Welcome to the website of the Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies (MACLAS)!  We are an interdisciplinary professional association that promotes and develops interest in Latin America studies and affairs. Each year we hold a conference in the mid-Atlantic region, which by our Constitution includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. We welcome scholars of all disciplines in the mid-Atlantic and beyond whose work relates in some fashion to the sprawling and vibrant field of Latin American studies.

We are looking forward to our upcoming annual conference, “Unsettled Pasts, Unwritten Futures: Latin America in a Reconfigured World,” on March 19-20, 2027 at Kean University. Kean is located about 17 miles west of New York City in Union, NJ, and is conveniently accessible by public transportation from major airports. The Call for Papers can be found here. Please review our Prizes and Awards for eligible travel assistance. In addition, we are currently accepting submissions for our Digital Conference in November. The Digital Conference Call for Papers can be found here.

We are especially pleased to be embarking on our tenth year publishing the Middle Atlantic Review of Latin American Studies (MARLAS), at www.marlasjournal.com — an online, peer-reviewed journal on all things Latin American.  Building on our long tradition of peer-reviewed publication (see the archives of our journal Latin American Essays on this website), MARLAS represents the next logical step in our effort to disseminate new knowledge on Latin American Studies.  The MARLAS Editorial Board welcomes collaborators and new submissions — contact Managing Editor Jeffrey Pugh. We also publish a thrice-yearly newsletter and award prizes for articles and books published by MACLAS members. Click here to view the list of prizes, awards, and their deadlines.

To become a member of MACLAS, visit our Become a Member page.