APA Values are Environmental Values

Environmentalism has historically centered on whiteness and has often excluded people of color. Indeed, one of the founders of the Sierra Club, John Muir, had racist views, calling Mexicans “dirty” and using racial slurs to describe African-Americans (Fox). Ignoring centuries of Native American beliefs and practices that conserved Yosemite, Muir believed them to be primitive savages (Nobel). Such exclusion exists even today. In an instagram post, a Black environmental activist, Leah Thomas, noted that “Not only was I often the only Black person at [environmental] events, but I felt invisible. It seemed like they acknowledged everything but my Blackness” (Jones). This is not just limited to Black communities--APA (Asian Pacific American) communities are also often excluded from the conversation. Lisa Cardhan, an art curator of an exhibit that examines the intersections of environmental justice and APA identities, noted that “aunties saving wrappers and jars feel it’s more of an immigrant thing… but when white folks do that, they call it ‘reduce, reuse, recycle” (Mok). Not only is it time to bring more APA voices to the table of environmental work, but it is also time to elevate and highlight APA values as models that are inherently compatible with environmentalism.

Not only is it time to bring more APA voices to the table of environmental work, but it is also time to elevate and highlight APA values as models that are inherently compatible with environmentalism.

One example of an APA value that aligns strongly with environmentalism is collectivism. Collectivism is a mindset in which group goals and priorities are emphasized more than individual concerns. This mindset has been found to be adopted more in East and Southeast Asian countries compared to Western countries. One example, the Bayanihan spirit refers to “communal unity, work, and cooperation towards a single goal” (Imelda). Originating from a rural practice in the Philippines, groups of 15 - 20 people would literally lift and move a fellow community member’s home from one place to another. Similarly, bayanihan is necessary in environmental work in which millions of individuals make sacrifices for an overall greater good. Indeed, a study found that “individualist orientation rated climate change more intractable and reported a greater incidence of climate change inaction than did individuals with more collectivist orientation” (Xiang, et al.). In another study, Asian American members who strongly identified with their ethnic identity had greater concerns on environmental impacts on the community as a whole while White individuals who strongly identified with their ethnicity had greater concerns for how the environment would affect them individually (Burn, et al.). 

Environmental values are also reflected in Pacific Islander communities. Not only have academic studies confirmed Pacific Islander psychological orientation towards a collective concern for everyone, but also environmental collectivist practices. Kerekere is a Fijian custom in which basic resources are shared and surpluses do not accrue (Podsiadlowski and Fox; Fache, et al.). For Native Hawaiians, “Mālama ʻĀina” means “to care for and nurture the land.” More than just a saying, it is also a cultural value that encourages individuals to respect the environment around them and promote sustainability in their local ecosystems. Claire Anterea, Convenor of the Climate Action Network in Kiribati, said that “we call the sea in Kiribati our Mother Ocean” because of their extensive relationship with the ocean to sustain not only their stomachs but also their entire livelihood that surrounds them (“Pacific Islands…”). Tongan and Fijian anthropologist Epeli Hau’ofa best said “[The] sea is our pathway to each other and to everyone else, the sea is our endless saga, the sea is our most powerful metaphor, the ocean is in us” (Fache, et al.). In short, multiple Pacific Islander communities have collectivist values that support the environment rooted in strong relationships with the nature around them. Why should their narratives continue being ignored?

Saving and preserving the environment requires all communities across the globe to participate. Academic studies and cultural expressions of collectivism, like Bayanihan, show that environmentalism is built into APA values. Pacific Islander cultural values and relationships with nature also shows that APA communities have been engaging in environmental conservation far longer than the modern environmental movement. It’s time that the APA community gets a voice at the table--the Earth needs them.

References

Burn, Shawn Meghan, et al. “Gender, Ethnic Identity, and Environmental Concern in Asian Americans and European Americans.” Human Ecology Review, vol. 19, no. 2, 2012, pp. 136–145. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24707752. Accessed 29 July 2021.

