This post is published in conjunction with the 2019 American Anthropological Association conference in Vancouver, Canada. Check for other posts from the conference, and if you are attending #AAACASCA2019, don’t miss Christian Zlolniski’s panel “Familiar Strangers: The Making and Continuity of Canada-U.S. State-Sanctioned ‘Seasonal Migrant Labor'” on Saturday, November 23, at 2:00 PM. #AAACASCA
I am honored to have recently been appointed the new editor of Mexican Studies/Estudios Mexicanos by University of California Press. My editorship will officially begin January 1, 2020.
Mexican Studies occupies a unique and privileged niche to publish original interdisciplinary scholarship in English and Spanish pertaining to Mexico, broadly defined. As editor, I will build on this tradition by continuing to invite scholarly contributions from history, cultural studies, and the humanities while, at the same time, continuing to expand publication of scholarship in the social sciences. I encourage contributions from anthropology, political science, sociology, and related disciplines that address contemporary economic, social, and cultural issues pertaining to Mexico and its relations to the United States, and other countries in the Americas. A transnational approach informs scholarship on issues such as development, gender, health, inequality, poverty, environment and sustainability, migration, violence, social movements, and others, rendering Mexican Studies an excellent outlet to capture the complex dynamic and evolving nature of this interdisciplinary field.
My second goal is to expand and strengthen dialogue and interdisciplinary collaboration among scholars in Mexico and the United States who share similar scholarly interests. As a bilingual journal with an advisory board with experts from Mexico, the United States, and other countries, I want to encourage a fluid interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary conversation among scholars across national boundaries on topics that affect Mexicans on both sides of the Mexico-US border. The special issues and thematic sections provide an excellent opportunity for publishing innovative research on historical and contemporary issues confronting Mexico today. In addition, I invite scholars to propose submissions that address contemporary issues requiring urgent discussion and debate.
Last but not least, I aim to highlight the broad merit of our published articles. This means making Mexican Studies a leading journal not only for scholars in the field but also making this scholarship available and useful for a non-academic audience, particularly stakeholders and policymakers in the public and private sectors. At a time when key issues regarding Mexico and its nationals in the country and abroad occupy a central place in public and political debates, the journal will seek to showcase scholarly contributions that can inform these discussions. The current historical juncture requires a fluid and timely exchange of ideas and responses to ongoing developments, an opportunity that we should use.
Please consider submitting your work to Mexican Studies and help spread the word to other scholars to share their work! Let’s take advantage of Mexican Studies to stimulate vibrant discussion on important issues and continue to reinvigorate this exciting interdisciplinary field.
