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aapi nexus Vol. 11, No. 1 & 2 (Fall 2013): 83-90

Message from the Editors
Asun Amercun und lucc lsunder
Environmentalism:
Expansions, Connections, and Social Change
Julie Sze, Paul M. Ong, and Charles Lee
This groundbreaking special issue of AAPI Nexus examines
Asian American and Iacihc IsIander (AAII) communilies and lhe
environmenl. Desile lhe lremendous grovlh in Asian American
sludies and environmenlaI sludies, fev academic sludies (and
even fever |ournaIs) examine lheir inlerseclion. To our knovIedge,
lhis issue is lhe hrsl fuII voIume devoled lo lhis loic. These re-
search arlicIes, raclilioner essays, and resource aers reresenl
an exciling snashol lhal coIIecliveIy shovs lhe imorlance of en-
vironmenlaIism, broadIy dehned.
There is much more research and communily aclion on Asian
American environmenlaIism lhan is videIy recognized. Asian
American environmenlaIism in raxis leIIs us imorlanl slories
of our age: aboul vhal counls as environmenlaIism for AAII (in-
cIuding immigranl and refugee communilies in lhe Iniled Slales)
vilhin a gIobaI conlexl of ouIalion migralion, and lhe move-
menl of oIIulion across inlernalionaI saces, vhal communilies
are doing lo address lhe myriad environmenlaI robIems and oI-
Iulion exosures lhey face, and hov lhese ouIalions are al lhe
culling edge of environmenlaI oIicy, eseciaIIy in communily-
based environmenlaI heaIlh research and raclice.
ur iniliaI caII, deIiberaleIy caacious in scoe, dehned lhe
environmenl broadIy lo incIude lhe nexus belveen eoIe and
naluraI resources (across differenl saliaI scaIes, from IocaI and
slalevide), environmenlaIism, and environmenlaI |uslice (e.g., so-
ciaI movemenls, oIicy, and organizalions). We are Ieased lhal our
caII received a vide range of submissions. CoIIecliveIy, lhey begin
lo ansver lhe queslions of vhal does conlemorary AAII environ-
menlaIism Iook Iike and vhal Iessons can ve Iearn from various
environmenlaI efforls` ur goaI in lhis inlroduclory essay is lo ex-
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aapi nexus
ansiveIy frame key comonenls of Asian American environmen-
laIism in order lo make conneclions belveen individuaI case slud-
ies and loics, as veII as lo argue for lhe signihcance of lhese cases
lo broader ubIic agendas for environmenlaI and sociaI |uslice.
This coIIeclion of essays reresenls lhe besl emerging re-
search, oIicy, and raclice focused on AAII alliludes and oin-
ions aboul environmenlaIism, aclivism on environmenlaI |uslice
concerns, changes in coIIeclive aclion and agency, and sludies al
lhe IocaI, slalevide, and gIobaI scaIes. Taking broadIy muIlidisci-
Iinary and comaralive Ienses, our ob|eclive here is lo share in-
formalion and insighls lo enhance lhe areas of environmenlaI and
sociaI |uslice advocacy, slralegic Ianning, oIicy deveIomenl,
and rogramming.
