Washington, DC — The American Historical Association has released a statement condemning “policies and practices that target international scholars.” The AHA deplores “the atmosphere of fear and repression created by the harassment of foreign-born students and scholars by government agencies.”
“International scholars are an integral part of the community of historians represented by the American Historical Association,” writes the AHA. “These students, staff, and faculty contribute to America’s public culture and prosperity through their research, teaching, and broader participation in the intellectual life of higher education. The current administration’s immigration policies and practices threaten the vitality of historical work through the targeting of international scholars for increased scrutiny and legal action.”
The statement emphasizes that “it is imperative that all agencies of government respect the legal rights of international scholars presently in the United States and those who seek to come to study and work.”
The statement is reproduced below and available on our website. You are welcome to quote from the statement or to publish it in its entirety. AHA staff are available to discuss the statement; for interview requests, please contact press@historians.org.
In recent weeks, the AHA has issued a statement defending the National Endowment for the Humanities, a statement defending the Smithsonian Institution, a statement condemning indiscriminate cuts to the federal government, a joint statement with the Organization of American Historians on federal censorship of American history, and an action alert urging our members to contact their congressional offices in support of the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