Fache, Elodie, et al.. “Introduction: Pacific Islanders, “custodians of the ocean” facing fisheries challenges”. Pauwels, Simonne, and Elodie Fache. Fisheries in the Pacific: The challenges of governance and sustainability. Marseille: pacific-credo Publications, 2016 (pp. 7-18) Web. http://books.openedition.org/pacific/420.

Fox, Alex. “Sierra Club Grapples with Founder John Muir's Racism.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 24 July 2020, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sierra-club-grapples-founder-john-muirs-racism-180975404/. 

Imelda. “The Bayanihan Spirit.” The Mixed Culture, The Mixed Culture, 25 Sept. 2013, themixedculture.com/2013/09/25/filipinos-bayanihan/. 

Jones, Rachel. “The Environmental Movement Is Very White. These Leaders Want to Change That.” National Geographic, National Geographic, 29 July 2020, www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/environmental-movement-very-white-these-leaders-want-change-that. 

Mok, Aaron. “What Can the Environmental Movement Learn from Asian American Art?” Sierra Club, Sierra Club, 18 May 2021, www.sierraclub.org/sierra/what-can-environmental-movement-learn-asian-american-art

Nobel, Justin. “John Muir's Early Travels Reveal Some Ugly Truths about American Exploration.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 26 July 2016, www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-mised

“Pacific Islands: The Ocean Is Our Mother.” World Bank, World Bank, 29 Aug. 2012, www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/08/29/pacific-islands-the-ocean-is-our-mother.ucation-of-john-muir. 

Podsiadlowski, Astrid, and Stephen Fox. “Collectivist Value Orientations among Four Ethnic Groups: Collectivism in the New Zealand Context.” New Zealand Journal of Psychology, vol. 40, no. 1, New Zealand Psychological Society, 2011, pp. 5–18.

Xiang, Peng, et al. “Individualist–Collectivist Differences in Climate Change Inaction: The Role of Perceived Intractability.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 10, Feb. 2019, p. 187. DOI.org (Crossref), doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00187.

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This piece is written by Andy Li, Byron Briones, Sasha Hussain, and Sean Tan as part of the 2021 CAUSE Leadership Academy program. 

The CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA), is a nine-week paid internship program for college undergraduates that prepares the next generation to lead and represent the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. Founded in 1991 as the California Asian American Student Internship Coalition (CASIC), CLA’s goal is to develop a pipeline of civic leadership for the APA community. Graduates of this program have gone on to run for political office and become leaders in politics, business, and nonprofits.

Read more about this year’s Leadership Academy cohort here.

Including Asian American Narratives: A Korean American Pastor’s Perspective on Energy Conservation

Energy conservation is the preservation of energy resources, such as light, fuel, etc. Despite the various contributions Asian Americans can bring to the table, they have often been left out of the conversation on energy conservation. For example, Asian American environmentalists were ostracized from the environmental movement and received little support due to the model minority myth. The myth creates a misconception that all Asian Americans lived a successful life with outstanding job positions. However, this is not always true because some Asian Americans do live in poverty and get little support from the government including in environmental justice work.   

Today, energy conservation has become a large social movement as various initiatives have been created around the world. For example,The SuperHomes project is a network under the National Energy Foundation. This project has refurbished over 200 households to use solar energy in order to reduce carbon emissions. However, as research and data accumulate for energy conservation initiatives, Asian Americans are often overlooked despite their deep concern for energy conservation and the environment. EcoAmerica revealed that 36% of concerned Asian Americans are unsure about what actions to take against climate change due to a lack of information and inclusion. This is a deep contrast to only 24% of concerned Americans among all ethnic groups. 

Many Asian cultures have a more collectivist mindset and deeply care for one another in their community. For them, the “we transcend the I” and energy conservation is a way for them to ensure that future generations are able to enjoy the same resources as them. It is time that the Asian American community is included in this crucial energy conservation movement. 

One example is Ted Kang, a Korean American who exemplifies the ways an individual can conserve energy. He is a Christian pastor in Glendale, California, and a school board member for New Covenant Academy. Ted Kang, who identifies as the “turn off the lights” guy in his family, emphasizes, “There’s a stake in it for us too because we want to keep [the environment] for the future”.

