This week, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Chair of the
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, introduced a House Resolution (H.Res 698) recognizing the significance of the 30th anniversary of Vincent Chin's death. Here's Rep. Chu's statement on the commemoration and the House resolution:
"Thirty years ago, the murder of Vincent Chin and the denial of justice for his family brought together a diverse coalition of people who chose to stand against hate. Vincent's death became the catalyst that helped forge the Asian Pacific American movement we have today, and it ultimately led to the creation of much needed entities like our Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. The House resolution I introduced on the significance of Vincent's death expresses how profoundly this incident impacted our community and our country. We must never forget Vincent's story or the need to vigilantly combat xenophobia, scapegoating, and prejudice. Thirty years later, many of these challenges remain, but we now have a much stronger voice to speak out against these injustices and reaffirm the values that our nation stands for."
And here's the text of the House Resolution 698:
Text of House Resolution H. RES. 698
Recognizing the significance of the 30th anniversary of Vincent Chin's death.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 21, 2012
Ms. CHU (for herself, Mr. HONDA, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. CLARKE of Michigan, Mr. FILNER, Mr. SABLAN, Ms. HANABUSA, Mr. BECERRA, Ms. RICHARDSON, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Ms. MCCOLLUM, and Mr. CONYERS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the significance of the 30th anniversary of Vincent Chin's death.
Whereas June 23, 2012, marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Vincent Jen Chin;
Whereas Chin, a United States citizen of Chinese descent, lived in Michigan during an economic recession when factories were being closed and workers were being laid off, leading some to blame Japanese imports for the challenges facing the United States automobile industry;
Whereas the economic challenges in Detroit resulted in strong anti-Japanese sentiments, including acts of vandalism against Japanese cars, threats against Japanese car owners, disparaging signs, and attempts to burn the Japanese flag in protest;
Whereas Chin, who was celebrating his upcoming wedding with friends in the Detroit area, was chased down and beaten to death with a baseball bat by two men who accused him of being responsible for the loss of automobile manufacturing jobs in the United States;
Whereas Chin's killers were found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to three years of probation and a $3,000 fine, never serving a day in jail for Chin's murder;
Whereas the tragedy of Chin's death became a primary catalyst for a unified, pan-ethnic Asian Pacific American movement and united people from all communities to fight against hate; and
Whereas the lessons of Chin's death still hold critical relevance today as we address the ongoing challenges of hate crimes, profiling, xenophobia, and bullying: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the significance of the 30th anniversary of Vincent Chin's death as an important time to reflect on the dangers of xenophobia and scapegoating.
Here's the full press release from th eCongressional Asian Pacific American Caucus:
CAPAC Marks the 30th Anniversary of Vincent Chin's Murder.
