Ari Forsyth (they/them)

I study race, gender, and disability in 19th- and 20th-century United States history, with an emphasis on Jewish migration, racialization, and the development of state and scientific power.

My research and teaching interests include migration, US imperialism and nation-building, gender and sexuality, racialization, Progressive reform, maternalist politics, “Americanization” within and beyond the US, urban history, the American eugenics movement, history of science and technology, medical incarceration, disability justice, and local histories of the Pacific Northwest. 

My dissertation investigates how power and identity shaped Jewish women's experiences within emerging systems of social welfare in early twentieth-century US cities, such as New York and Seattle, to understand the historical connections between disability, gender normativity, and whiteness. I focus on the relationship between US empire and nation-building and the development of Jewish American identity, using a gendered analysis to bridge the histories of early social work, racial uplift, American eugenics, and modern policing. 

When I'm not working, I love reading speculative fiction, making zines and linocuts, two-stepping to fast drums, and riding public transportation. I believe that historical research is not only a life-saving and politically essential tool for understanding systems of power that shape our lives but also, frankly, an incredibly fun way to spend a Saturday night. I serve UW students and local community members and welcome requests for insight, support, or advocacy.