Ali A Olomi

Books To Read in a Trump Presidency

Posted on January 20, 2017 by aaolomi

The transfer of power is complete. On a tempestuous 1/20, President Obama handed over the reigns of the American government to Donald Trump. The moment was surreal and not without controversy. Inaugural attendance was down dramatically while protesters filled the streets of DC, New York, and San Francisco where a human chain spanned the Golden Gate Bridge.

Many Americans are still reeling from the election and wondering how we got to this moment. Future historians will ask was the election of Donald Trump an aberration from normative politics, or the culmination of a longer history. In such times, looking to past precedent and recalling the words of intellectuals offers us a glimmer of understanding and much-needed insight.

Over the course of the month, I’ll be compiling a list of book recommendations from scholars and professors that I admire, but for now let’s start with the five books I consider essential reading for a Trump presidency.

1. Hannah Arendt The Origins of Totalitarianism

2. Zygmunt Bauman Modernity and the Holocaust

3. Donald Kinder & Cindy Kam Us Against Them: Ethnocentic Foundations of American Opinion

4. Dan T. Carter The Politics of Rage: George Wallace, The Origins of New Conservatism, and the Transformation of American Politics

5. Gail Bederman Manliness and Civilization: A Cultural History of Gender and Race in the United States

Be sure to subscribe to get updates as the reading list expands over the month.

Call for Papers: 2016 UCI History Graduate Student Association Conference

Posted on January 13, 2016 by aaolomi

HISTORY? THE PAST IN THE PRESENT
ANNUAL HISTORY GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP
Friday April 22, 2016

“The antiquarian tries to bring back the past for the sake of the past; the historian strives to show the present to itself by revealing its origin in the past. The goal of the antiquarian is the dead past; the goal of the historian is the living present.” (Frederick Jackson Turner, 1891)

The aim of this year’s HGSA conference is to connect historical inquiries to the present. We invite papers from graduate students that implicitly or explicitly question how the past remains contested, negotiated, reshaped, and interpreted in historical scholarship. This year’s theme, the past in the present, asks participants to engage in a conversation about the importance of doing history, about the various methods and forms that historical writing can take, and about making connections to current debates. The broad scope of this conference is intended to bring together scholarship about various time periods, regions, and themes.

The HGSA conference offers a welcoming environment for graduate students to present and workshop research and meet other graduate students and UCI faculty.

Workshop:
Each panel will have a UCI faculty discussant/moderator. The faculty member will provide written feedback on each paper in the panel and moderate the question and answer session.

Confirmed Keynote Speakers:
Touraj Daryaee, Professor of History, UC Irvine
David Igler, Professor of History, UC Irvine

Conference Organizers:
Shoshanna Lande, slande@uci.edu, History Graduate Student, UC Irvine
Rachael De La Cruz, rfdelacr@uci.ed, History Graduate Student, UC Irvine

Call for Papers:
Please submit abstract proposal to rfdelacr@uci.edu and slande@uci.edu by March 1, 2016. Maximum 150 words.

The Tragedy of Farkhunda-My Article

Posted on April 7, 2015 by aaolomi

The death of Farkhunda was a shock to all of us. The international community and Afghans were horrified by what happened to her. The question of why it happened and what this means for Afghanistan is something that I tackle in my latest article. It’s been published by the History News Network. Give it a read and hopefully a conversation will begin to ensure no more Farkhundas happen. http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/159025

Future of Education: UCLA Event

Posted on March 5, 2013 by aaolomi

Wednesday, March 6th UCLA will hold a conference and discussion featuring Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy. Together they will talk about the future of education for the Los Angeles Unifed School District. They will talk about future goals, propose reforms, and overall discuss the blueprint for future education of Los Angeles.

Continue reading →