Statement of Purpose
The Office of Inclusive Excellence fosters efforts to define, cultivate and support an inclusive educational community and workplace environment aligned with the St. Mary’s mission and its Catholic and Marianist identity. The office is committed to promoting community building and partnering to serve the common good. The work is guided by the St. Mary’s mission, the Characteristics of Marianist Universities and Catholic Social Teaching focused on the shared tenets of understanding, appreciation and respect for human dignity and cultural differences.
Inclusive Excellence Initiatives
Arab American Heritage Month
The Office of Inclusive Excellence invites the St. Mary’s community to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month. During the month of April, the Arab America Foundation formally recognizes the achievements of Arab Americans through the celebration of National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM). Across the country, cultural institutions, school districts, municipalities, state legislatures, public servants, and non-profit organizations issue proclamations and engage in special events that celebrate our community’s rich heritage and numerous contributions to society.
Lunch and Learn Series
Celebrating Heritage Documentary – Arab Americans
Tuesday, April 23rd
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
University Center, Alumni Conference RoomArab American Heritage Month Resources
- Arab Americans in Toledo: Cultural Assimilation and Community Involvement edited by Samir Abu-Absi (2010)
- Arab Routes: Pathways to Syrian California by Sarah Gualtieri (2019)
- The Arab Americans: A History by Gregory Orfalea (2005)
- Becoming American: The Early Arab Immigrant Experience by Alixa Naff (1993)
- A Country Called Amreeka: U.S. History Retold through Arab-American Lives by Alia Malek (2010)
- Dinarzad’s Children: An Anthology of Contemporary Arab American Fiction edited by Pauline Kaldas and Khaled Mattawa (2nd ed., 2009)
- Food for Our Grandmothers: Writings by Arab-American and Arab-Canadian Feminists by Joanna Kadi (1999)
- Grape Leaves: A Century of Arab-American Poetry edited by Gregory Orfalea, 1999.
- How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America, by Moustafa Bayoumi, 2008.
- Inclined to Speak: An Anthology of Contemporary Arab American Poetry edited by Hayan Charara, 2008.
- A Kid’s Guide to Arab American History: More Than 50 Activities by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Maha Addasi, 2013.
- Strangers in the West: The Syrian Colony of New York City, 1880-1900 by Linda K. Jacobs, 2016.
- Arab in America by Toufic El Rassi, 2008. (Graphic novel)
- The Girl Who Fell to Earth by Sophia Al-Maria, 2012.
- Looking for Palestine: Growing Up Confused in an Arab-American Family by Najla Said, 2014
- The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran
- A Map of Home, by Randa Jarrar
- Arab in America, by Toufic El Rassi
- Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America, by Laila Lalami
- Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes, by Hena Khan and illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini
- The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf, by Mojha Kahf
- Refugee, by Alan Gratz – staff pick, Jenny Portillo
- The Turtle of Oman, by Naomi Shihab Nye
Books
- American Arab (2013) NR
Usama Alshaibi, an Iraqi-American filmmaker, confronts the issues on identity and perception toward Arab-Americans in today’s society. Alshaibi conveys to the audience that Arab-Americans should not be put into one, big, identical group; rather the culture consists of a diverse group of identities and voices. - Amreeka (2009) PG-13
A drama centered on the trials and tribulations of a proud Palestinian Christian immigrant single mother and her teenage son in small town Indiana. - The Citizen (2012) PG-13
An Arab immigrant wins the American green card lottery, arriving in New York City on September 10, 2001. - Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month (PBS)
This is a list of films and documentaries created by Arab American filmmakers about Arab American communities. - Detroit Unleaded (2012) NR
An ambitious Lebanese-American youth is forced to take over his family’s gas station after his father’s death. - Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf (2019)
A teenager in Arkansas searches for identity in the headscarf and a motorcycle in the aftermath of her father’s imprisonment. Set in 2006, the film explores the results of Arab and Muslim Americans being increasingly detained for “guilt by association.” - Persepolis (2007) PG-13
A precocious and outspoken Iranian girl grows up during the Islamic Revolution.
Movies
- The Arab American Experience (Comcast Newsmakers)
- Arab American Heritage Month Webinar: Immigrant to EL Instructor (TESOL International Association)
- Arab | How You See Me (Participant)
- Don’t Erase Me: The Modern Arab American (TEDxOhioStateUniversity)
- We’re Not White | Amer Zahr (TEDxDetroit)
- Why We Need Arab American Heritage Month (NowThis)
Videos and Webinars
- Arab American Café
A podcast by Arab Americans about America and Arabs everywhere, bringing you a unique perspective, both in English & Arabic but mostly in “Arablish.” - Citizens of Two Worlds
Citizens of Two Worlds a limited podcast series, produced by Randa Samih Abdu, that looks to identity issues among first generation Arab-Americans in Tucson. - The Queer Arabs
The Queer Arabs podcast is a growing collection of dialogues surrounding the intersection of Middle Eastern/Southwest Asian + North African and LGBTQ identities. - See Something Say Something
See Something Say Something is an award-winning podcast that covers the social, cultural, and political experiences of American Muslims. Hosted by writer Ahmed Ali Akbar, the show discusses everything American Muslims are talking about, from jinns to representation in media. - This Muslim Girl Podcast
This Muslim Girl is an Arab American woman born in Yemen raised in the Central Valley of California sharing stories to empower women. - True Talk by NPR
True Talk focuses on the Middle East and the Muslim world. The show also discusses issues that Muslims face world wide, as well as for American Muslims who are seeking to live as peace-loving Americans in a nation that often has only seen stereotypical portrayals of Islam.
