
date.Interested parties are encouraged to submit either individual paper presentations or full panels (with or without commenters) by 15 June 2023. Application materials must include a paper description and CV for individual submissions and paper descriptions and individual CVs along with a panel proposal for full panels. Paper proposals should not exceed one page and accompanying CVs should not exceed three pages in length. Please submit application materials and questions to ccloutier@masshist.org.
