Call for Nominations: AFS Américo Paredes Prize

The AFS Committee on Cultural Diversity, Chicana/Chicano Section, and Folklore Latino, Latinoamericano, y Caribeño Section, along with the AFS Executive Board, call for submissions for the Américo Paredes Prize, which recognizes excellence in integrating scholarship and engagement with the people and communities one studies, or in teaching and encouraging scholars and practitioners to work in their own cultures or communities.

Américo Paredes (1915–1999), a leading scholar in folklore and Greater Mexico studies, worked relentlessly throughout his life, in the words of Olga Najera-Ramirez, “to better understand, represent, and respect the rights, lives, and culture of US Latinas and Latinos.”

Paredes contributed significantly to the formation of various intellectual trends and in particular to the scholarship on “native” folklorists and anthropologists; indeed, he trained several generations of “natives.” Don Américo taught at the University of Texas from 1957 until his retirement in 1984.

The Paredes Prize recognizes his contributions to the field and to the Society, gives respect to his memory, and recognizes exemplary achievements that build upon his cross-disciplinary, socially engaged legacy.’

The prize may be awarded for many forms of accomplishment, including products such as a book, article, software package, or exhibit; or on the basis of the overall impact of engaged teaching and scholarship; or fostering work in one’s own community or culture. 

The deadline for nominations is August 15. Nominations must be submitted through the AFS prize application form. To view past recipients of the Américo Paredes Prize visit Américo Paredes Prize.