Latin America and the Caribbean have long histories of sanctuary, santuario, or sanctuaire in religious, political, social, and environmental contexts. For centuries, dissidents have fled to alternative worlds or have stayed put to fight and built new ones. Inclusion and exclusion define cultural and national identities and communities, yet the boundaries they determine are continually disputed and in flux: Who is in, who is out? Who or what is legal and legitimate, illegal or illicit, sacred or profane? Who defines spaces of sanctuary and controls the bodies and minds flowing between them? Who would we take in and harbor in our own homes if asked? And how do fear and hope drive our actions?

This conference will examine these questions and related themes through, concepts, practices, and problems in Latin America, the Caribbean, and among Latin Americans and Latina/o/x people living in the United States or anywhere else in the world. Events include six student panels, a keynote discussion with scholars, activist and religious leaders, a Puerto Rican music workshop, and a closing reception with Cuban food.