Kate Yeo

4 December was one of the craziest days of my life. I got to attend the Teen Vogue Summit in Hollywood, catch up with a friend, and meet new friends within the environmental community whom I really look up to. Not gonna lie, I had a mini fangirl moment when I first saw them in-person! It was honestly more exciting to me than watching Olivia Rodrigo perform live (Livies don’t come at me please).

Yet, I couldn’t help but notice how I was constantly shrinking next to them. There were so many times when I wanted to chime in on the discussion about environmentalism, but stopped myself —

“They probably already know this, there’s no point saying it.” 

“They won’t understand.” 

“They know so much more than you, who are you to speak about activism to them?”

I want to be clear and state from the outset that this wasn’t their fault. They were all incredibly friendly and down-to-earth. Maybe I was just feeling a little more introverted that day. Sometimes it’s also just the nature of group dynamics; they’ve known one another for much longer, so naturally there were parts of the conversation that I couldn’t follow.

Most crucially though, is that I’d already written myself off from the very start. No matter how inclusive they tried to be, it didn’t make a difference because in my mind, I already saw myself as lesser.

It forced me to reflect on parallel situations: Like how I’m louder and more confident on some panels, yet hold back in others. How I’m proud to share about my work in some spaces, yet shy – or even ashamed – to share about the same initiatives in other spaces.

A clearer pattern began to emerge. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I start to feel less confident next to activists outside of Asia, versus when I’m with friends from the same region.

Since the very start of my environmental journey, I’ve often found myself looking up to my peers from the U.S. and Europe. I see their posts about organising rallies and protests and even filing lawsuits against their government — then I look at the work I’ve done and am struck by how small it seems in comparison. I see photos of them attending climate conferences and events together, and the friendships that have formed between them — yet Asian activists are rarely present. It’s honestly hard not to feel left out.

The media certainly doesn’t help. Mainstream media coverage has painted a very specific image of what a “youth climate activist” looks like: Someone holding up a large sign on the streets, or speaking at high-level forums, or making speeches (in English) in front of hundreds or even thousands of people. I didn’t realise how much all of these have influenced my perceptions of myself and my activism, in relation to the broader environmental community. This mindset that those in the “West” are better and have all the answers, that I need to learn from them. I know from conversations with friends that I’m not alone in this feeling of inadequacy.

There’s definitely nothing wrong with looking up to others; we all have space for learning and growth. But this common thread of imposter’s syndrome amongst Asian youth activists has deeper implications. The climate crisis was born precisely because some people had (have) a monopoly over what constitutes right and wrong — the “right” path to development, the “best” solutions… And by not speaking up, we perpetuate that power imbalance.

In many ways, the underrepresentation of Southeast Asian youths in the climate movement today is a reflection of the very same systems driving the climate crisis. In short, the idea that our voices matter less than others’.

A friend put it best: “Is it really because we are not doing enough compared to our western counterparts? More likely it’s just that being in the regions we are in, language differences and differing political contexts make our work less noticed on traditional platforms.”

All that said, I think it’s important to caveat that even within the “Western” climate movement there are so many disparities that need to be bridged. Thank you Xiye for pointing this out to me: Most – if not all – of the activists I met at the summit were from underrepresented backgrounds in their own way as well. Their presence is actually a significant part of the fight for a more diverse climate movement too.

Things are never black and white. I see the movement as a nebulous tangle of circles, some overlapping, some situated within one another. There are underrepresented communities even within underrepresented communities. How do we strike a balance between fighting for our own space in a conventionally white-dominated movement, while also creating space for other underrepresented groups? (And in this vein, as someone from Singapore – one of the most privileged countries in Southeast Asia – I’m mindful of the need to pass opportunities to activists from other countries instead.)

I don’t have good answers, but I do think there’s still much to be done in terms of shifting the conversation to one of abundance. I believe that there’s enough space for all; that people are capable of sharing the spotlight. And while youths continue to fight for minority communities’ rights within the Western sphere, we need to ensure that the discourse surrounding representation in the climate movement cuts across borders too. There are so many insights activists from Southeast Asia can offer to the movement: Different forms of activism (particularly where protests are illegal), fresh narratives to galvanise local communities, all the sustainability practices that go back to our cultural roots (think Asian grandmas folding magazine pages to use as mini waste bins)!

So this is a reminder to my Southeast Asian peers: You don’t have to shrink yourself or hold back!!! Just because someone else is more “famous” or has access to more opportunities doesn’t mean your voice is any less valuable.

What you have to say matters. And you deserve to take up space in the movement.

Love and solidarity. ✨