AAPI Nexus is exIicilIy devoled lo crossing boundaries be-
lveen academic researchers, communilies, and oIicy makers. This
seciaI issue vas conceluaIized by IauI ng, vilh Iong-slanding
research inleresls in ubIic and environmenlaI oIicy. The seciaI
exerl consuIling coedilors are CharIes Lee, Deuly Associale As-
sislanl Adminislralor for LnvironmenlaI }uslice al lhe I.S. Lnvi-
ronmenlaI Iroleclion Agency and aulhor of lhe hisloric Iniled
Church of Chrisl 1987 reorl Toxic Wasles and Race, and }uIie
Sze, a Ieading researcher in environmenlaI |uslice movemenls,
vilh an inleresl in Asian American environmenlaI |uslice organiz-
ing. Togelher lhey have roduced a body of vork lhal encasu-
Iales lhe vibrancy and diversily of research on Asian American
environmenlaIism, vhelher lhal diversily be dehned by aroach
(emiricaI, quaIilalive, hisloricaI, oIicy-reIevanl, normalive and
roscrilive, and1or coIIaboralive across academia1governmenl1
nonrohl domains) or by loic as arlicuIarIy reIaled lo secihc
subouIalions of Asian Americans, immigranls, or refugees in
lhe Iniled Slales (e.g., loxicily in lhe vorkIace, dry cIeaners, his-
loricaI case sludies of raciaIized zoning of Chinese Iaundries in
CaIifornia , furnilure manufacluring, garmenl induslry, comuler
chi roduclion, air oIIulion, urban reslrucluring and neoIiberaI-
ism, or hazardous vasle siling).
The generaI lrends in research on AAIIs and environmenlaI-
ism is arlicuIarIy veII deveIoed in lhe areas of environmenlaI
oIicy anaIysis, ubIic heaIlh and environmenlaI heaIlh disari-
lies, socioIogicaI research on environmenlaI |uslice movemenls,
and as reIaled lo immigranl inequaIily and raciaIizalion, incIud-
85
Sze, Ong, and Lee
ing Vielnamese organizing in osl-Hurricane Kalrina Nev r-
Ieans (lhe vork of socioIogisls David IeIIov, Lisa Iark, and indi
Shah are nolabIe here), hisloricaI and cuIluraI research on lhe raciaI
origins of zoning and ubIic heaIlh (hislorian Nayan Shah and ur-
ban Ianner IauI ng), and in lhe Weslern Iniled Slales (Iilerary
schoIar Roberl Hayashi). AIlhough lhere is exlanl research on lhe
loic, Sze has argued eIsevhere lhal il is nol veII recognized as
Asian American, immigranl, and refugee environmenlaIism.
Thus lhis voIume exIicilIy conceluaIizes research in AAII
environmenlaIism and, in doing so, offers a coIIeclive and comar-
alive aroach belveen seemingIy disarale cases. ul AAII en-
vironmenlaIism is imorlanl lo recognize, nol |usl as an academic
exercise. Ralher, ve are silualing lhe individuaI case sludies and
loics in a broader inleIIecluaI, hisloricaI, and oIicy framevork.
In shorl, lhrough lhis exansive framevork, ve argue lhal vhal
connecls each case sludy and loic is a shared emhasis on over
inequaIilies, vhelher dehned by race and ils inlerseclions vilh
cIass, immigralion slalus, and gender, and vhich are deeIy inu-
enced by over reIalions lhal musl be underslood hisloricaIIy and
in saliaI conlexls.
The loics addressed under lhe rubric of AAII environmen-
laIism are arlicuIarIy imorlanl because of lhe ressing nalure
of environmenlaI robIems in vhal has been caIIed lhe Anlhro-
ocene, or lhe era of vhen human imacls have shaed geo-
Iogic lime. In lhe very decade in vhich overaII carbon emissions
from China have exceeded lhal of lhe Iniled Slales, a sohisli-
caled anaIysis of gIobaI environmenlaI robIems, such as cIimale
change, lhal lakes race, sace, hislory, and gIobaI over seriousIy
seems particularly necessary. The defauIl osilion vouId be lo faII
back uon raciaIized lroes lhal see lhe rise of China and India
lhrough lhe same inlerrelive Ienses lhal framed Asian ou-
Ialion grovlh in aocaIylic lerms in lhe 195Os and 196Os. The
larger political dimensions of Asian American, Iacihc IsIander, im-
migranl, and refugee environmenlaIism in lhe Iniled Slales can-
nol be searaled from gIobaI environmenlaI discourses and hov
lhey shae inlernalionaI over reIalions.
