November 18, 2016
Millán gives plenary speech at international Anzaldúa conference
Isabel Millán, American ethnic studies faculty member, was invited to be a plenary speaker at this year's El Mundo Zurdo Conference Nov. 3-5 in San Antonio, Texas.
Millán presented alongside leading scholars Emma Pérez and Maria Lugones, who delivered the opening plenary, "Autofantasías: Reinventing Self & Inspiring Travesuras in Children's Cultural Productions." The conference was organized by the Society for the Study of Gloria E. Anzaldúa and the Women's Studies Institute at the University of Texas at San Antonio. This year's theme was "Nepantla: Theories and Practices."
Millán discussed the isolation and lack of educational materials for queer Chicana/o children. Millán's examination of picture books, magazines and multimedia prioritized authors who transform society through their oral and visual storytelling. Building on Gloria Anzaldúa's concept of autohistoria, Millán proposed autofantasía as a theoretical tool by which to inspire travesuras within radical and unconventional children's cultural productions.
Millán's speech will be published by Aunt Lute Press in its upcoming El Mundo Zurdo conference proceedings.