When Molly Kawahata was growing up, a painting of two lonely figures and barracks set against snowy mountains hung in her childhood home. It wasn’t until she was an adult that Kawahata, a former climate adviser to the Obama administration, realized the scene was of Topaz in Utah, where her grandfather and his family were incarcerated during World War II.
Last year, Kawahata, an accomplished ice and alpine climber, toured Topaz and decided to go climbing in the nearby mountains. “[My family] was staring at these mountains all the time,” Kawahata told NBC Asian America. “Now I’m going over the mountains. There is a sense of reclaim
A growing number of Asian Americans are staking their claim to the outdoors, a trend fueled by the pandemic, the racial reckoning of 2020 and the rise in anti-Asian hate and violence. And while many have found community, cultural ties and empowerment, some enthusiasts also report experiencing microaggressions and racism while spending time in nature.
Rates of Asian Americans camping and visiting national parks are on the rise, but the country’s premier outdoor spaces remain overwhelmingly white. The National Park Service found in its most recent 10-year survey that 77 percent of visitors were white, even though people of color make up 42 percent of the U.S. population. Also, less than 20 percent of park employees are nonwhite (Asian Americans are around 2.3 percent of NPS employees).
“There were so many elements of accessibility even for someone like me who has so much privilege,” said Kawahata, who is based in