Laotian Daughters: Working toward Community, Belonging, and Environmental Justice (Asian American History & Culture)

Laotian Daughters focuses on second-generation environmental justice activists in Richmond, California. Bindi Shah's path-breaking book charts these young women's efforts to improve the degraded conditions in their community and explores the ways their activism and political practices resist the negative stereotypes of race, class, and gender associated with their ethnic group. Using ethnographic observations, interviews, focus groups, and archival data on their participation in Asian Youth Advocatesoa youth leadership development projectoShah analyzes the teenagers' mobilization for social rights, cross-race relations, and negotiations of gender and inter-generational relations. She also addresses issues of ethnic youth, immigration, and citizenship and how these shape national identities. Shah ultimately finds that citizenship as a social practice is not just an adult experience and that ethnicity is an ongoing force in the political and social identities of second-generation Laotians. Contents ......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 1. “Where We Live, Where We Work, Where We Play, Where We Learn”: The Asian Pacific Environmental Network......Page 16 2. From Agent Orange to Superfund Sites to Anti-immigrant Sentiments: Multiple Voyages, Ongoing Challenges......Page 37 3. New Immigration and the American Nation: A Framework for Citizenship and Belonging......Page 52 4. The Politics of Race: Political Identity and the Struggle for Social Rights......Page 67 5. Negotiating Racial Hierarchies: Critical Incorporation, Immigrant Ideology, and Interminority Relations......Page 97 6. Family, Culture, Gender: Narratives of Ethnic Reconstruction......Page 121 7. Building Community, Crafting Belonging in Multiple Homes......Page 145 8. Becoming “American”: Remaking American National Identity through Environmental Justice Activism......Page 168 Appendix: Socio-demographic Information on Second-Generation Laotians Who Participated in the Study......Page 182 Notes......Page 184 References......Page 196 Index......Page 212 Laotian Daughters focuses on second-generation environmental justice activists in Richmond, California. Bindi Shah's pathbreaking book charts these young women's efforts to improve the degraded conditions in their community and explores the ways their activism and political practices resist the negative stereotypes of race, class, and gender associated with their ethnic group. Using ethnographic observations, interviews, focus groups, and archival data on their participation in Asian Youth Advocates—a youth leadership development project—Shah analyzes the teenagers' mobilization for social rights, cross-race relations, and negotiations of gender and inter-generational relations. She also addresses issues of ethnic youth, and immigration and citizenship and how these shape national identities. Shah ultimately finds that citizenship as a social practice is not just an adult experience, and that ethnicity is an ongoing force in the political and social identities of second-generation Laotians. From Agent Orange To Super Fund Sites To Anti-immigrant Sentiments : Multiple Voyages, On-going Challenges -- New Immigration And The American Nation : A Framework For Citizenship And Belonging In Contemporary United States -- The Politics Of Race : Political Identity And The Struggle For Social Rights -- The Politics Of Race : Critical Incorporation And Inter-minority Relations -- Family, Culture, Gender : Narratives Of Ethnic Reconstruction And Meaning Among Second-generation Laotian Women -- Building Community, Crafting Belonging -- Conclusion : Second-generation Laotians Becoming American. Bindi V. Shah. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This comprehensive book traces the history and development of visual traditions in the Kongo religions of Africa and Cuba (where it is known as Palo Monte). How environmental activism in youth shapes political engagement and citizenship for Laotian American women