For Asian Americans in the United States, June 23 is a special day. Asian-American groups have organized a number of events this year to remember and commemorate the day.
Forty years ago, June 23, 1982, was the day that Vincent Chin, a Chinese-American, was murdered because of racial hatred. Racism against Asian Americans in the United States is not just a thing of the past. However, his tragic death is especially remembered by Asian Americans because it was a historical milestone that helped the Asian members to unite against racism.
On June 19, 1982, at a pub in Detroit, Michigan, 27-year-old Vincent Chin was having a party to celebrate his coming wedding. A former supervisor of the American automaker Chrysler, and his son, had been fired from the same company, they had an argument with Vincent Chin.
At that time, the American automobile industry was hit hard by the advancement of Japanese automobiles. Detroit, the center of the American auto industry, was struggling with massive layoffs. The father and son are said to have insulted Chin, calling him "Jap". He was of Chinese descent, but was mistaken for Japanese. They pulled out baseball bats from their cars and chased and beat Vincent Chin, who was running away. Chin died four days later, on the 23rd.
The father and son were initially charged with murder, but was later downgraded to negligent manslaughter. The following year, a district court sentenced both of them to three years probation and a fine of $3,000 each. The absurd ruling led to protests by Asian Americans across the country. This protest was the moment when people from different countries, such as Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino, gathered together for the first time and confirmed that they were in the same situation as all other Asians.
Until then, the Chinese, Japanese, Indians, or Filipinos in the United States had been thought of as distinct groups. Although in society they were collectively treated as Asians, distinct from whites and blacks, each was a community with a different culture and background. But Vincent Chin was killed not because he was Chinese, but because he was Asian. Regardless of their culture and background, they were discriminated against as Asians in America.
The murder of Vincent Chin was the first time they realized that they were a community of Asian descent. Two weeks after the court ruling, they formed the first ever pan-Asian civic group, American Citizens for Justice. The group launched national protests and petitioned the federal government and filed a case for violating civil rights laws. As a result, for the first time in U.S. history, a case involving an Asian American in violation of the Civil Rights Act was brought to trial in a federal court. The two perpetrators, the son in the case was acquitted, and the father was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Then, on appeal, the father was also acquitted.
Hate crimes spread like poisonous mushrooms during the COVID-19 era The murder of Vincent Chin was blocked by the racist judicial system and justice was not realized. However, the awakening and solidarity of Asian Americans remained an important asset. The legacy extends beyond Asian descent into an attempt to unite against racism with African and Latino Americans. The movement of African Americans and Asians in solidarity in the recently actively developed 'Black Lives Matter' and 'Stop Asian Hate' movements shows this flow of solidarity well.
Hate crimes against Asians during the COVID-19 pandemic are continuing unabated in the United States and Europe. Korean Americans have been and are still victims of discrimination and hatred since the 1992 Los Angeles riots. In March 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, there was a mass shooting targeting Asian descent, which killed 8 people, including 4 Korean immigrants. Asian hatred is towards us not a distant country.
Not long ago, BTS, at the invitation of the White House of the United States, urged the end of racism and hate. However, we still stand by as if it's someone else's house. We are not paying attention to hate and discrimination towards Southeast Asian migrant workers, compatriots from China, marriage migrants in Southeast Asia, and dark-skinned refugees.
Furthermore, we took part in the anti-Chinese hatred, using the corona pandemic as an excuse. However, when we go abroad, we are just Asians with ‘yellow skin’ that are no different from Chinese or Vietnamese. We are only 'people of color’ that are no different from blacks. This is why we must also stand in solidarity against the global anti-Asian hate speech.
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