XVIII Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Conference/Association for Documentary Editing 2026, a joint conference

Record Keepers of Nation: Diverse Foundational Figures and Documents of the US

October 8-10, 2026 · Houston, Texas

The Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Program (Recovery) and the Association for Documentary Editing (ADE) invite proposals for a joint conference to be held October 8-10, 2026 in Houston, Texas. This first-ever collaboration between Recovery and ADE will bring together scholars, archivists, editors, students and community practitioners to explore how figures and documents—canonical, forgotten, official and grassroots—have shaped the histories, literatures and identities of the United States.

The conference theme, Record Keepers of Nation: Diverse Foundational Figures and Documents of the US, highlights the intersection, conflicts and compromises of people, papers, voices, archives and biographies of first nations, natives, settlers, immigrants and exiles that have forged collective memory and national narratives. The conference will emphasize recovery, preservation and dissemination of the historical records of various communities that expand and unsettle our understanding of the nation’s foundation.

Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage is an international program to locate, preserve and make available Hispanic culture of the United States in its written form since colonial times until 1980. The Association for Documentary Editing promotes the publication of a broad range of materials of historical value in print and digital formats and supports cooperation and exchange of ideas among a diverse community of editors.

Suggested themes

Foundational Texts and Archives

Recovery and critical analysis of foundational US documents
Petitions, letters, legal texts and manifestos as historical and cultural sources
Printing, journalism, literature and oral traditions in shaping community histories
US independence and its impact on Latin American independence movements
The United States as a site of exile, organizing and activism for Latin American independence movements
Collections and archives: accessioning, curation and critical archival studies
Methodologies in documentary editing, preservation and digital archiving
Digital humanities approaches to foundational texts and archival recovery

People and Movements

Studies of activists, writers and intellectuals who shaped the US
Analytical studies of recovered authors, voices and texts
The role of women’s writings in shaping intellectual and cultural histories
Gender, sexualities and queer approaches to the archive
Folklore, testimonios, oral histories and multilingual voices in the US record

Theories, Silences and Interventions

Archival silences, erasures and the politics of preservation
Critical, historical and theoretical frameworks for recovered texts
The intersections of biography, memory and national identity
Historiography, language, translation, bilingualism and linguistics
Religious thought, practice and their archival traces
Material culture as a site of memory and recovery

Pedagogy and Practice

Curriculum development: integrating recovered texts into K–12 and higher education
Library and information science approaches to preservation and accessibility
Social, cultural and political implications of archival recovery

Submission Guidelines

Proposal Types: Individual papers (10-15 minutes) and posters. [No panel submission, please]. Individuals may only present one paper or poster.
Undergraduate participation is welcome through poster presentations.
Abstracts: 250 words maximum. Please include a paper/poster title, participant(s) name(s), institutional affiliation(s), 3-5 keywords and a brief bio (100 words).
Languages: Proposals may be submitted in English or Spanish. Presentations may be delivered in either language.
Deadline: December 1, 2025
Submission Email/Portal: https://bit.ly/recoveryade26

Registration and Membership

Registration and membership required.

Rates for registration and membership coming soon!

For all questions, please contact us at apprec@central.uh.edu

Recovery/Arte Público Press, the University of Houston System and the Association for Documentary Editing are committed to creating and maintaining harassment-free communities of practice. By attending the Conference, you acknowledge your commitment to contributing to a safe and inclusive experience for all. Please read our Code of Conduct below.

Houston’s diverse and high-quality food scene is well documented in local publications, including Houston’s Award-Winning Restaurants and Houston Chronicle’s Top 100 restaurants in Houston.

Bars & Breweries

**accessible via METRORail line. Consider downloading the METRO Q Mobile Ticketing app for easy ticket purchasing/access. Every fare ($1.25) is good for a three hour time period.

All lodging, dining, transportation and attraction resources are for informational purposes only and are shared without endorsement or recommendation.

Houston is served by rideshare companies such as Lyft and Über, as well as various taxi companies.

The Houston METRORail consists of three light-rail lines: the Red Line (North), Green Line (East End) and the Purple Line (Southeast). Consider downloading the METRO Q Mobile Ticketing app for easy ticket purchasing/access. Every fare ($1.25) is good for a three hour time period. Download the METRORail Rider Guide here (PDF).

Intercontinental Airport Houston (IAH) to downtown Houston: METRO Bus 102 serves the airport and surrounding vicinity with multiple stops and continues to the METRO station downtown. The fare is $1.25 (cash only; the driver does not make change). Transit time to downtown runs 50 to 90 minutes. Riders may stow luggage in the baggage compartment accessed from the outside of the bus (drivers do not assist with luggage). Pick up and drop off is at the METRO Bus Stop on Baggage Claim Level, south side of Terminal C.

