Perspective: The Missing Asian Americans in Natural Sciences
- Casey Iwamoto
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
In 1956, industrial wastewater contaminated with methylmercury poisoned fish and shellfish in Minamata, Japan. Coastal residents who consumed the seafood developed Minamata disease, a neurological disorder that causes paralysis, birth defects, and death. By March 2001, 1,784 officially recognized victims had died from the disease, though the total death toll is believed to be far higher.
In the 1971–72 Iraq poison grain disaster, mercury-treated grain, intended to be used for seed dressing, poisoned thousands and killed at least 459 people.
Following these tragedies, methylmercury became increasingly studied as a neurotoxin to protect public health and guide safe fish consumption. However, in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency relied on data that aggregated Asian Americans as “other,” with fewer than 140 identifying as Asian, and on case studies that did not include populations of Asian descent. It took a publication in 2012 in Science of the Total Environment, where the agency’s new models predicted that historically underrepresented Asian American populations were at a higher risk of mercury exposure due to higher fish consumption. The omission meant that mercury regulations were built without adequately accounting for the exposure risks faced by Asian American communities.
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While Western science is often portrayed as a structured and impersonal process, there is a new wave of researchers celebrating how their cultural identity intertwines with their understanding of the natural world through folklore, language, and historical analysis. Yet Asian American heritage is underrepresented in the natural sciences, including environmental science, ecology, and forestry. This underrepresentation creates blind spots in research and policy, with a report finding that only 1.9% of conservation leadership positions were held by Asians in 2014.
In my 10 years working in the field, I have never met another Asian American environmental scientist, even though we are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the U.S. This is partly due to the cascading hardships of immigration, including discrimination and familial pressure to pursue high-paying careers, which are often perceived as existing outside nature-based fields.
In the U.S., there is a push to get children outdoors to foster environmental stewardship and encourage both interest and careers in natural sciences. Yet, in 2024, Asian Americans, who constitute 7% of the national workforce, accounted for only 1.6% of natural resource careers. Their disproportionate relationship stems from a lack of representation in stereotypical portrayals of outdoor culture, such as backpacking, which requires more time and equipment, coupled with lower discretionary income.
Asian Americans intersect with nature differently, and without this recognition, they will lack the confidence and experience to pursue nature-based careers. For me, collecting Douglas fir pinecones from forest floors in Washington, U.S. — whose seeds resemble mice tails — sparked my interest in environmental science.
My own family members have diverse relationships with nature. Surprisingly, when I asked them about it, many said they felt no connection to the environment — a response that contrasted with my memories of harvesting fresh coconuts and picking wild blackberries alongside them. Why do generations of Asian Americans struggle to recognize these experiences?
My Japanese American grandmother, Asako Iwamoto, provided a potential answer. Asako said that nature was never at the forefront for Asako, who grew up in the Hawaiian mountainside. Escaping poverty took priority, leaving little time to think about environmental impacts or careers in the field. However, after marrying my grandfather, a fisherman, the ocean she once feared became a source of cherished family traditions. Asako had always bought fish — a core staple in Japanese culture — from the store. In contrast to this, my grandfather ensured that the family harvested fresh opihi (limpets) and caught fish every evening for dinner, weaving the ocean into Asako’s daily life.
My father, growing up in Hawai’i, inherited the tradition differently. When he was a teenager, fish populations became less abundant due to overfishing. As a fisherman, this pushed him to target only "healthy fish populations and invasive species." This philosophy to protect vulnerable fish species deepened his relationship with the ocean and led him to pursue a career as a fish biologist.
Growing up, my father’s parenting instilled in me the importance of leaving outdoor spaces better than I found them. I translate this into my current restoration work as a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University, where I have been examining how to restore natural landscapes following human disturbances.. As a scientist, I contribute a perspective shaped by my upbringing in the United States, with a history of dominating wilderness and an Eastern view that considers humans and nature as deeply connected. Navigating multiple cultures has allowed me to center overlooked people and spaces, which are vital to addressing knowledge gaps in environmental science.
Contrasting with Western cultures that tend to focus on individualism, I find that a sense of connection is strongly reflected in dim sum, a Cantonese-style brunch I often share with my family during intergenerational gatherings, where multiple dishes are placed on a rotating tray and shared among everyone at the table. These meals center on togetherness and collective participation — values that I know are needed in the field of environmental science.
In environmental science, understanding the interconnectedness of the natural world becomes increasingly important, especially in a time when humans are consuming more resources than can be replenished every year, threatening natural landscapes and wildlife. I hope to inspire Asian Americans to recognize how their cultural identity is intertwined with nature, and to show them that they inherently have a place within the environmental sciences.
To generate conversations about how nature ties into your culture, you can dive into Outdoor Asian, Soy Sauce Nation, and Nature Unfurled as resources to begin your exploration. Who knows, you may find new connections and a career in environmental science!