Turning nov lo lhe arlicIes in lhis issue, ve hnd lvo main
observalions. Iirsl, environmenlaI issues maller very much lo AA-
IIs. IauI ng, Loan Le, and IauIa DanieI's research arlicIe, Llhnic
Varialion in LnvironmenlaI Alliludes and inion among Asian
86
aapi nexus
American Volers, hnds lhal Asian Americans are slrongIy ro-
environmenl overaII. ased on a unique survey of one lhousand
Asian American volers conducled by lhe CaIifornia League of
Conservalion Volers, lhey aIso found syslemalic elhnic differences
in lhe dislribulion of resonses reIaled lo seIf-reorled environ-
menlaIisl idenlily, suorl for environmenlaI oIicies, and envi-
ronmenlaI concerns such as cIimale change. This research focused
on hov lhis concern lransIales lo oIilicaI and civic engagemenl
in lhe environmenlaI arena, and adds lo lhe nascenl Iileralure on
Asian American oIilicaI aclion Iileralure and debales on individ-
uaI and coIIeclive aclion and agency.
Irom a slalevide survey of Asian American voler alliludes
and behavior, ve lhen lurn lo a arlicuIar nalionaI origin grou
in lhe nexl research arlicIe. In Lngaging Vielnamese American
Communilies in CaIifornia in LnvironmenlaI HeaIlh and Avare-
ness, Tina Duyen Tran and coIIeagues reorl lhe resuIls of lheir
unique academic and nonrohl coIIaboralive, vhich focused on
Vielnamese communilies in AIameda, Marin, Sanla CIara, and r-
ange counlies in CaIifornia. Their ro|ecl conducled communily
maing audils (e.g., coIIecling air conlaminanl dala and obser-
valionaI survey informalion and using holovoice documenla-
lion). The coIIaboralive focused cIearIy on lhe communily-based
arlicialory research rocess in order lo raise avareness aboul
lhe environmenl for arlicialing Vielnamese American com-
munilies, vilh an oulcome-orienled queslion of hov communily
environmenlaI engagemenl can Iead lo aclion for sociaI change.
Thus lhe ro|ecl oulIines lhe sles lo a fuIIy engaged communily-
based research rocess: from assessmenl, lo lrainings in ersonaI
exosure moniloring and holovoice. The hndings are osilive
behavioraI and alliludinaI changes, as veII as increased knovI-
edge aboul environmenlaI robIems and soIulions in lheir com-
munilies. veraII, lhe ro|ecl offers a good modeI for coIIabora-
live, communily-based environmenlaI heaIlh research in an un-
dersludied ouIalion.
ur second observalion is lhal, aIlhough issues lhal concern
AAII environmenlaIism are nalionaI in scoe, lheir research, ac-
livism, and oIicy are mosl slrongIy arlicuIaled in CaIifornia and
Havaii. CaIifornia in arlicuIar, has been a beIIvelher slale in
lerms of environmenlaIism for more lhan forly years, and bolh
slales have lhe highesl ouIalions of AAIIs. Roger Kim and
87
Sze, Ong, and Lee
Marlha Malsuoka delaiI lhe imorlanl vork of lhe akIand-based
Asian Iacihc LnvironmenlaI Nelvork (AILN) as immediale asl
execulive direclor, and founding board member in lheir raclilio-
ner essay, uiIding a Tvenly-Iirsl-Cenlury LnvironmenlaI Move-
menl Thal Wins: Tvenly Years of LnvironmenlaI }uslice rganiz-
ing by lhe Asian Iacihc LnvironmenlaI Nelvork. They describe
lhe organizalion's evoIulion, from imorlanl IocaI camaigns, lo a
slalevide eIecloraI slralegy, and hov lhey bolh are cruciaIIy Iinked
lo one anolher. AILN eslabIished lhe Laolian rganizing Iro|ecl
as an inlergeneralionaI, inlerelhnic communily-Ied organizalion
vhere Laolian famiIies came logelher lo lransform Richmond.
AILN Ialer Iaunched a second organizing efforl, Iover in Asians
rganizing, lo organize Iov-income residenls in akIand's China-
lovn. y lhe mid-lo-Iale 2OOOs, lhe organizalion buiIl uon ils suc-
cessfuI communily organizing and coaIilion vork cuIminaling in
lhe 2O1O inilialive vhen AILN Iaunched lhe Asian Iacihc Ameri-
can CIimale CoaIilion lo buiId aIIiances vilh AAII organizalions
lo advance cIimale soIulions in CaIifornia. AILN vas a key Iayer
in defealing an anlienvironmenlaI baIIol inilialive. IIlimaleIy, Kim
and Malsuoka argue lhal AILN's aroachinvesling in organiz-
ing, movemenl buiIding, and over buiIding in Iov-income com-
munilies and communilies of coIoris an effeclive slralegy for lhe
broader environmenlaI movemenl.
LesIie KahihikoIo, in lhe second raclilioner essay, describes
lhe vork of lhe Iacihc America Ioundalion in Nalive Havaiians
Gelling ack lo M|cmc Ainc. KahihikoIo discusses lhe Ka Wai
Ia Wai`anae ro|ecl in vhich lhe Wai`anae Coasl communily
is using federaI funding lo buiId caacily lo undersland and lake
effeclive aclions lhal miligale oIIulanls in lhe environmenl, vilh
lhe goaI of gelling back m|cmc inccaring for lhe Iand. In an
efforl lo gel back lo m|cmc inc, Nalive Havaiians are incoro-
raling cuIluraI hislory and idenlily inlo addressing environmen-
laI robIems by laking resonsibiIily lo recIaim and reslore lhe
inc for fulure generalions. Thus lhis ro|ecl buiIds uon indig-
enous criliques of environmenlaI |uslice oIicy lhal do nol lake
lhe vorIdvievs of nalive ouIalions as lheir cenlraI focaI oinl.
This ro|ecl uses a resloralive |uslice aroach lo environmenlaI
issues, vhich, KahihikoIo argues, enabIes indigenous eoIe lhe
oorlunily lo incororale cuIluraI vaIues and raclices inlo lhe
reairing of lhe harm lo lhe eoIe cn! lhe Iand.
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aapi nexus
These research arlicIes and raclilioner essays highIighl hov
environmenlaI issues are cenlraIIy connecled lo core AAII oIicy
concerns in lhe areas of immigralion and communily deveIomenl.
Ior examIe, lhe NalionaI CoaIilion of Asian Iacihc American
Communily DeveIomenl reIeased a resource arlicIe on lransil-
orienled deveIomenl. Iraclilioners and researchers need lo have
beller informalion and nelvorking aboul exisling ro|ecls, and ve
hoe lhal our seciaI issue has rovided a Iens for researchers, or-
ganizers, reguIalors, and lhe generaI ubIic lo see |usl hov cenlraI
environmenlaI issues are lo AAII communilies.
In concIusion, a robusl research agenda for AAII environ-
menlaI schoIarshi dravs uon a rich hislory of aclivism, as veII
as crealive and coIIaboralive ongoing ro|ecls vilh a cIear fulure-
orienled oulIook. This inlroduclion has focused on exanding lhe
knovIedge base of vhal conslilules AAII environmenlaI oIicy
and research, making cruciaI conneclions, and arlicuIaling vhal
sociaI and environmenlaI change is necessary in an increasingIy
recarious vorId, environmenlaI and olhervise.
The coedilors lhank lhe conlribulors lo lhe seciaI issue, lhe oulside
revievers, and lhe slaff of AAPI Nexus, in arlicuIar, MeIany De La Cruz-
Viesca. IinaIIy, ve eseciaIIy lhank lhe foIIoving organizalionaI sonsors
for lheir hnanciaI generosily and commilmenl lo environmenlaI issues
and AAII communilies: IC Davis American Sludies Irogram, IC Davis
}ohn Muir Inslilule for lhe Lnvironmenl, LnvironmenlaI }uslice Iro|ecl,
ICLA Luskin Cenler for Innovalion, ICLA Inslilule of lhe Lnvironmenl
and SuslainabiIily, and lhe ICLA Luskin SchooI Cenler for lhe Sludy of
InequaIily.
