2108 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20052

Thursday, November 21, 2024

HAVE A SAFE AND RELAXING THANKSGIVING BREAK!

1922 - Rebecca L Felton from Georgia is sworn in as the first female US Senator.

1976 - “Rocky” directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Sylvester Stallone premieres in New York. 

1981 - Olivia Newton-John’s single “Physical” goes #1 and stays for 10 weeks.

1989 - President George H.W. Bush signs a law banning smoking on most domestic flights.

2019 - Elon Musk launches Tesla’s electric Cybertruck with shatterproof windows that shattered when demonstrated on stage.

U.S. Proposes Breakup of Google to Fix Search Monopoly. The New York Times.

Graduate student workers vote to unionize with near-unanimous support. GW Hatchet.

Native Cinema Showcase, D.C.’s Punk History, and More: City Lights for Nov. 21–27. Washington City Paper.

Photo credit: James Zarsadiaz

In this newsletter edition, we highlight AMST BA alum James Zarsadiaz. James is currently an Associate Professor of History and Director of the Yuchengco Philippine Studies Program at the University of San Francisco. He credits his time at GW with deepening his passion for American culture, particularly around immigration, urbanism, and the influences of U.S. domestic and foreign policy. After receiving his B.A. in American Studies and Political Science from GW, he pursued his M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Northwestern University, completing his studies in 2014 and joining the USF faculty that fall.

During his career, James has explored topics rooted in his time at GW, such as suburban history and Asian American studies, focusing on post-1965 Hart-Celler Immigration Act settlement patterns. His research evolved into his first book, Resisting Change in Suburbia: Asian Immigrants and Frontier Nostalgia in L.A. (University of California Press, 2022), which won the 2023 Lawrence W. Levine Award from the Organization of American Historians for excellence in American cultural history. He also co-authored the award-winning paper “Design Assimilation in Suburbia: Asian Americans, Built Landscapes, and Suburban Advantage in Los Angeles’s San Gabriel Valley since 1970.”

James’s current research dives into conservatism in the U.S., focusing on a history of Asian American right-wing activism, with a new book in progress titled The Asian American Conservative. He also serves on the board of the Association for Asian American Studies and shares his expertise widely, appearing on media outlets such as Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, discussing Filipino food and diaspora. Recently, his photographs were featured in UC San Diego’s Galería del Corazón exhibition, “Asian American Suburbia,” which highlights the reshaping of suburban spaces by immigrant communities in Los Angeles.

In addition to academic work, James enjoys sharing his research through op-eds in major outlets like the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, NBC, and the BBC. He also indulges his passion for cooking and baking, drawing from his collection of over 400 cookbooks. Follow his culinary adventures on Instagram (@jamesiseating).

Check back next newsletter for future events and programs!

Congrats to the below students for presenting papers and participating in the 2024 American Studies Association Conference in Baltimore, MD!

Current PhD student Khadijah Akeem presented her paper “History on Stage”: The Story and Legacy of the Footsteps Dance Program, 1992-2017” in a panel entitled “Uncovering Wholenesss in Black Homeplace: Learning through community-based Black feminist (auto)ethnography and Black interiority.”

Current PhD candidate Cam Cannon presented their paper "Between Expert and Subject: Organizational Politics and the National Transsexual Counseling Unit." 

Current PhD candidate Molly Henderson served as a panel chair for "Re-Grounding Coalitional Feminisms and Queer Politics." In addition Molly served as a roundtable participant for "On and Off the Ground: Activist Intersections and Environmental Justice."

In addition, Molly Henderson received the 2024 Annette Kolodny Prize, which is awarded by ASA's Environmental Justice Caucus. Molly won the prize for a paper she presented at last year's conference titled “Denaturalizing the Family in Environmentalisms of the 1970-1990s."

Current PhD candidate Maddie House-Tuck presented her paper "'A Time of Honor and Respect': National Police Week and the Courting of Kids in our Nation's Capital" on a site-specific panel titled "From D.C. to Baltimore: Excavating Abolitionist Futures from the Carceral Relics of the Mid-Atlantic," sponsored by the Critical Prison Studies caucus.

Current PhD student Matthew Marciello presented their paper "The Intersex Society of North America's Hermaphrodites with Attitude: The Early Intersex Activist 'Non-Expert' vs. Sexology" on a panel titled "New Approaches in Trans Studies II."

Current PhD candidate Samantha Silver presented her paper "Sound in Comedy History: The Rusty Warren LPs and their Listeners" on a panel entitled "Stand-up Comedy in the Underground."

Call for Applications: Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Modern US History. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Nov. 30, 2024

Call for Applications: The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and Liberal Studies (ISLS) at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is seeking a tenure-track faculty member in Interdisciplinary Studies at the rank of Assistant Professor. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Dec. 13, 2024

Call for Papers: The Rutgers Art History Graduate Symposium is currently accepting papers for their upcoming event entitled "Artivism: Art History and Heritage in Global Conflict." Click here to learn more // Deadline: Dec. 15, 2024

Call for Applications: The Massachusetts Historical Society will sponsor dozens of research fellowships for the 2025-2026 academic year, ranging from short-term support to long-term residency. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Varies by Fellowship Type

Call for Papers: UVA's English Department Graduate Symposium is currently seeking abstracts for their upcoming symposium themed "Space and Place." Click here to learn more // Deadline: Jan. 3, 2025

Call for Papers: The Twentieth Annual Yale University American Art Graduate Symposium is seeking papers for their upcoming conference. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Jan. 31, 2024

Need Support?

What We're Listening To:
"Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash
"Bills Bills Bills" - Destiny's Child

Like what you see? Have spotlights, kudos, events, or opportunities that you would like to share? We want to hear from you! Navigate to our feedback form using the link below, or more simply, forward your tip to amst@gwu.edu.