“There’s a stake in it for us too because we want to keep [the environment] for the future”. - Pastor Ted Kang

Over his 45 years of residency in the U.S., Pastor Kang has taken notice of some of the environmental issues California faces. He recounted the numerous smog days in Los Angeles during the 1970s when the poor air quality forced residents to stay inside their homes. These instances made Pastor Kang recognize the environmental damage left behind by human civilization. 

On an individual level, Pastor Kang conserves energy in various ways. He routinely preserves energy by turning off unused lights, reducing air conditioning usage, and minimizing driving his car to cut down on gasoline use. On a community level, his church utilizes biodegradable plates and utensils during fellowship. This helps reduce the energy used in the processing and manufacturing of these products. 

However, despite these successes, Pastor Kang acknowledges the cultural obstacles, such as language barriers, that recent Asian immigrants face in understanding the various approaches to energy conservation. He also notes that there is a disparity between recent Asian American immigrants versus those who have been in the U.S for generations. Pastor Kang explains that practicing energy conservation is a luxury to those who have recently immigrated to America as they are unaccustomed to Western society and are struggling to stabilize their new lives. Their immediate struggle is to build their new life in America through financial stability, which leaves little room for thought about energy efficiency. This means that recent immigrants can know how to practice energy conservation; however, they may not have many chances to practice it.  

Moreover, recent immigrants are often limited in English with little to no resources about energy conservation translated to their native language. Pastor Kang personally noticed that, despite a larger population of first-generation Korean Americans in the area, most information is mainly translated into Chinese or Japanese. Thus, the outreach to the entire Asian American community is still smaller than needed.

The PEW Research Center estimates that Asian Americans will be the nation’s largest immigrant group by 2050. With an increase in the Asian American immigrant population in the next few decades, Pastor Kang’s concern of the lack of information translation for the greater Asian American community proves to be a legitimate worry. In order for Asian Americans to expand and further their conservation practices, it is vital that they are provided with the resources necessary to recognize and understand how energy conservation is tied to community values.

While there is little to no data about how the Asian American community is involved in energy conservation, they should not be excluded in future energy conservation advancements and conservation efforts. There are people within the Asian American community who have been conserving energy. For example, people like Pastor Kang have already made simple energy conservation lifestyle changes. Furthermore, the current and future generations can discover new ways to conserve energy through a more creative lens. This can be from giving more resources to our community or even advising the youth to practice conservation based on given guidelines from the state or non-profits.   

From Pastor Kang, we are able to see there are people out there in the Asian American community who take action with energy conservation by sharing their historical ancestral background and the lack of representation they’ve noticed for years. We need to continue the work to help our community understand energy conservation and begin to practice it. Start the conversation in your own homes about energy conservation and find out what your community needs.

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This piece is written by Fiona Truong, Sean Lee, and Suki Zhao as part of the 2021 CAUSE Leadership Academy program. 

The CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA), is a nine-week paid internship program for college undergraduates that prepares the next generation to lead and represent the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. Founded in 1991 as the California Asian American Student Internship Coalition (CASIC), CLA’s goal is to develop a pipeline of civic leadership for the APA community. Graduates of this program have gone on to run for political office and become leaders in politics, business, and nonprofits.
Read more about this year’s Leadership Academy cohort here.

Carrying Energy Conservation Habits from One Home to Another

Most of us live in a world where energy conservation is constantly recommended to us. Whether it's ads on our phones telling us to take fewer showers or a TV ad telling us to turn off the lights, we are provided with many short and sweet mantras that remind us to make an extra effort to conserve our resources. However, the Asian Pacific American (APA) community has often been overlooked and left out of the conservation conversation. With cultures steeped with conservation practices, the APA community can contribute much to how everyday energy conservation is practiced. 

