Nicole Moc
2020 Miss Los Angeles Chinatown - Miss Friendship
I am most concerned about the state of the world we are leaving to our future generations, which is why I championed the platform of sustainability. My carbon footprint, our deteriorating environment, and integrating sustainability into everyday life have always been concerns of mine. Overconsumption of single-use plastics, wasteful fast-fashion practices in the fashion industry, and excessive burning of fossil fuels are just a few contributors to our declining environment...the list is endless! The most vulnerable are recovering countries who do not have the access/ability to outsource resources that industrialized countries have. Coming from a first-world country, most of our communities around us may not sense the urgency of this issue because we have not been heavily affected yet, but the environmental crisis affects many U.S. citizens disproportionately everyday. An example is how the pollution surrounding many large cities like Los Angeles can cause medical issues like asthma in children growing up in neighboring, poorer communities and those living in these communities often cannot afford the proper medical care needed to sustain a safe, and healthy life. Environmental advocacy is not separate from working towards social justice because we all live under the same sky and breathe the same air. Humans need to practice more sustainability to preserve our environment and ensure that the generations that come after us will still have access to the natural, finite resources that we had. And so, I had selected the Sierra Club Foundation to be my nonprofit, a California based grassroots environmental organization that provides funding to a variety of organizations nationwide with a shared environmental goal.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted why we need to fight for environmental justice, now more so than ever. A side effect of quarantining ourselves to stop the spread of the virus has been a reduction in carbon emissions on a global level, reducing a large portion of smog and pollution in many major cities. It also showed us how imperative accessibility to clean outdoor environments are to mental health. While in quarantine, our connection to the outdoors was cut off in fear of easily transmitting and spreading the deadly virus. What happened in turn was many people yearning to be outside again, be it a walk alongside the beach, playing in the park, or camping in the vast wilderness of national parks. Environmental justice has always been about the connection of people with the land, so we must continue to fight to preserve our natural resources in any way we can, no matter how small the action.
Events in 2020 have brought out the best and worst in us as we continue to learn how to navigate these unprecedented events. The pandemic hit the Asian and Asian American community so hard that the Federal Bureau of Investigations issued a warning announcing an increase in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. 2020 has been a true test of humanity. Even though the amount of violence and ethically immoral behavior has exponentially grown in the Asian American community and other BIPOC communities like the increase in police brutality on our black and brown brothers and sisters, so has community work and grassroots movements. More and more people are taking the time to help their neighbors and strangers from across the country, such as donating food to an unparalleled unemployment population and donating PPE to healthcare professionals so that they can protect themselves while fighting for the lives our citizens, because at the core of our humanity is compassion and empathy above all else. That is why over the next year as Miss Friendship, I hope to not only advocate for sustainable lifestyles/choices, but to offer my full support in projects that our court members may partake in for their platforms to serve the community