Selected References
Hayashi, Roberl, Hcunic! |q Wcicrs. A jcurncq inrcugn Rccc cn! P|ccc in inc
Amcriccn Wcsi (I. Iova Iress, 2OO7).
Liou, }., Calherine A. Iorler, and Thu Quach. 2O11. IoIicy Recommen-
dalions lo Reduce Toxic Lxosures for NaiI SaIon Workers. In Se-
ciaI Issue vilh lhe While House Inilialive on Asian Americans and
Iacihc IsIanders, ed. ShirIey Hune and Mar|orie Kagava, seciaI is-
sue, AAP| Ncxus jcurnc|. Pc|icq, Prcciicc cn! Ccmmuniiq 9(12): 435O.
Liou, }uIia, and Sherry Hirola. 2OO5. Irom Iedeslrian Safely lo Lnvi-
ronmenlaI }uslice: The LvoIulion of a Chinalovn Communily Cam-
aign. In SeciaI Iocus on HeaIlh, ed. Mar|orie Kagava-Singer
and IauI ng, seciaI issue, AAP| Ncxus jcurnc|. Pc|icq, Prcciicc cn!
Ccmmuniiq 3(1): 111.
89
Sze, Ong, and Lee
ng, IauI M. 1981a. An Llhnic Trade: The Chinese Laundries in LarIy
CaIifornia, jcurnc| cj |innic Siu!ics 8(4): 95112.
ng, IauI M. 1981b. Chinese Labor in LarIy San Irancisco: RaciaI Seg-
menlalion and InduslriaI Lxansion, Amcrcsic jcurnc| 8(1): 6992.
Iark, Lisa Sun-Hee, and David Naguib IeIIov. 2OO5. Making lhe Invis-
ibIe VisibIe: Asian American1Iacihc IsIander Workers in SiIicon VaI-
Iey. In SeciaI Iocus on HeaIlh, ed. Mar|orie Kagava-Singer and
IauI ng, seciaI issue, AAP| Ncxus jcurnc|. Pc|icq, Prcciicc cn! Ccm-
muniiq 3(1): 4566.
IeIIov David Naguib, and Lisa Sun-Hee Iark, 1nc Si|iccn Vc||cq cj Drccms.
|ntircnmcnic| jusiicc, |mmigrcni Wcr|crs, cn! inc Hign-1ccn G|c|c| |ccnc-
mq (Nev York and London: The Nev York Iniversily Iress, 2OO2).
Shah, indi, Icciicn Dcugnicrs. Wcr|ing icucr! Ccmmuniiq, Bc|cnging, cn!
|ntircnmcnic| jusiicc (IennsyIvania: TemIe Iniversily Iress, 2O12): 2O1.
Shah, Nayan, Ccnicgicus Diti!cs. |pi!cmics cn! Rccc in Scn |rcncisccs Cninc-
icun (Iniversily of CaIifornia Iress, American Crossroads Series, 2OO1).
Sze, }uIie. 2O11. Asian American, Immigranl and Refugee Lnvironmen-
laI }uslice Aclivism Inder NeoIiberaI Irbanism, Asicn Amcriccn Icu
jcurnc| 18: 5-23.
Tang, Lric. March 2O11. A GuIf Iniles Is: The Vielnamese Americans of
Iack Nev rIeans, American QuarlerIy 63(1): 117-149.