Podcasts
Helping Individuals Enhance Intercultural Competence
The world we live in is comprised of people from many cultures. Any given day we may interact with individuals from our own culture and/or different cultures. We rely on our personal knowledge, skills and attitudes to think, act and communicate effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds. Intercultural Competence is one’s ability to make sense of and respond to cultural differences.
At St. Mary’s, we recognize the importance of intercultural competence as a key to inclusive excellence. To help each individual on their personal journey, we offer the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment tool and developmental plan to students, faculty and staff. IDI aligns closely with our mission to create leaders for the common good.
IDI assesses intercultural competence –the capability to shift cultural perspective and appropriately adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonalities. After taking the assessment, IDI generates profiles on an individual’s intercultural competence paired with an Individual Development Plan (IDP) –a detailed blueprint for the individual to further develop their cultural competence.
For more information, email inclusion@stmarytx.edu.
Employee Affinity Groups
Hear the Name, Say it Right with NameCoach
At St. Mary’s, we value each individual and believe correct name pronunciation is a sign of respect. To continue fostering inclusion, in the classroom and beyond, we are providing faculty, staff and students access to the NameCoach platform which will allow each person to record the correct pronunciation of their name.
Ideas for using NameCoach
- Before a meeting, listen to name recordings if you are unsure of pronunciations
- Ask students you work with to record their name and to use the recordings to learn their peers’ names
- Share the Nivedhan video and have a discussion
- Talk within your work team to discuss ways you might use Name Coach
- Share the story of your name as an icebreaker and way to get to know each other
- Remind students of the NameCoach recordings as a resource before and during group work
Language Resource Directory
The purpose of the Language Resource Directory is to provide contact information for faculty and staff who need assistance communicating with campus visitors during regular business hours. We requested assistance from faculty and staff who speak multiple languages and are willing to be listed in an online directory, and as a result, we have contacts for 11 languages: Arabic, French, German, Hindi, Kannada, Korean, Persian (Farsi), Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Tamil.
The directory is available for students, faculty and staff of the University.
Resources
Students, faculty and staff can find comprehensive lists of organizations for diverse populations and resources to learn about systemic injustices and other cultures.
The resources are available for students, faculty and staff of the University.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the San Antonio River as Yanaguana, (Spirit Waters in Pajalate) as the source of life for this city and commit to protecting her, all her tributaries and connected waters and this land called Texas as Somi Sek to the Esto’k Gna people who are called Carrizo-Comecrudo by the Spanish, today and for future generations.
We acknowledge this place known as San Antonio as the traditional homeland of many Native American peoples who are called Coahuiltecan by Spanish records. 200 tribes/bands/clans were documented in historical records and include the Payaya, Auteca Paguame, Jarame, Pompopa and Borrado, as well as other aboriginal peoples such as the Carrizo-Comecrudo who continue to carry their traditional lifeways.
We acknowledge these Indigenous various communities as the traditional people of this land now called San Antonio, Texas.
We acknowledge this homeland that would later include Comanches and Lipan Apaches in the 1700s, as a place that is now home to nearly 30,000 Urban Indians spanning from tribes across the North, Central and South America who continue to sustain their traditional languages and customs.
Land acknowledgments honor historical links between Indigenous Peoples/First Nations and the territories. This traditional custom dates back centuries for many Native communities and nations. For the last several years, many institutions of higher education and organizations commonly begin meetings and events with formal statements of land acknowledgments.
In these public statements, institutions acknowledge history and express a commitment to current reality and future relationships between the institution, Indigenous Peoples/Nations and the land. For non-indigenous communities, this signifies respect and recognition and honors the traditional caretakers of the land on which we work, live and play. Knowing the unceded land we live on is important because Indigenous history is American history. By learning about the cultures and history of our original inhabitants, we honor their history and counter the narratives of discovery and colonization.
Land acknowledgments alone are but a small gesture and are made more meaningful by authentic and informed actions of support and solidarity with our Native Urban Communities. This is a first step in creating an ongoing intentional practice of amplifying Indigenous voices and moving toward truth and reconciliation. San Antonio College is inspired to action by learning a more truthful existence of our Native Urban community through our alliance with the American Indians of Texas of the Spanish Colonial Missions.
About Land Acknowledgements
Advisory Board
Cody B. Cox, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior
Greehey School of Business
ccox9@stmarytx.eduLéo Benavides
Counselor
Office of Student Financial Assistance
rbenavides1@stmarytx.eduMike Martinez Jr., J.D., M.S.I.S.
Director Sarita Kenedy East Law Library and Professor
St. Mary’s University School of Law
mmartinez17@stmarytx.eduVerónica Contreras-Shannon, Ph.D.
Professor and Program Director – URISE
Department of Biological Sciences
vcontrerasshann2@stmarytx.eduWendy D. Martinez
Assistant Dean
Office of Residence Life
wmartinez@stmarytx.eduJenee Margo Gonzales, J.D.
Chief Development and Communications Officer
Community In Schools of San Antonio
jgonzales@cissa.orgJanet Guadarrama
Executive Director of Human Resources, Title IX Coordinator
Office of Human Resources
jguadarrama2@stmarytx.eduPaul X. Uhlig, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Mathematics, Marianist Educational Associate
puhlig@stmarytx.eduAndre Hampton, J.D.
Professor of Law
St. Mary’s University School of Law
ahampton@stmarytx.eduMarlon Furlongue
Associate Athletics Director, Compliance and Internal Operations
Athletics
mfurlongue@stmarytx.edu
Contact Us
Stella Silva, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President
Julieta Sanchez
Program Coordinator
Office of Inclusive Excellence
St. Louis Hall Suite 105
210-436-3616
inclusion@stmarytx.edu