The first annual Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference (CMRS), will be held at DePaul University in Chicago on November 5-6, 2010. Recognizing the fact that the diverse disciplines that have nurtured mixed race studies have reached an epochal moment, the 2010 CMRS conference is devoted to the general theme of “Emerging Paradigms in Critical Mixed Race Studies.”
Critical Mixed Race Studies (CMRS) is the trans-racial, trans-disciplinary, and trans-national critical analyses of the institutionalization of social, cultural, and political orders based on dominant conceptions of race.
CMRS emphasizes the mutability of race and the porosity of racial boundaries in order to critique processes of racialization and social stratification based on race. CMRS addresses local and global systemic injustices rooted in systems of racialization.
The 2010 Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference has the considerable support of the Mavin Foundation (http://mavinfoundation.org), the nation's leading organization which helps to build healthier communities by raising awareness about the experiences of mixed heritage people and families.
From the beginning the Mavin Foundation has endeavored to be the most comprehensive resource in expanding awareness and bringing mixed heritage issues to the forefront of the mainstream dialogue. The organization’s projects explore the experiences of mixed heritage people, trans-racial adoptees, inter-racial relationships and multi-racial families. Mavin builds pathways to healthier communities by celebrating the mixed heritage experience and providing awareness and educational resources through innovative programs, cutting edge technologies, collaboration with other mixed-heritage organizations, and evidence-based program development and research.
In 2007 Mavin publically launched a national clearing house of information, the Mixed Heritage Centre (MHC) related to mixed heritage issues. Since then, the MHC has received national attention for its delivery of exceptional, insightful and relevant tools to better address the needs of these populations.
Andrew Jolivette, an Associate Professor at San Francisco State University, recently said this about the MHC: "The Mixed Heritage Center website represents the best of the 21st century multi-racial social justice movement! It gives voice to the voiceless by providing access to valuable resources to multi-ethnic and trans-racially adopted communities of color here in the U.S. and globally. This new site represents the fundamental meaning of YES WE CAN."