“Even though we were never verbally told to conserve, we followed [our parents’] actions” recounts Zhou Xue Mei, a first generation immigrant from China. From her home in rural China, conservation wasn’t an additional effort or an ad campaign. It was a necessity. Zhou explains that the lights in her home in China “followed the person” turning on only when someone needed it and off at every other time. She explained that all of the conservation practices from turning off the lights to “stuffing bath towels in the door cracks to prevent the cold air from escaping” weren’t a conscious effort to save the environment, but a cost-saving necessity. 

Since immigrating to the United States 12 years ago, Zhou has been able to fully experience American conservation practices. Specifically, she notes the prevalence of central AC units in American houses, providing air circulation to all rooms in a house from just one unit. In Zhou’s eyes, this practice is as wasteful as leaving all the lights on in the house. As a result, she replaced her home’s central AC with individual AC units in each room and, as a result, reduced her electrical costs for AC. Along with all of her other cost-saving methods she utilized in China, Zhou continues her energy conservation practices here in America as an automatic part of her routine.

Although no longer a financial necessity for her, the conservation habits that Zhou implements into her lifestyle are conservationally impactful. Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) notes that leaving the lights on and inefficient AC usage are among the most energy-wasting habits in America and that implementing conservational habits with just these two facets of living can “reduce your carbon footprint” and save hundreds on your energy bill. 

Although no longer a financial necessity for her, the conservation habits that Zhou implements into her lifestyle are conservationally impactful.

Zhou’s story, while significant, is not unique. Most people in the APA community can relate to parts of her story whether it be learned conservation practices from parents or habits instilled from a young age. As the fastest growing immigrant population in the U.S, the Asian community will continue to play a larger and larger role in American conservation. With energy conservation becoming a necessity, looking to Asian cultural traditions and practices can provide great examples of conservation. Not only is it important to have cultural representation for this growing population, but others outside of the Asian community can benefit from implementing these cultural practices. Following Zhou’s example, current and future generations can develop and spread cultural conservation practices that anyone and everyone could benefit from. The next time you can, ask your friends and family about how they conserve energy and see if you can implement their practices in your everyday conservation routine.

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This piece is written by Andre Ching, Jenn Galinato, and Meiyi Ye as part of the 2021 CAUSE Leadership Academy program.

The CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA), is a nine-week paid internship program for college undergraduates that prepares the next generation to lead and represent the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. Founded in 1991 as the California Asian American Student Internship Coalition (CASIC), CLA’s goal is to develop a pipeline of civic leadership for the APA community. Graduates of this program have gone on to run for political office and become leaders in politics, business, and nonprofits.

Read more about this year’s Leadership Academy cohort here.

Flowers for Puja: Celebrating Sustainability in the APA Community

Environmentalism is trendy. Reusable straws, mason jar cups, and aesthetic tote bags have become the face of environmentalism in the 21st century. The truth is, environmentalism is more than just what’s trending on Pinterest. These messages often do not include the contributions and traditional practices of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).

When asked about how cultural norms about wastefulness in America and India differ, Sandeep Tungare, CEO of Vistaar Technology and hobbyist gardener, thinks about his mother and grandmother’s puja, the ceremonial worship of Hindu gods through flower offerings. “In the cities where we live, these [offerings] would come in little leaves with flowers in them, tied up with string...You’d open the packet up, you’d use the flowers, and do your puja for God. Even the string that it came with would be turned into a wick for later. The cotton would be saved—everything had a utility value. You grew up seeing that and have this concept of ‘how do I not waste whatever came into your possession?’” 

Sandeep’s family’s thriftiness surrounding the puja perfectly fits the values of sustainability. So why do we not hear about practices like Sandeep’s? Why are these approaches not at the forefront of zero waste and environmental justice movements? Because affluent, white Americans are often positioned as the poster-children for sustainability. As a result, the everyday practices of the APA community are unknown or undervalued ways of conserving.

“Because affluent, white Americans are often positioned as the poster-children for sustainability. As a result, the everyday practices of the APA community are unknown or undervalued ways of conserving.”

What else does APA energy conservation look like? Behold the underside of the kitchen sink, where our mothers collect plastic bags (also in another plastic bag). Opening windows because the outdoor breeze feels just like the AC (without the high electricity bill). Reusing rice water in our gardens. And last, but not least, turning off every. Single. Light. While these practices have been passed on for generations — many carried over from our grandparents’ countries of origin — they are largely absent from mainstream environmentalism campaigns. 

