Abstract
Keynote #1 of the 4th Annual Latin American & Caribbean Digital Humanities Symposium (LACDH) / Transborder Digital Humanities (TBDH) 2026 Symposium, held under the theme "Transfronteras: Third Spaces in Digital Humanities." Delivered as a keynote and interactive workshop on September 8, 2026, at the UTSA Downtown Campus, San Antonio, moderated by Sylvia Mendoza (University of Texas at San Antonio), in English with Spanish interpretation.
The keynote brought together Chicana feminist methodology, virtual reality, and community-engaged storytelling to explore how immersive technologies can transform digital humanities research and practice. Grounded in the ongoing VR Chicana Testimonio Research Project in Stockton, California, it examined "frameless testimonios" as a methodological intervention that challenges traditional archival, cinematic, and academic frames through immersive media and community-based research. Led by Nancy Huante-Tzintzun and Diego Bonilla, participants engaged questions of methodology, memory, archival activism, embodiment, and digital storytelling while exploring how VR can function not simply as technology, but as a Chicana and Latina research praxis. The session included discussion, immersive VR demonstrations, and collaborative reflection on the possibilities and tensions of building community-centered digital humanities methods beyond traditional academic frames.