Vincent Chin# Immigration - 落地生根
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【 以下文字转载自 Military 讨论区 】
发信人: Shuttleduck (梭甲鸟), 信区: Military
标 题: Vincent Chin
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Sun Dec 11 20:40:29 2011, 美东)
I read about Vincent Chin case from a email list from http://www.80-20initiative.net; thought I'd share here:
Quoting part of the email:
"
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 beginning to end.
3) Protests without the political know-how lead to NOTHING!
Did we achieve the goal of securing justice for Vincent?
"
Later a reader replied:
"Dear S.B.
Thank you for bringing out Vincent Chin's tragedy to remind
us how fragile we are as Asian Americans without a group voice.
("80-20 didn't exist at the time," adds S. B. Woo.) Vincent
Chin's tragedy left a scar on every Chinese Americans' soul.
The lesson at the time of occurrence is that "You are nothing."
In the US, if one killed a cat or dog, one might be punished
more severely than the Ebins, the father and the son.
Years before the Vincent Chin's case (in late 60's) a
Lithuanian sailor was abducted from a US Coast Guard vessel
by USSR guards docked next to the US ship in the open ocean. The
incident raised hell in the US, as our sovereignty was violated. But
it was Lithuanian Americans' GROUP voice which brought him
back to the US.
Vincent Chin was the scapegoat for the failing American auto
industry dwarfed by the competitive Japanese automakers.
Now with the failing Wall Street fiscal management and the
high unemployment rate plus the exchange rate war between
the US & China, I have reason to fear once again, we might become
the scapegoat for those who have failed or are incapable of taking
care of their own financial responsibility.
Be alert and vigilant. Let nobody become the second Vincent
Chin.
Sincerely,
Chien-Lu Ping, PA"
发信人: Shuttleduck (梭甲鸟), 信区: Military
标 题: Vincent Chin
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Sun Dec 11 20:40:29 2011, 美东)
I read about Vincent Chin case from a email list from http://www.80-20initiative.net; thought I'd share here:
Quoting part of the email:
"
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 beginning to end.
3) Protests without the political know-how lead to NOTHING!
Did we achieve the goal of securing justice for Vincent?
"
Later a reader replied:
"Dear S.B.
Thank you for bringing out Vincent Chin's tragedy to remind
us how fragile we are as Asian Americans without a group voice.
("80-20 didn't exist at the time," adds S. B. Woo.) Vincent
Chin's tragedy left a scar on every Chinese Americans' soul.
The lesson at the time of occurrence is that "You are nothing."
In the US, if one killed a cat or dog, one might be punished
more severely than the Ebins, the father and the son.
Years before the Vincent Chin's case (in late 60's) a
Lithuanian sailor was abducted from a US Coast Guard vessel
by USSR guards docked next to the US ship in the open ocean. The
incident raised hell in the US, as our sovereignty was violated. But
it was Lithuanian Americans' GROUP voice which brought him
back to the US.
Vincent Chin was the scapegoat for the failing American auto
industry dwarfed by the competitive Japanese automakers.
Now with the failing Wall Street fiscal management and the
high unemployment rate plus the exchange rate war between
the US & China, I have reason to fear once again, we might become
the scapegoat for those who have failed or are incapable of taking
care of their own financial responsibility.
Be alert and vigilant. Let nobody become the second Vincent
Chin.
Sincerely,
Chien-Lu Ping, PA"