Community Engagement

four people posing for a photograph in front of law books and a LGBTQ history poster. One is in a teal shirt, one in a blue striped and two are in plaid

The American Studies Department is committed to engaging with the community both inside and outside of CSUF. Faculty members and students work with groups at local, national, and global levels to promote the larger goals and values of the university and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Sometimes this involves volunteering in service-learning projects or providing materials to local schools to enhance the curriculum. Sometimes it means giving walking tours of local communities in which community members are invited to learn about the hidden histories in their area. At other times, this involves giving invited talks or helping to plan academic or public events. Our faculty and students our committed to working with communities

Here, Professors Loftin, Cobert-Ortiz, and Anderson pose with Eric Marcus, the creator of the Gay History Podcast, after spending the day speaking with local teachers on how to implement new lessons in LGBTQ history.

six people posing behind a large counter of food and flowers as they prepare to serve lunch.

And here, Professor Woo, our Social Justice Coordinator, and Denise Lopez, our Social Justice Intern, pose with students and before they serve lunch at Orangewood Foundation. Every semester, our Social Justice Coordinator and Intern publicize and plan opportunities for the AMST community to serve communities both inside and outside of CSUF.

To keep up to date on our social justice and community-engagement activities, see our department Instagram account.

DEPARTMENT STATEMENTS

DEPARTMENT FORUMS

The AMST department regularly hosts forums in which students, faculty, staff, and alumni have come together to discuss recent events both on and off campus. The first two of these forums explored issues of race and power as revealed in the recent hate speech incidents on campus and the ongoing police killings of African Americans. The third analyzed the January 6th 2021 insurrection at the Capitol. The fourth examined the spread of anti-LGBTQ legislation over the last few years. Here are some resources that have come out of those Forums.

Race, Power, and AMST II

three professors leading a discussion of students and faculty members in a campus classroom

PUBLIC SCHOLARSHIP

In American Studies, we are committed to public and community-engaged scholarship and teaching. Our faculty members routinely address the media, appear in documentaries, speak to local groups, lead walking tours, and design their courses and other opportunities for students around engaging with groups outside of the universisty.

a museum exhibitition with several red pedestals containing t-shirts, magazine, and other items related to Southern California queer culture Here, Professor Gonzaba and CSUF Alum Clark Silva co-curated a museum exhibition at Anaheim's Muzeo called "Mapping the Gay Guides." Based on Professor Gonzaba and Dr. Amanda Regan's (Clemson) larger Digital Humanities project that has been worked on by several of our M.A. students, the exhibition explores the history of gay travel guides and their use in Southern California.

a display case of :My Orange County Zines" showing covers and writing of zines on various topics related to Orange Country

And here is an an exhibit at the Pollak Library featuring the Zines Professor Lewinnek's AMST 416: Southern California Culture Class make on different locations, events, and issues in Orange County.