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In Stewards of the Land: Race and Reclaiming Environmental Labor in the American West<\/span><\/em><\/a>, Professor Ruiz discusses how Asian migrants and Chicana\/o workers helped shape agriculture, conservation and the park system throughout the American West. The book argues that environmental history cannot be separated from the histories of immigration, race and labor. \u201cI was really interested in being able to use labor as a lens,\u201d he said.<\/p>\nProfessor Ruiz was influenced by his mother, who worked as a janitor for the state parks for more than 20 years. Although she possessed extensive ecological knowledge and cared for the park spaces every day, she was rarely recognized as an environmentalist.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey would go to the ranger, and the ranger would be seen as the authority,\u201d Professor Ruiz said. \u201cBut my mom was a janitor, and she was the one that was caretaking that space and that land.\u201d<\/p>\n
This helped inspire the book\u2019s central purpose, that is, to make the work of immigrant communities visible and to honor their knowledge and contributions. Additionally, he explained that Stewards of the Land<\/em> was written with students in mind, particularly those beginning their studies at a community college or university.<\/p>\n The book presents environmentalism as a movement connected to immigration, labor rights and Ethnic Studies. It also challenges readers to understand how the treatment of one racial or ethnic group has influenced the treatment of others.<\/p>\n This interdisciplinary approach draws from Chicana\/o Studies, Asian American Studies, American Indian Studies and the history of science. For Professor Ruiz, these fields provide essential perspectives for understanding how communities adapt and apply traditional ecological knowledge in new environments.<\/p>\n \u201cThey bring that ecological knowledge with them from their home countries,\u201d Professor Ruiz said, describing the immigrants and day laborers who contribute to drought-tolerant landscaping and other environmental work in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n When asked about the book\u2019s connection to Latinx Heritage Month, the author expressed hope that Latinx students would recognize their longstanding history of environmental stewardship.<\/p>\n \u201cI want students to understand that they come from a long heritage of people protecting the environment and putting their lives on the line,\u201d Professor Ruiz said.<\/p>\n Furthermore, it\u2019s important to note that teaching played a significant role in the development of the book. In courses such as Chicana\/o Studies 261: Race, Racism and the Sciences and Chicana\/o Studies 467: Environmental Justice, Professor Ruiz has explored the relationship between communities of color and the environment. Students helped shape his research by asking questions about their own communities and histories.<\/p>\n After reading Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors<\/em> by Carolyn Finney, students asked why there was not similar work documenting Mexican American experiences.<\/p>\n \u201cThey would say, \u2018We want a book like this too,\u2019\u201d Professor Ruiz said. \u201cWe have that same type of relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n That response inspired a chapter on Mexican Americans in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Although the history of race in the CCC has often been examined through a black-white framework, the author found evidence that Mexican Americans also participated in the program.<\/p>\n While researching the National Archives in Maryland, Professor Ruiz consulted historian, Olen Cole, whose work about African Americans in the CCC referenced Mexican American participants in several camps. Cole explained that records identifying workers as \u201cW1\u201d and \u201cW2\u201d reflected two racial classifications of whiteness: Anglo whites and Mexican Americans, who were legally classified as white but viewed as a distinct racial group.<\/p>\n This insight helped the author identify Spanish surnames in the archives and uncover evidence of Mexican American participation in the CCC. The experience also reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary research.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t talk about race in America without talking about the history and treatment of African Americans,\u201d Professor Ruiz said. \u201cYou can\u2019t talk about the history of immigration if you don\u2019t talk about Asian Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n Overall, Professor Ruiz hopes the book inspires readers to take action on climate change while recognizing that environmental issues are inseparable from the treatment of immigrants and other marginalized communities.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to stop climate change,\u201d Professor Ruiz said. \u201cThe way to do that is we need to treat immigrants better, respect our nonhuman world and learn to respect all communities.\u201dAt the same time, the author cautions students against becoming overwhelmed by the many social justice issues facing society.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone has to pick one,\u201d Professor Ruiz said. \u201cYou can\u2019t do everything.\u201d<\/p>\n The author encourages students to focus on the issue they care about most while learning from other movements. Environmental activists, organizers for reproductive rights and advocates for prison abolition, for example, can share strategies and ideas.<\/p>\n Ultimately, Stewards of the Land<\/em> asks readers to reconsider who belongs in the history of environmentalism. By highlighting the workers and communities who have long cared for the land, he offers a broader understanding of environmental stewardship\u2014one that recognizes immigrant communities not only as people affected by environmental crises, but also as leaders in the work of protecting and restoring the environment.<\/p>\n Recommended resources<\/strong><\/p>\n For students interested in learning more about environmental justice, Professor Ruiz recommends a range of books and films, including:<\/p>\n For Professor Ruiz, these resources demonstrate that environmental justice is not a single-issue movement. It is connected to questions of land, labor, migration, public health, democracy and human dignity.<\/p>\n (The interview has been edited for length and clarity)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Immigrant communities have helped cultivate farms, maintain public parks, restore landscapes and care for the environment. Yet their contributions are often overlooked in traditional and…<\/p>\n\n