Last July marked the first annual Latino/a Studies Conference held in Chicago. Maria Hinojosa sat down with a group of leaders in the field to discuss the current state of Latino Studies and what educators want going forward.

Frances R. Aparicio is Professor of Spanish and Portuguese and Director of the Latina and Latino Studies Program at Northwestern University.   She has previously taught at Stanford University, University of Arizona, University of Michigan, and University of Illinois at Chicago. She is currently working on two books – one about intralatino/as in Chicago and the other about Marc Anthony’s salsa romantica.

Dr. Nancy “Rusty” Barceló has served as Northern New Mexico College’s president since July 2010. She is known nationally for her work in academics and diversity. From 2001 to 2006 Dr. Barceló served as Vice President and Vice Provost for Minority Affairs and Diversity at the University of Washington and from 1996 to 2001 she served as Associate Vice President for Multicultural and Academic Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Barceló held various positions at the University of Iowa from 1975 to 1996 including Assistant Provost and Assistant Dean with the Office of the Provost. Dr. Barceló has served on numerous national, regional and campus committees and boards.

Juana María Rodríguez is Professor in the Gender and Women’s Studies Department at UC Berkeley. She is the author of Queer Latinidad: Identity Practices, Discursive Spaces (NYU 2003) and has published numerous articles related to her research interests in sexuality studies, queer activism in a transnational context, critical race theory, technology and media arts, and Latino@ and Caribbean studies. Her second book, scheduled for publication in July 2014, is entitled Sexual Futures, Queer Gestures and Other Latina Longings and considers contemporary racialized sexual politics through the interlocking lenses of performance studies and law.