There will be a vigil tonight outside the home of Vincent Chin's killer

Vincent Chin died on June 23, 1982.



Thirty-five years ago today in Detroit, four nights after being severely beaten in the head with a baseball bat, Vincent Chin died. The case would become a seminal rallying point for the Asian American community. And tonight, concerned community members plan to gather for a vigil outside the home of Chin's killer.

For those unfamiliar with the case: Chin was out at a strip club celebrating his bachelor party when he got into a fight with a couple of disgruntled auto industry workers, Ronald Evens and his stepson Michael Nitz. Witnesses say they heard Ebens yell "It's because of you little motherfuckers that we're out of work!" -- referring to U.S. auto jobs being lost to Japanese manufacturers. Vincent Chin was Chinese American.

The fight was broken up, but Ebens and Nitz weren't finished. They searched for Chin outside the club, tracked him down to a McDonald's and attacked him. Nitz held Chin in a bear hug while Evens repeatedly bludgeoned him with a baseball bat until his head cracked open. Vincent fell into a coma and died on June 23, 1982.

NPR's Morning Edition aired a Story Corps interview Vincent Chin's best friend, Gary Koivu, who talks about his lifelong friendship with Vincent and hauntingly recounts the night he witnessed his murder.

Chick-fil-A receipt refers to customer as "Chinese guy"

How hard is it to ask for somebody's name?



Ah, yes. The racial receipt strikes again! A recent customer at a Chick-fil-A location in Detroit was surprised to discover that instead of his name, the cashier had simply referred to him as "Chinese guy" on his receipt.

Winston Chow, who is indeed of Chinese descent, recently bought a sandwich at the Chick-fil-A location in the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Only later, when he looked at his receipt, he realized that Nia, the cashier, had identified him as "Chinese guy" in the space where, presumably, the customer's name should be entered.

"Now I know why they didn't ask for my name when taking my order," Winston remarked, sharing a photo of his receipt on social media. He also posted the photo on Chick-Fil-A's Facebook page. While he's been a fan of the fast food chain for over thirty years, he says he was pretty offended.

"How about some racial sensitivity or discretion next time?!"

Detroit screening of American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, June 29

If you're in the Detroit area this weekend, don't miss a special free public screening of Grace Lee's feature documentary American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs.

Fresh from its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award, the film comes home in honor of the legendary writer/activist/philosopher's 98th birthday. It's happening Saturday, June 29 at the Detroit Film Theater. Here are some more details about the screening: