KEY LEARNINGS

Asian Americans are not a monolith—there is great diversity among Asian ethnicities. Before the Immigration Act of 1965 that equalized immigration beyond the longtime preferences for “Anglo” Europeans, many Chinese Americans came from southern China’s Pearl River delta region of Guangdong province, just as Vincent, Lily and C.W. Hing Chin had. After 1965, Asian Americans came as migrants and refugees from all over Asia and the Pacific. Many Americans know little about Asian Americans and lump them all together as though they are the same. “Justice for all” is a lofty aspiration and not a fact. In Vincent Chin’s case the justice system failed at every level, with no police investigation; the white killers were significantly undercharged; the sentencing judge ignored pre-sentence recommendations for prison time the and set the two white killers free on probation; and the prosecutors failed to show up at sentencing with no notification to the family. Though prosecutors represent “the People,” this case shows how advocates and watchdogs can help ensure that victims are considered. Our voices matter. Speaking up is our right and responsibility. Because society and the criminal justice system often ignores the experiences of Asian Americans and other marginalized people, it is necessary to speak out. Vincent Chin’s race was never considered in his case, as though it was invisible. In 1983, Asian Americans overcame their hesitation by organizing together as American Citizens for Justice (ACJ) to use their collective voices to speak out against injustice, to educate others and to build a multiracial, multicultural effort to break through the harmful invisibility and bring about changes that benefit all Americans. “Asian American” is a term of empowerment that reflects pan-Asian coalition building. In 1968, student activists created the term “Asian American,” but even in the 1980s, it was not widely adopted by different Asian ethnic groups. ACJ and the campaign for justice for Vincent Chin brought the separate Asian American ethnic groups together, in spite of major differences in language, culture, religion, education, political orientation, income levels and more that exist, even within a single Asian ethnicity. ACJ and the fight for Vincent Chin relied on cross-racial partnerships with key Black organizations and leaders in Detroit and nationally. Organized on the principle of justice for all, ACJ’s founders respectfully reached out to leaders of other communities, opening up communications for mutual support. Horace Sheffield Jr., the legendary civil rights and union leader activist who founded Detroit Area Black Organizations (DABO); Winston Lang, executive director of the Detroit Branch of the NAACP; and former presidential candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson were instrumental in ACJ's multiracial, multicultural outreach efforts. Anti-Asian hate is not new. In America, people of Asian descent have been scapegoats at times of domestic crisis, as though they cause America's problems. In the late 1800s, anti-Chinese hate led to ethnic cleansing massacres and such racist laws as the Chinese Exclusion Act. In the 1980s, it was calculating to blame Japan for the auto industry’s collapse. After 9/11, South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern Americans were targeted . Today, people of all Asian heritages are being blamed and attacked for the harms caused by COVID. Institutionalized white supremacy has had an indelible impact on the Asian American community in the US. Early Asian migrants were brought to the Americas in large numbers as chattel; indentured workers served as auxiliary and replacement labor for enslaved people, becoming part of an economy built on white supremacy. Asians and Asian Americans have been historically restricted to low income service work; politically their status “between” white and Black positions them to be pitted against other people of color. Deeply ingrained stereotypes of the perpetual foreign invader and the racist “model minority” myth that was created in the 1960s have exploited Asian Americans in the systemic racial hierarchy of America. The fight for justice for Vincent Chin has had far-reaching impact. In public policy, victim impact statements and victims’ rights have been advanced, while federal hate crimes protections were expanded to cover gender, sexual orientation, and disability. Court procedures were changed to reduce the likelihood of similar institutional failures that took place in Vincent Chin’s case. New advocacy organizations and new generations of activists have been inspired to raise their voices in this democracy to create positive change, which also requires constant vigilance to keep progress from being reversed. These are all learnings from the legacy of Vincent Chin.