#AANHPIHeritageMonth x Representation & Climate Action with Alyssa Beth Luna

Stories from our community of sustainability leaders.

by Alyssa Beth Luna , Spacecraft Test Automation Engineer

"Growing up, visiting my grandparents came with an expectation of never taking for granted a single grain of rice served to me. Their upbringing in rural Philippines meant experiencing scarcity - especially for my grandfather.

My Lolo often relied on not only the kinship of the community to survive but also the generosity of the land. In fact, the land is seen as part of the community. This appreciation immigrated with him in the form of a rich garden that is lovingly tended alongside the native South Carolina palmettos in his backyard - a project he has kept up since my mother was only a child. Every kalamansi or Chinese long bean I ate from his garden was accompanied by a lesson in gratitude and a sense of responsibility toward the planet. Such lessons guide me in the choices I make today by making me recognize the responsibility I have toward the planet and by not taking for granted what I already do have.

Returning from The GREEN Program (TGP) and seeing how those around me respond to the experiences I share has taught me one thing: representation matters.

Oftentimes, representation is discussed in the context of entertainment, politics, or power but it's also important within our own community. Friends and family have told me they’ve felt inspired by images and stories of me hiking glaciers, exploring Icelandic hydropower plants, and volunteering in rural Nepal (as was depicted in a recent Beast Philanthropy video) to start their own ventures on their home turf. For example, my family has begun participating in beach cleanups and volunteering for wildlife conservation efforts in Florida. When representation is found in our own communities, people believe that action and change is something they can do too.

Involving myself in TGP programs always grounds me back to what I value most even if my day-to-day sometimes makes me feel disconnected. Being boxed in by office walls or behind a desk all day can result in me forgetting to quite literally touch some grass.

So long as I make a conscious effort to involve myself in sustainable practices and advocate for climate action, I won’t lose myself or give in to hopelessness. It even encourages me to chase after more meaningful work in my career. This, in turn, fuels my drive to stay connected with my culture and the problems faced by the Filipino community since action against injustice doesn’t stop at one issue.

Filipino history is marred by colonialism and occupation which has led to the erasure of indigenous culture. I find myself educating myself on pre-colonial practices and encouraging other Filipinos in my community to do the same as a form of reclamation. Doing this also teaches me that conservation in culture is linked to conservation in nature.

One can’t and should not happen without the other."

- Alyssa Beth Luna,

Spacecraft Test Automation Engineer

The GREEN Program Alumna (Iceland & Nepal)

University of the District of Columbia Computer Science Alumna