Land Acknowledgement
“In honor and recognition of the land we are currently, this land is traditionally inhabited by Comanche, Coahuiltecan, Apache, Tonkawa, Mexica, and all other tribes not explicitly stated. We honor Yana Wana, water of the spirit and spirit of the water that flows through central Texas and all ancestors and guardians of this place. And we acknowledge that native peoples and their descendants are here with us today.”
– Native American Indigenous Collective
More Information about Land Acknowledgement:
- Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS)
- Native-Land.ca is an online map to create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations, through educational resources.
- Text the City, State to 1-907-312-5085 to learn more about the land you are occupying
Mission
The mission of the Asian/Asian American Faculty and Staff Association (AAAFSA) at The University of Texas at Austin is to support, celebrate, and empower Asian faculty and staff by fostering a community that provides opportunities for networking, communication, and growth — both personal and professional.
Important Note
When we are using the word “Asian,” we are referring to Pacific Islander (Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia), Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, and East Asian cultures. In the Asian community, there are over 48+ different ethnicities and 300+ languages and dialects. We believe and value any level of Asian and intersectional identities must be included to have an authentic representation of our diverse communities.
Formal Statement to Affirming Asian Students & Colleagues at The University of Texas at Austin
In collaboration with the UT Asian/Asian American Faculty Staff Association and Center of Asian American Studies, the leadership team developed this report to uplift the voices and experiences within the Asian community. The report summarized data that the Asian/Asian American Faculty Staff Association (AAFSA) has collected on how UT’s Asian Pacific Islander community is experiencing the rise in Anti-Asian discrimination and violence in the last year. In recognition that requests for Asian community support must encompass both academic and student affairs at the university, we have drawn up recommendations to support the holistic Asian UT community experience. The main focus of this statement is to create new resources on campus and to broaden the conversation of how to support the UT Asian community beyond this report’s writers.
Many of the issues and topics discussed in this report were presented by AAFSA to Dr. LaToya Smith on March 25, 2021. We prepared this report in communication with student government representatives at UT who have also requested additional support resources for Asian students.
When we are using the word “Asian,” we are referring to Pacific Islander (Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia), Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, and East Asian cultures. In the Asian community, there are over 48+ different ethnicities and 300+ languages and dialects. We believe any level of Asian and intersectional identities must be included to have an authentic representation of our diverse communities.
By signing you are agreeing to either have your name listed below or sign anonymously. As the names will be added manually, please be patient for your signature to appear. Your email and other personal information will not be shared on the petition or outside of this form. There is no deadline to sign this petition but we want to gather as many signatures. Please share this within and outside of your network.
A link to the formal statement can be found using this link.
Report prepared in collaboration with the Center of Asian American Studies