Monday, May 17, 2010

3 Lessons From Vincent Chin's Tragedy

There are 3 lessons to learn through Vincent Chin's Tragedy.
If we don't learn them, we are bound to relive it. A similar situation
may be brewing in IL & OH!
See the last paragraphs.

A Seldom Seen & Frank Summary of Vincent Chin's Case:

In 1982, owing to perceived loss of jobs caused by Japan, "Japan
bashing"
was very popular, especially among auto workers and
politicians running for offices.

Vincent Chin, a Chinese American, was in a Detroit bar when
2 auto workers, one unemployed, came in. The two mistook
Vincent as a Japanese. One said to Vincent, "It is because of you
motherfuckers that we're out of work." A fight ensued & was broken
up by the doorman of the bar. The two auto workers found Vincent
later that night and bashed him to death with a baseball bat.

In 1983, a Michigan court fined the two $3,700 each and no jail
time. The Asian Am. community was outraged.

Consequently, in 1984, the federal government stepped in & filed
civil rights charges against the two. HOWEVER, after a trial, an appeal,
and a retrial, both were completely acquitted, partially owing to witness-
tampering by an Asian Am. lawyer working for the prosecution.

In March 1987, a civil suit was also filed. Substantial fine was ordered.
HOWEVER, the settlement was so badly structured that collection
of the fine was far from certain. The one who swung the bat & was
ordered to pay 10 times more fine than the other, stopped payment
in 1989.
His whereabouts is currently unknown.

Vincent's mother asked, "If two Chinese killed a white person,
will they go to jail?" Disillusioned, she left the US for China.

For verifying the accuracy of the above summary, see
http://us_asians.tripod.com/articles-vincentchin.html and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Chin .

3 PAINFUL LESSONS:

1) Japan bashing leads to taking it out on perceived Japanese. It
is equivalent to taking it out on ALL Asian Ams since most don't know
the difference between Japanese, Japanese Americans and other Asian
Ams. Vincent Chin, a Chinese American was mistaken as a Japanese!

2) In a democracy, those who don't have the GROUP political clout, get
stepped on, in hard times. Our entire community was humiliated
in the Vincent Chin case, from 775 beginning to end.

3) Protests without the political know-how lead to NOTHING!
Did we achieve the goal of securing justice for Vincent?

Forwarding ahead to the present:

THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN "CHINA BASHING" IN ELECTIONS
IN IL & OH THIS YEAR. 80-20 IS WATCHING*.

Every Asian American needs to watch out, together with 80-20. Please!
Remember the 3 lessons.

Join 80-20 to strengthen our GROUP political clout. Click on
http://www.80-20initiative.net/membership/payment.asp . Or send a 

check to 80-20 PAC P.O. Box 603 Osprey, FL 34229. 

Place your e-address at the back of your check please. We need more
members especially Life Members.

Respectfully,

S. B., Acting Exec. Director (a volunteer), 80-20 PAC., Inc.

* This TV ad was played in IL for days, in an US senate primary race.
http://www.fisherforohio.com/multimedia/video?id=0023 80-20 is
watching not only such politicians but also their political consultants
who normally write the TV scripts.

Acknowledgment: Robert & Yang Bee Chow, Livermore, CA joined as
Family Life Members. Peter W. Chen Funds, NJ, gave a $5,000 grant to the 80-20
Educational Foundation.