LILY CHIN: COURAGE AND CLARITY

Vincent was Lily Chin’s only child. He was her joy and she showered all her love on him. Lily was proud of the man her son had become. Lily’s husband had died on November 3, 1981, and her son’s upcoming wedding gave her a glimmer of hope with the dream of grandchildren. She was, of course, crushed with grief by his brutal killing. Nine months later, when she learned that Vincent’s killers would go free with only probation and fines, it was as though her beloved Vincent had been fatally attacked again. In spite of her visible pain and grief, Lily Chin found the strength to speak to thousands of people at community gatherings, rallies and media interviews across the country. An immigrant from China who spent a lifetime of hard work in restaurants, laundries and factories, Lily Chin spoke in halting English and often through tears, fiercely asserting that she didn’t want any other mother to lose a child as she had. With her bravery, Lily Chin became the moral conscience of an Asian American civil rights movement seeking equal justice for all as well as justice for her son. The goal was simple: that all Americans, including those of Asian descent, should be treated as full human beings, with equal justice, fairness and dignity. Like Mamie Till, the mother of Emmett Till, Lily Chin’s courageous stand inspired many to speak out against racism, discrimination and hate crimes in their own communities. Numerous Asian American groups all over the country sprang up for equal justice and against hate violence because of Lily Chin’s willingness to raise her voice. The Academy Award-nominated film “Who Killed Vincent Chin?” captures her determination, her pain and her essential role in the growing movement against anti-Asian racism and violence. On June 9,2002, Lily Chin died after a long illness, 10 days shy of the date 20 years earlier when her son was fatally attacked. She did not live to see justice done for her son, but she had the love and support of the many people whose lives were touched by her. Many people only saw Lily Chin through the media and the documentary about Vincent Chin, in her terrible grief and sadness. Soon after Judge Charles Kaufman’s shocking sentence of probation, community gathered at the Chinese restaurant in Ferndale where Vincent had worked nights as a waiter. Lily Chin sat in the back of the room, audibly sobbing as people discussed the legal options. As the attorneys in the room soberly noted that the prospects for changing the sentence were bleak, it was unclear what direction the gathering might take. Then one community member suggested that the largely unseen community should at least make its shock and outrage known. The sobbing stopped. Lily Chin stood up and said firmly, “We must tell the American people this is wrong.”

In that moment, everyone could feel Lily Chin’s courage and strength. Even in her deepest personal pain, she was able to speak out and press forward. It would have been far easier for her to suffer privately than to bare her raw feelings over and over again. In the civil rights campaign that followed, she relived the details of her son’s terrible tragedy hundreds of times, telling the story to strangers, to reporters, to television cameras—each time reliving the pain, all in the pursuit of that elusive thing called justice. The Pledge of Allegiance that Lily Chin took so long ago when she became an American citizen contained a promise: “with liberty and justice for all.” Lily Chin knew very well what that meant and she wasn’t fighting for her son alone. She declared from the very beginning that she hoped that no other mother would have to feel the pain that she did, losing a child to violence and bigotry. Some people call Lily Chin the “Mamie Till and Rosa Parks of Asian Americans”—and she was indeed. She stood up and refused to accept what was handed to her. Her courage rang through her grief, touching all who could hear. It was a call heard far and wide, uniting Asian Americans and people of conscience across this country. Her dignity, strength and bravery stood in sharp contrast to those who said that nothing could be done, that we had to accept another “Chinaman's chance.” Lily Chin stood up to show millions of Americans that something could and must be done. Lily Chin never knew that she would become a symbol of moral courage to a civil rights movement that would reach around the world. When she came to America in 1947 as the bride of C.W. Bing Hing Chin, they didn’t have much in material wealth. She spent her early life in America working in a small laundry with her husband in Highland Park in the 1950s. They laundered shirts for a few cents. Later on, they worked in Chinese restaurants, and when her husband retired, she took a job at a factory where she assembled snow brushes and ice scrapers for cars. She lived an honest life that resonated with so many other Americans. For Asian Americans, her story struck a deep chord. Her family story could have been the story of so many of Asian immigrants and refugee families who faced the same struggle and spirit of building a life in America. Lily Chin didn’t complain about her life. She wasn’t a victim—she was a doer and a fighter in every way with a backbone of steel and a heart of gold. She was keenly observant and sharp; she knew what was going on around her. She read the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News—in English, of course. She also read the Chinese language newspapers. She stayed up-to-date on current events. And she knew everything that was happening with her son Vincent’s case. Friendly, warm, generous and funny, Lily loved to be around people, enjoying visitors and hearing the latest news in their lives. She was very close to her large extended family and she also loved to connect to the families of the people she met. She was always making gifts for other people. She could knit a vest or a sweater in a day or two—a scarf, in a blink! A wonderful cook, she only used the freshest vegetables—she would even grind her own meat, whipping up delicious meals for friends, families and the American Citizens for Justice (ACJ) volunteers who often had meetings at her kitchen table in Oak Park.

A woman who could have been everyone’s mother, grandmother, sister or auntie, Lily Chin loved children and paid special attention to the little ones of so many young parents who were ACJ volunteers. One of her favorite hobbies was matchmaking—she was always trying to find matches for the single, unmarried volunteers. She gave her thanks in any way she could to all of the many people who had fought for justice with her. She was especially grateful to people of all colors, religions and backgrounds from southeastern Michigan, all over America and across the globe. By 1987, the legal cases were over and Lily Chin decided to move to China—it was just too sad for her

to stay in America. It was a good move for her—her elderly mother was still living then, and in her last 15 years, Lily Chin was able to travel on tours to Europe, Australia and in Asia. Her life in her ancestral village of Hoiping (Kaiping in Mandarin) was peaceful. She had many friends and relatives and established a school with the little bit of money left from Vincent’s case. She also helped support a scholarship in Vincent’s name that is administered through ACJ. In 2001, Lily Chin came back to Michigan for medical treatment. She fought valiantly to stay as independent as she could. Her sister Amy, her nephew, nieces, friends and community supporters cared for her with love until she passed away in 2002. Lily Chin was so much more than a symbol of injustice and a mother’s grief, which were the images that the media had captured so movingly. Her compassion and honesty made her the kind of person whom others looked up to and were willing to follow—an inspiring leader with her courage, forthrightness and integrity. » Think about a time in your life when you decided to take action, whether it was to speak up about an issue, write a letter to a lawmaker, organize a group or something else. Taking action can look like many different things. Why was it important for you to take this action and what were you feeling when you made this decision? » What kind of impact did Lily Chin make in her decision to speak up and take action? » Lily Chin saw people’s full humanity and built meaningful relationships with those around her. What do we gain as a community when we build relationships with other people?