“Who is Vincent Chin?”
That’s the question behind a short video featuring individual interviews with a small group of Asian Americans, and in case you’re stumped, don’t worry — some of them are, too.
“I think it’s unfortunate that a lot of Asian Americans don’t know who Vincent Chin is,” one of the respondents says. Make that even more Americans, of every heritage.
Vincent Chin was a Chinese American man beaten to death outside a bar in 1982. Two white men mistakenly thought he was Japanese and accused him of stealing jobs from the auto industry before beating him with a bat. Chin died from the head injury four days later, and his assailants walked away with a probation and a fine.
The video highlights the importance of Chin's death as a mobilizer for some Asian American communities, while the stumped silence of others exposes ongoing challenges for those speaking up against racism.
"Who is Vincent Chin?" is part of a five-episode series from NBC Asian America called “Voices,” which will publish a new video every Tuesday in May. You can follow “Voices” and other videos from NBC Asian America here.
Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!