Conflict over forest resources in Northern New Mexico: Rethinking cultural activism as a strategy for environmental justice

Abstract

Through an examination of a conflict over the management of forest resources in northern New Mexico between rural Hispanics and white environmentalists, this paper sketches a critique of the use of cultural activism on the part of environmental justice activists as they seek to maintain and diversify their political support base. Using resource mobilization and frame alignment perspectives as a lens on collective action, the central point derived from this analysis is that environmental activism which presumes shared interests on the basis of cultural values runs the considerable risk of losing sight of the structural factors that strongly influence the way ethnic and racial minorities will view environmental issues.