Celebrate 90 Years of American Culture at Michigan!

In 1935, a dedicated coalition of faculty and students at the University of Michigan began a conversation about what it meant to be "American." They broke traditional academic boundaries to create what has become one of the top American Studies departments in the world.

In 2026, we officially mark our 90th Anniversary. We are spending this year reflecting on our history, celebrating our vitality, and charting a path for the future of American and ethnic studies. Your Giving Blueday gift directly supports this landmark year of celebration and the students who will lead us into the next decade.

90th Anniversary Highlights:
Your support on Giving Blueday helps make our anniversary programming possible:

The Spring Celebration (April 2-3, 2026): We will host the annual Betty Ch’maj Distinguished American Culture Lecture featuring Professor George J. Sánchez, a former UofM AC Chair and a leading scholar who helped define the "Michigan Model" of American Studies.

Alumni & Student Symposia: A day of presentations and poster sessions where PhD graduates, current students, and faculty gather to imagine the future of the field.

We are now compiling 90 Stories for 90 Years: Throughout 2026, we are featuring 90 profiles of our extraordinary network of 1,700+ alumni on Instagram, highlighting the diverse paths an American Culture education makes possible.

ASA National Reception: In the Fall, we will take our celebration to Chicago for the American Studies Association annual conference, reconnecting our global community of scholars.

Choose Your Impact On Giving Blueday, you can choose to support the department’s broad anniversary mission or give directly to one of our four integral ethnic studies programs:

AMERICAN CULTURE STRATEGIC FUND - 308216

Supports our 90th-anniversary events, the Ch’maj lecture, and outreach to the 1,700+ alumni who are the heart of our story.

LATINA/O STUDIES (LS) - 318302

Fuels curriculum development and special events like our anniversary symposia and guest lectures.

ARAB AND MUSLIM AMERICAN STUDIES (AMAS) - 373549

Provides resources for cutting-edge work that impacts the field and our students in real-time.

ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN (APIA) - 373550

Supports undergraduate and graduate research, conference travel, and innovative student programming.

NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES (NAS) - 373551

Deepens relationships with knowledge-keeping stakeholders through residencies and community gatherings.

Join us in 2026 as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and shape the future of American Culture. Thank you for your 90 years of support!

The Regents of the University of Michigan has 501(c)(3) non-profit tax-exempt status. Federal tax ID number: 38-6006309