En Comunidad, We Rise: In CoMo, We Lift Each Other Up!
June 3-5, 2026
Cambio de Colores 2026
Join us in Columbia!
On June 3-5, 2026 we will meet in Columbia, Missouri for the annual Cambio de Colores conference, hosted at the Center for Missouri Studies (in the State Historical Society), a beautiful and warm space right near the University of Missouri campus.
The theme for 2026 — En Comunidad, We Rise — strengthens our call for collective action and commitment to spark positive change for integration and well-being. Participants will share and learn about research and promising practices with a renewed focus on the Latin American and newcomer experience, especially in our ever-changing times. We were also excited to announce the Cambio Storytelling Festival will continue. Keep scrolling to learn more!
Announcing Our 2026 Keynotes
Sam Mihara
As noted on sammihara.com, “in 1942, when Sam Mihara was 9 years old, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II. Shortly after, Sam and his family were forced from their San Francisco home by armed military guards and sent to the Heart Mountain prison camp in Wyoming. … They would live crowded into a single 20 x 20 square foot room for the next 3 years. … Today, at 90-years-young, Sam is the only camp survivor who tours nationally and internationally speaking about this dark time in our history. Over 90,000 people have heard Sam’s story detailing the difficulties he, his family and other Japanese Americans faced before, during and after the imprisonment.” Cambio de Colores is honored to hear Sam Mihara discuss the lessons we draw from this time period, and how to continue the on-going fight for civil rights so many decades later.
Dr. Van Lac
Dr. Van Lac is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Prior to her graduate career, she was a high school English teacher in Richmond, California, serving primarily Black and Latine families in an under-resourced community. Her research interests include supporting minoritized students in youth participatory action research and examining the racial consciousness development of K–12 students, teachers, and school administrators. She is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees and attended her entire K-12 public education in the Oakland Unified School District.
María Sánchez
María Sánchez is a proud member of the Carthage R9 School Board, making history as the first Latina ever elected to this position. A longtime Carthage resident of nearly two decades, as well as a Licensed Realtor and Builder with RealPro with additional experience in healthcare and education, she has dedicated her career and public service to uplifting minority communities and expanding cultural understanding throughout the region. Her mission is simple and steadfast: to lead with respect and dignity through education, art, and health. Maria organizes some of Carthage’s most impactful cultural events, from the community’s Maple Leaf Taco Tuesday Scholarship Competition to school programming such as Mariachi Flor’s Cinco de Mayo performance.
Dr. Julia López
Dr. Julia López (she/ella) is a bilingual public health researcher and clinician committed to advancing trauma-informed care and health equity across reproductive, sexual, and mental health. She conducts psychological evaluations for asylum seekers and provides culturally responsive, trauma-informed support to survivors of gender-based violence. Dr. López uses implementation science to expand access to evidence-based interventions and works in partnership with communities to reduce stigma around mental illness and substance use. Her work centers on people living with HIV, immigrants and refugees, and LGBTQIA+ communities, bridging clinical care, research, and policy to build justice-driven, trauma-responsive systems of support.
Registration At a Glance
- $285 early bird registration – deadline April 1, 2026
- $340 regular registration – deadline May 26, 2026
- $385 late registration – deadline June 3, 2026
- $150 student registration – deadline June 3, 2026
- >>>NEW THIS YEAR: Active Cambio Fellows will receive a discount code for 20% off and site visits are included with registration!
Thank you, Sponsors!
We couldn’t run the Cambio de Colores conference without the kind and generous support of our sponsors, including the organizations offering site visits this year: