The Cuban Research Institute (CRI) of Florida International University continues its tradition of convening scholars and other persons interested in the study of Cuba and Cuban Americans by announcing its 12th Conference. We encourage the submission of panels and papers concentrating on any aspects of the main conference theme, but will consider all submissions relevant to the history, economy, politics, culture, society, and creative expression of Cuba and its diaspora. The Twelfth Conference on Cuban and Cuban-American Studies takes Lola Rodriguez deTi6's famous metaphor of Cuba and Puerto Rico as the "two wings of one bird" as a cue for comparative academic inquiry and public debate. Our main theme, the relations between Cuba and Puerto Rico, invites interdisciplinary approaches to the multiple, complex, and often contrasting links between the two countries, both historically and in current times. Although we welcome discussions about the recent situation and the future of Cuba and Puerto Rico, we invite a thorough retrospective examination of the social, economic, political, and cultural dimensions of the intertwined histories of the two countries. We are especially interested in assessing the contribution of the islands' diasporas to the growing "Latinization" of the United States, particularly in Florida.