All lodging, dining, transportation, and attraction resources are for informational purposes only and are shared without endorsement or recommendation.

During a poster presentation for a conference, the presenter will stand by their poster display. When conference participants approach, the presenter should provide a short elevator pitch of their research, followed by a conversation.

Your poster should be eye-catching, contain a mixture of brief text with visuals (data representations, photographs, screenshots of digital projects), and display your research data in a quick and simple manner.

We suggest printed posters of no larger than 40” x 30.”

If using a trifold presentation display board (aka “Science fair presentation boards”), the foam/corrugate board can measure the standard 48” x 36.”

View full Poster Guidelines (including text and font suggestions) by clicking here for PDF.

Arte Público Press/Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage, University of Houston System and the Association for Documentary Editing are committed to creating and maintaining harassment-free communities of practice, regardless of race, ethnicity, origin, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, religion, language, marital status, employment, military status or individual lifestyle. We strive to create events and virtual spaces that are attentive to intersectionalities. By attending conference events, you acknowledge your commitment to contributing to a safe and inclusive experience for all.

We do not tolerate harassment in any form at the conference or in our virtual spaces. Violators of these rules will be expelled at the discretion of the organizers. Harassment includes, but is not limited to the following actions: inappropriate physical conduct; unwelcome sexual attention; sexist, racist, or otherwise discriminatory language or jokes; derogatory verbal or written comments; sexual and/or discriminatory images/videos in public spaces; stalking; harassing photography or recording; misgendering or “dead” naming; bullying behavior; persistent disruption of an ongoing discussion.

You will conduct yourself in a collegial and professional manner at all times.

If you experience or witness harassment of any kind, please speak with one of the Organizing Committee Members.

If you are in imminent danger, please dial 911.

We value your input and participation in our shared community. Thank you for your attention to the comfort, safety, and well-being of Conference participants.

*This statement of values was inspired by and incorporates ideas from similar statements and codes of conduct created by the African American History, Culture, and Digital Humanities (AADHum) Initiative at the University of Maryland; the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR); the Digital Library Federation (DLF); the Django Software Foundation; Humanities Intensive Learning and Training (HILT); and the Immersive Pedagogy Symposium.

As the fourth largest city in the United States and designated as one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the United States, Houston has a nearly limitless list of attractions, restaurants, local events and culture.

Top Attractions

Space Center Houston (NASA): Home to more than 400 space artifacts and featuring various attractions and theaters. Highlights include astronaut training for the International Space Station, the development of deep-space missions and the latest space robotic technologies, which are playing an important role in the exploration of Mars. For an authentic look behind the scenes at NASA, the NASA Tram Tour travels into working areas of the Johnson Space Center.

Houston Aquarium: The aquarium is six-acre entertainment and dining complex hosting a 500,000-gallon aquatic environment with over 200 species of aquatic life from around the globe.

Kemah Boardwalk: Kemah boardwalk is approximately 30 miles southeast of downtown Houston, located in Galveston, TX. Right along the gulf shore, the boardwalk is considered one of the premiere boardwalks in the US. The boardwalk includes restaurants, games, rides, hotels, shops and tours.

Museum District: 19 institutions including nationally renowned Children’s Museum, the Menil Collection, Art Car Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Zoo and The Health Museum.

Theater District: The district features nine world renowned performing arts organizations, and many smaller ones, in four venues – Jones Hall, Wortham Theater Center, Alley Theatre and Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

The Galleria: The Galleria is Texas’ largest shopping center and fourth largest domain nationally. The Galleria has over 400 retail stores and restaurants and also includes a full-size ice rink for recreational skating.

Museums and Culture

African American Library at the Gregory School*
Alley Theatre
Art Car Museum*
Asia Society Texas Center*
Beer Can House
Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern
Buffalo Bayou Park
Children's Museum of Houston
Contemporary Arts Museum*
Discovery Green*
The Health Museum
Holocaust Museum Houston
Houston Center for Photography*
Houston Grand Opera
Houston Museum of Natural History **
Houston Symphony
Houston Zoo**(Discounted admission with METRORail ticket)
James Turrell Skyspace*
Lawndale Art Center*
Menil Museum*
Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts (MECA)
Museum of Fine Arts **
National Museum of Funeral History
The Orange Show
Project Row Houses*
River Oaks Historic Theatre
Rothko Chapel*
Talento Bilingüe de Houston
University of Houston College of Arts events (opera, symphony, theater, dance)

Most Houston museums are free on Thursdays or Thursday evenings (please refer to individual museum websites for details). You may also refer to Houston on the Cheap for a calendar of inexpensive and free events taking place in Houston or Jill B. Jarvis: Things to do in Houston, with kids for a calendar of events geared toward families.

*free admission