From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry:
The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
by Paula Yoo
| June 2012. Jarod Lew came face to face with his past, a past that he never knew existed. Eventually he would uncover a thirty-year-old family secret. June 1982. Vincent Chin was sitting in front of a McDonalds when he was bludgeoned with a baseball bat. Days later, he died of massive brain injuries. Yoo's narrative introduces several seemingly unconnected individuals and brilliantly interweaves their life stories. Jarod Lew wanted to understand his past. Vikki Wong fought for justice after the violent death of her son. Detroit auto workers Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz worried about job security when Toyota, Datsun, and Honda began to dominate the car market. Vincent Chin's life and death is the common factor that connects these people. It is a real life drama: a heinous hate crime and the resulting mobilization of the Asian American community. |  |
Born in China, Chin was adopted and raised by Asian American parents. To celebrate his upcoming marriage to Vikki Wong, Chin went with friends to a strip club. At the club’s bar he traded insults with Ebens and Nitz. When words escalated to a fight and a smashed chair, all were evicted by the bouncer. Vincent wandered Detroit’s streets and eventually sat down in front of a local McDonalds. Ebens and Nitz were driving around the area when they spied Vincent. Eben stopped, took a baseball bat from his car, and brutally beat Chin until his face was battered beyond recognition. Chin was taken to the hospital where he died days later.
A lengthy legal battle ensued. Initially Ebens and Nitz were charged with manslaughter but the sentence was reduced to probation with no jail time. The Asian American community was shaken by this verdict. They determined to no longer remain silent when faced with inequity and racism. Asians and Pacific Islanders united to protest, seek legal redress, increase media exposure, and join with other civil rights advocacy groups to combat overt and subtle forms of discrimination.
With excellent pacing and stunning detail, Yoo uses newspaper reports, court documents, and in depth interviews to recount events leading up to this tragedy and its long-term affects.
The work is well supported with extensive back matter: a detailed timeline, 311 source citations, numerous photos, and a bibliography. The author’s Afterward personalizes this defining moment in history and brings current events, especially the world wide pandemic into the equation. She suggests that reports of the virus have helped foster and exacerbate targeting Asians.
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement chronicles a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle for civil rights. It’s the story of a hate crime, the creation of the first pan-ethnic Asian American civil rights organization, and the genesis of the Asian Lives Matter movement. Compelling nonfiction.
Electronic copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: April 20, 2021 Publisher: Norton Young Readers ISBN: 978-1324002871
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