The American Historical Association (AHA) released a November 2021 statement in response to news reports that Chinese authorities have escalated the censorship and prosecution of Chinese citizens who deviate from the Communist Party line of hero worship.
Such efforts strike at the very heart of historical scholarship, which depends on open-ended inquiry and a free exchange of ideas, wherever that inquiry leads, and whether or not those ideas cast aspersions on historical actors. The AHA stands firmly against national laws and policies that in effect criminalize the historical enterprise. American Historical Association
Nearly 20 organizations have signed on to the statement, including ACLS member societies the American Anthropological Association, American Society for Environmental History, College Art Association, Sixteenth Century Society & Conference, and World History Association.
The 78 learned societies that are members of ACLS are national or international organizations in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. Each society is concerned with a distinct field of study, but all are involved in the promotion of research, scholarly publication, and education. Learned societies have been vitally important in setting standards of excellence in research, writing, and education.
