American Studies allows students to discover the complexity and diversity of this nation's history, literature, and culture by drawing on multiple academic disciplines and social perspectives. In an intellectual climate of rigorous inquiry, students explore the role of ideas and events in the formation of American culture. We examine the connections between regional identity, racial conflict, popular culture, gender politics, capitalism, and global migration. Our classes encourage ethical engagement with the issues raised by scholarly interrogation of received wisdom and platitudes about American culture.