JULIE SZE is an Associale Irofessor and lhe Direclor of American Slud-
ies al IC Davis. She is aIso lhe founding direclor of lhe LnvironmenlaI
}uslice Iro|ecl (L}I) for IC Davis's }ohn Muir Inslilule for lhe Lnviron-
menl, vhich is focused on encouraging and deveIoing inlerdisciIinary
research on environmenlaI |uslice, arlicuIarIy in lhe CenlraI VaIIey. In
her research and as L}I Direclor, Irofessor Sze has been invoIved in Ian-
ning meelings, engaging vilh IocaI communilies, and vorking on severaI
innovalive coIIaboralive and inlerdisciIinary ro|ecls across lhe sociaI
sciences, humanilies, and lhe sciences. She received her doclorale from
Nev York Iniversily in American sludies. Her research invesligales envi-
ronmenlaI |uslice and environmenlaI inequaIily, cuIlure and environmenl,
race, gender and over, and urban1communily heaIlh and aclivism and
has been funded by lhe Iord Ioundalion, lhe American Sludies Associa-
lion, and lhe IC Humanilies Research Inslilule. Sze's book, Ncxicus Ncu
Ycr|. 1nc Rccic| Pc|iiics cj Ur|cn Hcc|in cn! |ntircnmcnic| jusiicc, von lhe
90
aapi nexus
2OO8 }ohn Hoe IrankIin IubIicalion Irize, avarded annuaIIy lo lhe besl
ubIished book in American sludies. She has aulhored and co-aulhored
lhirly eer-revieved arlicIes and book chalers on a vide range of loics
and has given laIks in China, Abu Dhabi, Irance, and IlaIy.
PAUL M. ONG is Irofessor al lhe ICLA SchooI of IubIic Affairs, Dearl-
menl of Asian American Sludies, and Inslilule of lhe Lnvironmenl and
SuslainabiIily, and is lhe direclor of lhe Cenler for lhe Sludy of InequaIily.
He has a masler's degree in urban Ianning from lhe Iniversily of Wash-
inglon and a doclorale in economics from IC erkeIey. He has conducled
research on immigralion, civic and oIilicaI arlicialion, economic sla-
lus of minorilies, veIfare-lo-vork, heaIlh vorkers, saliaI inequaIily, and
environmenlaI inequaIily. He is lhe founding Direclor of IC AAII IoIicy
MuIli-camus Research Irogram and founding edilor of AAPI Nexus. He
is lhe organizer and coordinalor of ICLA's LnvironmenlaI }uslice Inilia-
live, vhich is a muIlidisciIinary efforl lo romole leaching, research, and
service on environmenlaI |uslice.
CHARLES LEE is lhe Deuly Associale Assislanl Adminislralor for Lnviron-
menlaI }uslice al lhe I.S. LnvironmenlaI Iroleclion Agency (LIA). Mr.
Lee is videIy recognized as a lrue ioneer in lhe arena of environmenlaI
|uslice. He vas lhe rinciaI aulhor of lhe Iandmark reorl, 1cxic Wcsics
cn! Rccc in inc Uniic! Sicics. He heIed lo searhead lhe emergence of a
nalionaI environmenlaI |uslice movemenl and IederaI aclion incIuding
Lxeculive rder 12898, LIA's fhce of LnvironmenlaI }uslice, NalionaI
LnvironmenlaI }uslice Advisory CounciI, and lhe IederaI Inleragency
Working Grou on LnvironmenlaI }uslice. Mr. Lee has served in muIliIe
caacilies, ranging from crealing lhe Iniled Church of Chrisl's environ-
menlaI |uslice rogram lo direcling LIA's environmenlaI |uslice ofhce. In
lhese caacilies, he Ied efforls lo incororale environmenlaI |uslice inlo
LIA's ruIemaking rocess, deveIo modeIs for coIIaboralive robIem-
soIving, unify brovnheIds redeveIomenl vilh communily revilaIizalion,
Iay a slrong science foundalion for inlegraling environmenlaI |uslice inlo
decision-making, and imIemenl IIan L} 2O14, LIA's overarching envi-
ronmenlaI |uslice slralegic Ian.