Simply put, successfully addressing the climate crisis requires diversity! Not just because diversity increases creativity and innovation, but because BIPOC are significantly more concerned about climate change than white people. A 2020 study by the Yale School of Environment found that Latinxs (69%) and Black people (57%) care more about global warming than white people (49%). In the 2012 National Asian American Survey, “70% of Asian Americans self-identify as environmentalists” compared to the U.S. average of 41%. Despite significant  BIPOC concern, there is a disproportionate lack of representation in environmental NGOs. The most recent survey of environmental NGOs showed that no more than 16% of employees in these  organizations were BIPOC, with only 12% in leadership positions. This disparity in interest and representation helps explain our missing voices, stories, and cultural practices in the wider environmental movement. 

This lack of BIPOC representation in the environmental movements is especially concerning considering environmental health hazards disproportionately burden BIPOC communities in California. For example, one 2014 study found that Korean and Japanese women faced substantially more exposure to carcinogens in their neighborhoods compared to white women. Another study in 2019 found that Latinx, Black, and Asian Community breathe in more tailpipe pollution than other demographics in the state. As the 2030 deadline for reducing California’s greenhouse gas emissions and use of fossil fuels quickly approaches, it’s vital that we start diversifying what energy conservation and leadership looks like. It’s  important to place BIPOC at the forefront of these movements not only because we have been practicing sustainability and conservation for generations, but also because our communities will be impacted first and the worst by climate change. 

Although individual, everyday decisions and practices do make a collective impact, we must also recognize how a majority of global emissions are from companies. In California, large corporations are the largest polluters in the state. Therefore, both individual actions and political actions are equally important in protecting our air, land and water. Supporting legislation holding these companies accountable, voting for a candidate with a strong environmental record, and participating in environmental organizations are integral for sustainable change. 

Translating his conservation ethos, Tungare has taken his environmental advocacy to the next level by partnering with NGOs in India to enact large-scale sustainability projects. “We have our own foundation, Think Foundation, that has worked with a few foundations in India...In Mumbai, we collected all the material from the wet markets and vegetable markets to compost it. For the city of Mumbai, that’s huge!” 

Of course, not everyone has the same opportunity to dive straight into large-scale environmental advocacy, but participating and following environmental organizations is a fantastic gateway into further sustainable change!! We recommend following and participating in environmental activist organizations such as those listed below: 

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) 

The Sunrise Movement 

Intersectional Environmentalist 

Asian Pacific Environment Network

With the growing trendiness of energy conservation and sustainability movements, remember that environmentalism has always been an integral practice in our households, just without the glamorous labels. At the end of the day, our individual acts of conservation as APAs are valid — whether it be our vigilance around turning off lights, keeping the A/C off, or reusing old containers of all kinds. Let’s recognize and celebrate our conservation experiences, knowledge, and history. Let’s acknowledge that our voices matter, and let’s make them heard. The fight for environmental justice is ongoing and affects us all. Therefore, it should include us all. 

At the end of our interview, Sandeep showed us a picture of his backyard greenhouse. Built with his own two hands, the greenhouse allows Sandeep and his family to grow fruits and vegetables from India. He says that for his wife, “the biggest thing about the greenhouse is that every morning — even if there’s snow on the ground — she [can] put on her boots, go to the greenhouse, get fresh flowers, and come back and do her puja at home.”

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This piece is written by Emily Lam, Lena Rhie, Patrick Fang, and Shanahan Europa as part of the 2021 CAUSE Leadership Academy program. 

The CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA), is a nine-week paid internship program for college undergraduates that prepares the next generation to lead and represent the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. Founded in 1991 as the California Asian American Student Internship Coalition (CASIC), CLA’s goal is to develop a pipeline of civic leadership for the APA community. Graduates of this program have gone on to run for political office and become leaders in politics, business, and nonprofits.

Read more about this year’s Leadership Academy cohort here.