Asian North American Religion, Culture, and Society Unit

The ANARCS Unit welcomes all types of proposals, including but not limited to individual papers, prearranged papers panels, and roundtable discussions for the 2026 AAR Meeting in Denver, CO. All proposals related to Asian North American religions will be considered. In addition, we especially welcome proposals on the following topics:

1. Reconfiguring AAPI Religious Futures

In light of the 2026 AAR Presidential Theme (“FUTURE/S”), we invite proposals related to the future of Asian American religions and the study thereof. How do AAPI religious traditions consider the concepts of eschatology, teleology, the ultimate, and/or apocalypse? How does Southwest Asian and North Africa (SWANA) inspire us to rethink the boundaries of Asian American religions? What do past/current studies of genealogical and generational trends tell us about the next generations of Asian American religious communities and identities? Are there new or emerging generational trends that raise questions about the future of Asian American religions?  Especially in this time of political and economic uncertainty, what is the state and future of the academic study of AAPI religions? We also encourage proposals on the role and responsibility of AAPI religious scholarship beyond the academy.

 

2. War, Conflict, and AAPI Political Coalitional Identity

This past year has been marked with the initiation, persistence, and escalation of wars and political conflicts in the US and around the world. As such, we invite proposals related to the political identity and category of “Asian American” from religious perspectives. What are Asian American religious perspectives and/or activism in response to wars and political conflicts, domestic or international? In what ways do international wars/conflicts inform Asian American religio-political perspectives, whether it be the ongoing war in Palestine or the enduring US settler-colonialism and militarization of the Asia-Pacific? How do Asian American political leaders shape not only local but also international political movements? We encourage proposals that focus on local mayor leaders like Zohran Mamdani and Michelle Wu to federal leaders like Young Kim and Tulsi Gabbard. What is the role of Asian American communities in either contributing to or combatting militant political ideologies, like Christian Nationalism and Islamophobia?

 

3. Asian American Religions and Science Fiction

We invite proposals that address the intersection of Asian American religions and science fiction of all media types, including and not exclusive of video games, films, novels, board/card games, comic books, etc. What are the religious themes and undertones of Asian American literary and cinematic science fiction? We especially encourage papers pertaining to Asian American futurism. In what ways is techno-orientalism shaping cultural and religious imaginations? 
How do popular extraterrestrial (aliens) and multiversal theories influence religious cosmologies? We are especially interested in proposals that explore the intersection of extraterrestrial aliens and political foreign-born “aliens,” conceptualizing “aliens” as cosmological and/or sociological categories.

 

4. Asian American Religions, Science, and Technological Innovations

We are currently experiencing strikingly rapid developments in technology and science, reshaping global interconnectedness and cultures. How has the digital world and advancements in technology influenced Asian American religious sensibilities, especially as a function of digital diasporas? In what ways do Asian American religious traditions and communities reject or embrace evolving technologies, like artificial intelligence? How do Asian American religions wrestle with the boundary between scientific fact and fiction? How do Asian American religious communities engage scientific misinformation and medical conspiracy theories? We encourage proposals that address the role of Asian American professionals in STEM fields and their influence on Asian American religion, science, and technological innovation.

5. Progressive Pedagogies in a Regressive Era

Due to prevalent political, cultural, and legal attacks on universities and professors, higher education is experiencing an existential crisis. Therefore, we invite proposals that address the ways that scholars and teachers of Asian American religions can address current societal dynamics. What are the risks and responsibilities of complying with or resisting institutional, state, and federal educational policies? What are strategies to preserve the integrity of AAPI scholarship and pedagogy, especially in institutions and states targeting open discussions of race? What are our pedagogical objectives for our students, i.e., what do we want them to learn in this political moment? How do we advocate for our students and colleagues, including in K-12 education, whose educational desires/goals are impeded by anti-intellectual and xenophobic movements?