Nuestra casa es su casa

Depending on where you are in the world, it's the beginning of the fall semester or the return from a winter holiday. Others, like me in Germany, will be ramping up for the Wintersemester to start in just a few weeks.

Wherever you are, and whatever transition you are preparing for, we hope this newsletter finds you well and you find its contents helpful for your research, writing, and teaching.

As some of our community members have already discovered, LACISA launched a new website in May 2024. We continue to make improvements and additions, but we are proud to share the full website with you in this edition of the newsletter -- including past and present newsletters and articles, videos and podcasts, as well as other resources for research on Islam and Muslim communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Please peruse, explore, and let us know what more we can add to the website to make it work for you!

We are also pleased to share a reportfrom our most recent colloquium. Held over two days in May in collaboration with the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative, the colloquium featured 20 participants from India, Barbados, Nigeria, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Pakistan, Trinidad, Iran, and the United States (from Indiana, California, New Jersey, New York, Indiana, and Michigan) discussing Muslim philanthropy and contributions to civil society in the Caribbean. We invite you to read the full report and catch some highlights from presentations made by scholars and practitioners.

Also in this edition of the LACISA newsletter is an article review from our Associate Editor, Lucas Vicente. In his review of work by Daniela Buono Calainho, Vicente evaluates the complexity of the African diaspora and the way in which religious-magical beliefs were adapted and reinterpreted in the Brazilian social context, seeking an answer to problems and anxieties resulting from slavery and the development of an Afro-Brazilian identity.

Speaking of reviews, we are also participating in a special call for book reviews to be published in the Journal of Muslim Philanthropy in Civil Society. The list of books available for review includes several titles related to Islam and Muslims in Latin America and the Caribbean. Please take a look at the list and let us know if you'd like to submit a review for the next edition!

Finally, this edition features a few news stories about Muslims in a variety of American contexts. From how the popular reality TV cooking show, "Top Chef," crowned its first Puerto-Rican-Dominican-Muslim champion to the political power Muslims in Tampa, Florida are feeling they can flex, each news story reflects the vibrancy, diversity, and cultural relevancy of our field.

Thank you once more, for being part of the LACISA community and for contributing your own perspectives to our ongoing work. There is much more to be done and we look forward to continuing that work with you in the years to come.

Adelante,
Ken Chitwood
LACISA Editor