AAPIs for Environmental Justice Panel

Originally shared April 2021

“We are your children, we are survivors. We, dear ancestors, gain strength from your resistance and your fight.” — Pamela Tau Lee

Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, along with other POC and Indigenous communities, have been at the forefront of environmental justice movements.

Our people have been holding refineries accountable for endangering working-class communities, fighting for NHPI self-determination and indigenous management of environments, and advancing policies to ensure that future generations will live in healthy environments.

This Earth Day, we are centering AAPI movement leaders. Join us on April 13th at 5:30pm PST for a panel on AAPI environmental justice movements featuring Asian Pacific Environmental Network, California Environmental Justice Alliance, Independent Guåhan, and Pacific Climate Warriors.

Panel Highlights

“In Richmond, we have to deal with wildfires, chevron refinery, PG&E shutdowns. We need to be prepared now instead of scrambling when disaster happens. That’s why we need Resilience Hubs.” Ashley Phuthama

“Environmental justice is thinking about our future, thinking about what we want for our communities. The intersectional nature of housing justice, community health, clean air and clean water that we can all be on.” Mabel Tsang

“A lot of these large corporations don’t speak in humanity. They don’t care about who they’re impacting which is why they keep exploiting people.” Kevin Lionga Aipopo

“In all calls for justice, remember to center the self determination of the peoples who continue to remain colonized” Michael Lujan Bevacqua, Ph.D.

Panelists

Ashley Phuthama, Asian Pacific Environmental Network: Youth Leader

Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) is leading a transition away from an extractive economy based on profit and pollution and toward local, healthy, and life-sustaining economies that benefit everyone.

“I’m in 10th grade, and was born and raised in Hercules, CA. My history with APEN started in 2019 when I attended their Youth Academy program. I come from a Laotian family, and I appreciate APEN’s background in Laotian immigrant and refugee organizing, this is why I’m excited to be a part of APEN’s youth leadership and give back to my community.”

Call to action: spread the word #AB1087, tell your loved ones to join youth programs, follow APEN’s social media and mailing list.

Mabel Tseng, California Environmental Justice Alliance Civic Engagement: Program Manager

California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) is a statewide, community-led alliance that represents more than 35,000 Asian Pacific American, Latino, and African American residents in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Los Angeles, Inland Valley and San Diego/Tijuana area. CEJA combines organizing, movement-building, and strategic policy advocacy to stop the bad, build the new, and change the rules by passing bold and visionary policies.

“I work to build the political power, self-governance and self-determination of EJ communities and communities of color burdened by health, economic and environmental impacts. I build the bridges of accountability between California’s elected leaders and voters, manage ballot measure campaigns, and expand democratic participation for environmental, racial and social justice by centering and including members of our community who have been historically barred from voting. I’ve successfully led the campaign to beat down Proposition 70 which preserved critical public funds to fight climate change.”

Call to action: contact elected officials to support health and safety buffer zones between oil & gas and homes, schools, hospitals, prisons, etc.

Michael Lujan Bevacqua, Ph.D., Independent Guåhan: Co-Chair

Independent Guåhan is committed to informing the public about the benefits and freedoms that Guam would receive as a sovereign nation and also countering the myths and misperceptions about what this status change would mean for Guam.

Michael is the co-chair for the organization Independent Guåhan, which is dedicated to educating the Guam community about the need for decolonization and joining the world as an independent country. He hosts a weekly podcast on Facebook for the group called Fanachu! With his brother Jack, they run a creative collection called The Guam Bus that publishes CHamoru language books, comics and learning materials.

Call to action: follow @PrutehiLitekyan to stay updated on efforts to oppose U.S. militarization in Guåhan.

Kevin Lionga Aipopo, Pacific Climate Warriors: community advocate, storyteller, and student leader

Pacific Climate Warriors empowers young people to understand the issue of climate change and to take action to protect and enrich their islands, cultures, and oceans.

Based in traditional Kalupuya, Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, and Atfalati lands (Beaverton, Oregon), Kevin’s work centers around the intersections between their ethnic identity as a Black American and Samoan person and their gender fluidity. Kevin uses all pronouns and their platforms to interrogate systems of power, challenge normalcy, and uplift voices within their communities. Through interpersonal connection, community organizing, poetry, and education, they have found space as an emerging voice for Black, Indigenous, Queer, Trans, and Climate liberation.

Call to action: come to general meetings every Friday and follow our social media.

Educational Resources

Background on Environmental Justice

• Article: 17 Principles of Environmental Justice — the Principles of Environmental Justice, drafted and adopted in 1991 at the National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit
• Video: 1st National POC Environmental Leadership Summit 1991 — Pamela Tau Lee and POC leaders speaking at 1991 Nat’l POC Environmental Leadership Summit.

Independent Guåhan

• Article: ‘Biba Guåhan!’: How Guam’s Indigenous Activists Are Confronting Military Colonialism — CHamoru activism and indigenous self-determination in Guam
• Video: Decolonize: A People’s Quest for Self-Determination — Independent Guåhan visits the UN to advocate for the self-determination of Guam and its people
• Infographic by AAPI FORCE-EF (Facebook, Instagram)

Asian Pacific Environmental Network

• Article: Asian American Activism for environmental justice — APEN’s fight for Asian American visibility and the role of Asian immigrants in the larger multiracial and multiethnic environmental justice movement.
• Video: Now This: Asian Pacific Environmental Network Fights for Green New Deal — APEN organizers discuss the Green New Deal within the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic
• Infographic by AAPI FORCE-EF (Facebook, Instagram)

Pacific Climate Warriors

• Article: “Their Sea of Islands? Pacific Climate Warriors, Oceanic Identities, and World Enlargement” — discourse and analysis around Pacific Climate Warriors flotilla action/blockade in Australia
• Film: Matagi Mālohi : Strong Winds — short film showing Pacific Climate Warrior speech on the effects of climate change in the Pacific, and what climate justice means
• Infographic by AAPI FORCE-EF (Facebook, Instagram)

California Environmental Justice Alliance

• Article: California’s Real Climate Leaders: Frontline Communities — CEJA outlines what issues and calls to action are needed from Climate Leaders
• Video: Building the environmental justice movement in California — intro to CEJA and building the EJ movement in CA for working class communities of color
• Infographic by AAPI FORCE-EF (Facebook, Instagram)