Chapter 3 notes of Helen Zia's Asian American Dreams book. One of the designated chapter books for UCI's Asian American Communities course (AsianAm52).
Chapter 3: DETROIT BLUES: “Because of you M*therfuckers”
Vincent Chin Case, 1982:
● What did you know about the case before the reading? What were the underlying
motivations for the incident?
● The killers- two white males- had just been laid off from the auto industry. They
blamed the Japanese for replacing their jobs on the assembly line w/
cheap/dependable auto parts. →
● What were the outcomes? Directed their anger towards Vincent, who was Chinese
American; fatally bludgeoned him w/ a baseball bat. Killers were originally
sentenced to 3yrs probation and ~$4k fine. Reopening of the trial petitioned for
after the Kennedy Square demonstration. 2nd civil rights trial led to a not-guilty
verdict→ Ebens and Nitz never spent one day in jail.
● How did the Vincent Chin case affect Asian American communities locally and
nationally? Initial effect was that of mixed negative views: outraged that an
Asianam man was mistreated even after death. Others were frightened b/c the
same could happen to them. Long-term effect was that it served to spark the
consciousness of all Asianam→ collected support from other civil rights groups:
ethnic-based, social justice, women. Inspired Asianam civil rights groups to
become more organized, in order to better assert their issues and prevent another
Chin case.
American Citizens for Justice:
www.americancitizensforjustice.com
Purpose and membership (pg. 66-67)
How did this organization help change what it means to be Asian American?
ACJ helped us transition into being an American citizen. Aka helped fought for our rights
as American citizens. One of their principles even states that as citizens, we all deserve
“equal treatment by our judicial and governmental system.” Not only that, they created a
sense of community, befriending not only other Asian ethnic groups, but also reaching
out to other minority groups who face similar injustices.
● In 1978, raised gas prices and a new oil crisis led to many layoffs and an industrial
crisis thru the Midwest. Japanese were to blame: their auto imports were cheap
and dependable, replacing assembly lines in Detroit →
● Murder case of Vincent Chin (1982) bled into the inequality of many minority
groups. Two white men, who killed a Chinese American, were set free in a city
where African Americans “routinely received harsher sentences for lesser
crimes.”
● Unfair punishment sparked the conscience of Asianam, who were against the idea
of being wrongfully mistreated, even after death → shattered the American dream.
Asianam led to believe if it could happen to the everyday man, it could happen to
them.
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