Aspeers is a welcome addition to the publishing scene in European American Studies. Openness to new ideas, democratic cooperation, and the free exchange of innovative perspectives have been hallmarks of the discipline throughout its history on both sides of the Atlantic. aspeers testifies to the vitality of this agenda on the ever more important level of graduate programs at German and European universities. The future of academic disciplines in the humanities will depend to a large degree on the power, success, and visibility of their graduate studies programs. In this context, aspeers provides a wonderful platform for the development and presentation of graduate work emerging from all areas of the interdisciplinary field of American Studies. The opening issue documents the scholarly potential and caliber of graduate research in European American Studies and will certainly serve to advance further networking in American Studies and beyond.