AERA 2017 was unique for the SIG as two initiatives came to fruition. Panels, roundtables, and SIG Executive Committee Members brought race / ethnicity into focus again. This focus was launched at AERA 2016 in Washington, DC, as a response to the broader US context and the Black Lives Matter movement. 

In San Antonio 2017, the focus was widened to include language as the SIG supported and members participated on a Spanish-language panel. Partnering with the World Education Research Association (WERA), members both presented and served as discussant on an invited Presidential Panel exploring higher education access throughout the Americas. Thus, the SIG, an international collective, pushed to expand the meaning of American in AERA too.  

AERA 2018 in New York City is the last conference the current executive committee will plan together. We are grateful for all the proposal submissions for that conference. (Thank you to all the reviewers!) Please volunteer as chairs or discussants. We look forward to running a smooth election process and welcoming a new executive committee in NYC!

-sar (August, 2017)