American Studies Association


The American Studies Association is a scholarly organization devoted to the interdisciplinary study of U.S. culture and history. It was founded in 1951 and claims to be the oldest scholarly organization devoted to these topics. The ASA works to promote meaningful dialogue about the United States of America, throughout the U.S. and across the globe. Its purpose is to support scholars and scholarship committed to original research, innovative and effective teaching, critical thinking, and public discussion and debate.
The ASA consists of almost 5,000 individual members along with 2,200 library and other institutional subscribers. It publishes the journal American Quarterly at Johns Hopkins University Press. The concerns and activities of the organization are international in scope.

History

The American Studies Association was founded for purposes of
American studies departments, programs, and centers exist around the world.

Officers and governance

Past presidents of the ASA include Carl Bode, Daniel J. Boorstin, Daniel Aaron, William H. Goetzmann, Janice Radway. Recent presidents have included: Curis Marez, Lisa Duggan, David Roediger, Robert Warrior, Kandice Chuh, Roderick Ferguson, and Scott Kurashige.

Membership

Membership is available to any individual with an interest in the study of American culture. Colleges, universities, museums, foundations, societies and other institutions can also be members of the ASA.

Chapters

The ASA includes thirteen chapters:
  • The American Studies Association of Texas
  • The California American Studies Association
  • The Chesapeake American Studies Association
  • The Eastern American Studies Association
  • The Great Lakes American Studies Association
  • The Hawaii American Studies Association
  • The Kentucky-Tennessee American Studies Association
  • The Mid-America American Studies Association
  • The New England American Studies Association
  • The New York Metro American Studies Association
  • The Pacific Northwest American Studies Association
  • The Rocky Mountain American Studies Association
  • The Southern American Studies Association

    Publications

The ASA regularly produces several publications including:
The annual ASA meeting features speakers and workshops connected to a broad theme important to the field. Recent meetings have been held in Honolulu, Hawaii; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Baltimore, Maryland; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Toronto, Canada; Los Angeles, California.

Prizes and grants

The ASA awards a number of prizes and grants including:
  • Constance Rourke Prize for the best article in American Quarterly
  • Wise-Susman Prize for the best student paper at the annual meeting
  • Yasuo Sakakibara Prize for the best paper presented by a scholar at the annual meeting
  • Ralph Henry Gabriel Prize for the best dissertation in American Studies
  • Lora Romero First Book Publication Prize
  • John Hope Franklin Best Book Publication Prize
  • Angela Y. Davis Prize for public scholarship
  • Mary C. Turpie Prize for teaching, advising and program development in American Studies
  • Carl Bode-Norman Holmes Pearson Prize for outstanding contributions to American Studies.

    Boycott of Israeli academic institutions

In December 2013, members of ASA voted to join the boycott of all Israeli educational institutions. ASA was strongly criticized and four ASA members, aided by the Louis D. Brandeis [Center for Human Rights Under Law], sued the organization but their lawsuit was dismissed. As of 2025, the boycott is ongoing.