Stewards of the Land: In Conversation with Stevie Ruiz & Jessica Kim

ICW is proud to present Dr. Stevie Ruiz, Professor of Chicana/o Studies at California State University, Northridge, in conversation with Jessica Kim about his new book, Stewards of the Land: Race and Reclaiming Environmental Labor in the American West. Challenging conventional histories that center white environmentalists, Ruiz reveals environmentalism in the American West as a multiracial project shaped by the labor, knowledge, and activism of Asian migrants and Chicana/o communities. Drawing on archival research and comparative ethnic studies, Stewards of the Land: Race and Reclaiming Environmental Labor in the American West traces the deep roots of environmental justice in struggles against land dispossession, labor exploitation, and racial inequality, offering a compelling new account of how frontline communities helped build and reimagine environmental spaces in the United States.