The ASA promotes meaningful dialogue about the U.S., throughout the U.S.and across the globe. Our purpose is to support scholars and scholarship committed to original research, innovative and effective teaching, critical thinking, and public discussion and debate. We are a network of scholars, teachers, writers, administrators and activists from around the world who hold in common the desire to view US history and culture from multiple perspectives. In addition to being the oldest and largest scholarly association devoted to the interdisciplinary study of US culture and history in a global context, we are also one of the leading scholarly communities supporting social change.
Our main contributions to the mission of advancing public dialogue about the US are the publication of American Quarterly, the flagship journal in the field; our annual international convention and many regional conventions; and our participation in public discussions of pressing issues related to the field of American Studies and the role of the US in the world.