Nepantla Undergraduate Research Journal

The Nepantla Undergraduate Journal of Faith, Culture, and the Arts seeks to promote the artistic expressions of faith, culture, and justice of undergraduate students.

The journal, Nepantla, takes its name from a Nahuatl word that means “in-betweeness.” We seek to highlight and publish writers and artists who create from a space of liminality, embracing their status as “ni de aqui, ni de alla” (from neither here nor there). That can mean different things for different people. For some, it might mean the being from both the United States and another country. For others, it can be embodied in the navigating of obstacles unique to the experience of first-generation students for whom the university setting does not see their struggles.  

The nepantla identity of our students also informs the ways in which they theologize; this journal will explore the many ways students engage with the divine through art and social justice. We consider this journal a radical act of decolonization in that it will highlight the voices of those for whom publishing has many barriers, including, but not limited to, perceptions on the capabilities of young students of color, who make up a large constituency of Dominican University’s student body, and who are increasingly gaining access to the academy.

Call for Submissions

The PASOS Network invites students to submit any form of art that reflects the ways in which we engage in culturally responsive and sustaining practices that center the lived realities of students from minoritize communities. Nepantla captures the essence of living in the space between two worlds. We invite undergraduate writers and artists to contribute to our journal, exploring the rich, complex, and other transformative experiences of navigating this liminal space.  

Submission Categories
  • Written Works. We welcome essays, poetry, short stories, personal narratives, and reflections that delve into the interplay of faith, culture, and the arts within the context of “in betweenness.” Share your unique perspectives and stories that explore what it means to be “ni de aqui, ni de alla,” neither here nor there. 
  • Visual Arts. We invite visual artists to submit painting, photography, digital art, and other visual creations that speak to the theme of “in betweenness.” Your art should provoke thought and emotion in viewers, promoting them to contemplate their own experiences in liminal spaces.  
Submission Guidelines 
  • Submissions are open to undergraduate students from all disciplines. 
  • Written works should be submitted in digital format (Word), and visual arts should be submitted in the highest resolution possible. Photography should be at least 8-10 inches minimum; JPEGs are acceptable. 
  • Writers and artists should submit a brief statement or bio with their submissions. 
  • All submissions should be original and previously unpublished.  
Important Information

Students can submit more than one submission, but they should fill out our online form for each individual submission along with their brief statement or bio. All submissions are due by January 26, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Our student editorial board along with the PASOS Network will review all submissions and notification of acceptance will be sent out by February 16, 2024. Students who are not selected to be published will be considered for our future Journal publications. Call for Submissions (pdf opens in a new window). Submit

Contact Information

If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to contact Maria Villanueva, Program Coordinator, PASOS Network by email or by phone at (708) 524-6686. 

Nepantla Journal Student Editors 

Emily Reynos Munoz is a junior at Dominican University majoring in painting with a minor in biology. Emily hopes to go into medical illustration in the future. You can find Emily’s work online under the username paintbristle. Much of her work focuses on being comfortable within one’s body at any angle and at any state. As the eldest daughter in a Hispanic household, Emily’s work highlights the importance of positive representation and healthy self-esteem. In addition to serving as a student editor for the Nepantla Journal, Emily is a student athlete and holds various leadership positions on campus.  

Rosa I. Padilla Rincon is a senior at Dominican University, currently majoring in sociology and criminology. She is passionate about an array of social issues, particularly those surrounding the undocumented and LGBTQIA+ community. She has participated in movements like No Pride in Detention, organized a storytelling workshop featuring undocumented authors, and has spent her years at Dominican creating a safer space for the undocumented community. She hopes to continue her various forms of activism as she works to become a social worker in order to advocate for those without a voice. 

Tatiana Uram is a senior at Dominican University, focusing in neurobiology, chemistry and sculpture. Her passions include painting and reading about philosophy, as well as hiking in national parks. Her passion for the arts extends to graphic design and language arts. Naturally this led her to pursue a role in editing and lending her artistic eye for Nepantla's interdisciplinary art journal. As a first-generation immigrant she contributes a unique perspective on the multicultural struggle of balancing fitting in and standing out. Her goal for this journal is to help convey both the blessings and burdens of living in a state of in betweeness of cultures. She believes that the expression of inner truths is an empowering process in the journey of embracing ones' origins. Art and faith uplift communities, which makes it easier to tackle the hardships present in societies all over the world.