Analyze

Given the vastness of Formosa Plastics' influence, there are many ways to tell its story to the world. As environmental justice activists and researchers, how do we describe a company and its negative impact when there is so much to say? Limited by time, word count, and the audience's attention span, we must decide what goes unsaid. As a result, we could write countless answers to the same question, "What is Formosa Plastics?"

In this published academic case study, I introduce Formosa Plastics through a local lens--specifically, through the eyes of a grandmother-turned-activist in the small town of Welcome, Louisiana. Her family's history with social justice activism, as well as the area's connection to centuries of slavery, make the environmental racism of Formosa Plastics' Sunshine Project especially salient. Although Formosa Plastics is a global force, telling its story on the microscale is an equally important perspective. After all, in Sharon Lavigne's eyes, her small town is her world. How many of these little worlds have Formosa Plastics destroyed as they wreak havoc across international borders?

1. With this organization's work, how does it center the voices and experiences of marginalized communities in its work, and what steps does it take to ensure accountability and transparency? 

2. How does the organization evaluate its impact and measure its success within the community?

 APEN is centralized around addressing the issues faced within the Asian American Pacific Islander working class, immigrant, and refugee communities within California. The organization seeks to empower these communities to participate in critical conversations that dictate their neighborhoods’ future, health, wellness, and prosperity. In the broader sense, APEN’s work contributes to the whole movement that seeks to amplify a message that all people should have the human right to an environmentally just world.

1. APEN is seen as a grassroots environmental justice group that has proven effective in advocating for the Asian American Pacific Islander community. Other environmental organizations and community organizers often praise the organization for its work.

2. APEN releases its own Press Releases on its website and within its network, speaking on the critical issues relating to the efforts they support.

The Asian Pacific Environmental Network functions within the environmental justice movement, following the response and emergent growth of disproportionate impacts of environmental hazards and pollution among low-income communities of color across the United States. APEN has stood its ground in local, statewide, and national environmental justice campaigns. It has been recognized as a leading organization in the movement for EiJ for its innovative approaches to community organizing and policy advocacy.

1.  APEN is a member organization of the California Environmental Justice Alliance coalition. They also partner with Filipino Advocates for Justice, the Chinese Progressive Association, Hmong Innovating Politics, and the AAPIs For Civic Empowerment Education Fund.

1. APEN works at the intersection of environmental and economic justice, immigrant rights, and advocating for policies prioritizing the needs of low-income Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Many of the issues in AAPI communities are rooted in a legacy of colonization and imperialism within the United States. APEN prioritizes these concerns by directly supporting the voices and leadership at the frontlines of their community's work. 

1. The APEN serves Asian American Pacific Islander communities; institutionalized racism and inequality contribute to the disproportionate impacts of environmental harms on low-income communities of color. In creating alternative solutions, the lack of political will from local, state, and federal agencies is complex, especially when highly contested to the profitability of corporations. 

2. The work of APEN heavily relies on community support and funding to carry out its work. There are challenges in acquiring the means to make a meaningful impact within the communities they serve. 

3. The complexity of environmental pollution and climate change creates complex and multifaceted problems that demand innovative and unique solutions. 

1. The APEN is committed to building grassroots power in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to achieve environmental and social justice. Their approach to community organizing revolves around building long-term, sustainable solutions that center on the leadership of the most impacted communities. APEN works to build robust and democratic community organizations that strengthen the broader environmental justice movement.

APEN’s researchers work to produce a range of data related to the Environmental and Social Justice issues that affect Asian American Communities. This organization also has a solid commitment to emphasizing the voices of community members and ensuring that their stories and experiences are represented.