Saheli, Inc. dba Asian Family Support Services of Austin

Pride in our Cultural Identity + Comprehensive Services for Asian Texans = Asian Survivors Creating the World we want to live in. We are survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and work with survivors of all intersectional identities as they journey forward. We provide free: 24/7 language-access hotline, safety planning, basic needs, crisis intervention, language interpretation, food/formula, transportation, clothing/diapers, safe hotel nights when shelter is full, supportive transitional housing, life skills/job-finding support, counseling, peer support, and culture change for gender-justice in community. Our outreach and education is focused on protective factors and ending violence in Asian/immigrant communities in language-accessible and culturally responsive way.

About the Organization:

New Jersey • Pennsylvania

The Issue:

We believe in the power and resilience of Asian people – but our resilience has been tested too much. Especially Asian Texan survivors of violence.

We’re Asian Texan survivors. We’ve lived through abuse. We’ve been told by judges in courts to put our English notes away, even though English is our second or third language. We’ve had schools and health workers ask our children or even our abusers interpret what we’re trying to say. We’ve been turned away from employment for some of the same reasons our Black, LatinX, Indigenous, Disabled, Gay, and Queer peers have been turned away.

Yet we’ve made our way to safety and independence.

Today, we’re going build a team for Asian and immigrant survivor justice in this state—our state. It’s time for us to be bold with our voices -- both in our communities and in educating the systems—for a better way to Asian survivor justice.

The Solution:

Rise up, Reach out, and Roar (with our Hearts)!

We won't be silenced anymore. Our parents and grandparents didn’t get us this far to act as a model minority. It’s up to us to take the lead and set a bold collective goal that will ensure Asian Texan Survivors of Violence are truly cared for in Texas. Asian Texan survivors of violence deserve access to the same benefits and services available to all Texans, and when the systems can serve those with barriers who are invisible to dominant culture but life-constraining to us, we know the systems will be kinder for all to access.

We propose to unite around a collective, common goal that includes policy priorities that make a difference for Asian Texan survivors of violence -- and then educate stakeholders, allies, and state and local officials, policy makers, regulators, allied organizations to support the goal.

Saheli, Inc. dba Asian Family Support Services of Austin