Emerging as a relatively new field in the late twentieth century, environmental criticism
continues to evolve as the field expands. Second-wave ecocriticism emphases the consideration
of environmental justice and the enduring effects of interdisciplinary topics such as the legacy of
colonialism and racism on the environment, yet environmental literary criticism is slow to
incorporate literature by people of color into the conversation. Similarly, while contemporary
authors are consistently utilizing magical realism in literature to engage with environmental and
social issues, there is a gap in environmental literary criticism related to magical realism.
My research demonstrates how Asian American authors employ various magical realist
characters to serve as guides to a more ethical future by engaging with environmental criticism.
In Tropic of Orange, Karen Tei Yamashita creates Manzanar Murakami and Arcangel function
as guides to more positive results for laborers and people of color. Ruth Ozeki employs crows
and the fictional character Jiko Yasutani, 104-year-old Buddhist nun, to serve as guides to more
equitable outcomes in A Tale for the Time Being. Though the definition of an ethical future may
vary between individuals, both novels suggest the interwoven topics of ethics and environmental
justice as essential to advance a more favorable tomorrow. My paper examines how the topics
presented through Yamashita’s and Ozeki’s guides are relevant in the larger interdisciplinary
discussions of environmentalism and deep ecology and how their use of magical realism allows
for a consideration of prospective futures that stress the equitable treatment of all beings.