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What Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Means for LCV Action Fund

May 29, 2020

By Tiffany Hsieh, Youth Digital Campaigns Manager and Ally Mark, AAAFund Media Fellow

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM), a time when we celebrate the diversity and rich heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the United States. AAPIs have been an integral part of this country’s history and continue to shape its future, including  the ongoing fight to advance environmental and racial justice. 

In this time of crisis, we recognize the selflessness and leadership of AAPI doctors, nurses, hospital cleaning staff, transportation workers, mail carriers, grocery store workers, small business owners, and other essential workers who are serving on the front lines of our fight against COVID-19. At the same time, President Trump and his supporters have spewed racist and xenophobic rhetoric in response to the crisis that has threatened the safety of AAPI communities across the country. This reminds us that, as far as we think we have come as a community, we still carry with us a long history scarred by xenophobia and racism.

In response, the AAPI community and Congressional Members of color are taking strong action against anti-Asian racism and attacks, and we at LCV Action Fund are proud to stand with the AAPI community against racism and bigotry in any form. 

                                                  

Public health crises like COVID-19 often expose just how devastating the impacts of environmental racism are within communities of color — including AAPI communities. AAPI communities — just like Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities — disproportionately bear the brunt of climate and environmental impacts as compared to white communities. That’s why for AAPI communities — like so many other communities of color — the environment is inextricably linked to community health and resiliency. AAPIs know that we can only achieve resiliency through an intersectional approach to environmental advocacy that centers on advancing racial, social, and economic justice. 

Despite these impacts in our communities, we are still poorly represented in mainstream environmental narratives, but the truth is that we have always been leaders who served alongside other communities of color to advocate for cleaner air, safer drinking water, and healthier communities. From fighting toxic oil refineries in the San Francisco Bay to opposing toxic landfills after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, AAPIs have a powerful legacy of resistance, advocacy, and organizing in response to environmental racism. 

This APAHM, we’re honored to remember our community’s roots in the environmental justice movement and celebrate by partnering with our friends at Asian American Action Fund, an organization dedicated to electing progressive AAPIs. We know that 2020 is our LAST, BEST chance to elect candidates who will advance ambitious, just solutions to the climate crisis. As the ongoing COVID-19 crisis impacts our communities, we are determined to together support our endorsed candidates to keep fighting to ensure that everyone has access to clean air, safe drinking water, and a healthy climate.

Now is the time for solidarity and allyship. It’s even more important that we come together to celebrate the diverse AAPI community and continue to support pro-environment AAPI candidates during one of the most important elections of our lives. That’s why LCV Action Fund and Asian American Action Fund are working together to elect pro-environment AAPI leaders who are serious about taking bold, equitable climate action and will prioritize the needs of communities over polluters. 

Please support our commitment to electing pro-environment AAPI leaders by making a contribution to Asian American Action Fund.

About LCV Action Fund

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund, the connected federal political action committee (PAC) of the League of Conservation Voters, works to elect leaders who stand up for a clean, healthy environment and to defeat anti-environment candidates who oppose climate action. Since the 1990 election cycle, LCVAF has helped elect and re-elect 90 U.S. Senators and 450 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Over the last several years, our efforts have also helped elevate climate change and clean energy as critical issues in key elections.

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Paid for by the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund