As a storyteller, playwright, and animation professional, I view the arts as a conduit for connecting people of diverse ages and backgrounds. My recent plays merged animal natural histories and behaviors with topical social issues, such as anti-vaccination, immigration, and gender politics, using my unique sense of humor and empathy. After 20+ years in television animation I pursued and recently graduated from an MA program in biology. I began this program as a conservation novice and was excited to be around like-minded people who care about animals and the environment. However, the ever present whiteness among my peers, instructors, and conservation organization staff made me hyper aware of my multiethnic Japanese and Jewish heritage. I soon realized that the field of conservation comes from a historically white Euro-American centric perspective, which felt at odds with organizational missions moving towards diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Social justice movements such as Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and Stop AAPI Hate demonstrated the need for equity, respect, and agency among historically underrepresented and demonized communities. Merriam-Webster defines 'demonize' as portraying someone or something evil or worthy of contempt or blame. I was surprised by the prevalence of militaristic language usage, lethal conservation management, and perceptions that demonize and personify non-native ‘invasive’ species as enemies to be eradicated. Words describing invasive species as ‘enemy,’ ‘evil,’ ‘menace,’ and ‘peril’ reminded me of the treatment of my Japanese American relatives who were victims of ‘Yellow Peril’ rhetoric during World War II. Demonized as ‘enemy spies,’ they were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated in internment camps. Dehumanizing propaganda portrayed people of Japanese descent, as pests and vermin to be eradicated.
From website, The “Invasive” Chinese Mitten Crab: Biology, Socio-ecological Impact, and Language of the “Other” by Celeste Williams.
Words have the power of words to evoke imagery and perception. My research of ‘‘invasive” species language questioned the usage of militaristic metaphors, good-bad dichotomies of native and non-native, and the personification of species doing intentional harm (Inglis, 2021). ‘Command and control’ conservation management approaches, such as predator removal and chemical pest control, attempt to transform complex natural ecosystems into ones that are understood through a Euro-American colonial perspective. (Holling & Meffe,1996; Reo & Ogden, 2018). Names that include a species’ country of origin can inflate existing biases and stigmatize associated human communities (Larson et al, 2005; IIWarren et al., 2017). Words that emphasize an ‘invasive' species as a public health threat can justify the need to control, remove, or kill the foreign invader (Davies, 2021). Media sensationalism of scientific findings can foster inaccurate public perceptions (Bickford, Posa, Qie, Campos-Arceiz, & Kudavidanage, 2012), and reinforce nationalism and xenophobia (Inglis, 2020; Larson, Nerlich, & Wallis, 2005; Shackleton et al., 2019; Warren, 2007).
From website, The “Invasive” Chinese Mitten Crab: Biology, Socio-ecological Impact, and Language of the “Other”.
I partnered with non-profit organizations such as Just Language (http://justlanguage.org/) which host events discussing ‘invasive’ language through a social justice lens. I have led and co-led workshops and presentations with people who work in conservation, ecology, and environmental education. This work has allowed me to share my research and personal insights, engage audiences, and spark curiosity through theater while utilizing actors who are historically excluded. Creative events can bring people together with shared goals for conservation and equity. Creating open dialogues inclusive of ethnically, culturally, and racially diverse perspectives, shifts the conservation focus to allow equal voice and involvement in the decision-making process with the communities most impacted by historical inequities.
My main goal is to foster equity, leadership, and collaboration through storytelling, allowing underrepresented communities to be seen and heard. My goals and objectives include: 1) Promoting engagement and elevated knowledge of animals and science through theater; 2) Creating partnerships between informal learning institutions, scientists, broad audiences, and theater communities to engage in broader conversations about race, inequities, and xenophobia; 3) Expanding empathy and emotional connection for plant, animal, and human communities.
Anti-Chinese Cartoon from 1886 (PD-1923)
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