Vincent Who?

In high school, we all learn about racial injustice that have happened in the past. We tell these stories so people know this story and have a better understanding of what it was like for this race at a specific time, or what injustices should never be repeated. There have been many hate crimes in the past, but rarely will a student hear about an Asian American Male who had experienced it. Why isn't this ever brought up? In the documentary, "Vincent Who," Asian students were asked if they had known Vincent Chin. Almost all of the Asian students that were asked had no idea who he was. I fall victim to this category. 

Who is Vincent Chin? The first time I was asked this question was two weeks ago at an Asian American Association meeting. Who is Vincent? Why are people asking these questions? Disappointingly enough, I had no idea who this fellow Asian person was or what he stood for.

Neither did a majority of the audience. 95% of which were Asian. 

According to the documentary, "Vincent Who," Vincent Chin was an young Asian American Male, who lived in Detroit, Michigan. He was soon to be wed to his fiance when a tragedy occurred at a bar he was at. On the night of June 23rd, 1982, Vincent Chin was killed by two white males who accused him for being stealing their jobs in the auto industry. For a little historical lesson,  in the 1980's, the vehicle companies of America faced serious competition against their Japanese Competitors. Many American workers were out of jobs due to the decline in the sales for American Cars. 

Vincent Chin. An American-born Chinese Male, was accused of stealing jobs of white men. I would have rather said, thankfully these two men were caught, but instead, I shake my head at the justice system at the time. These two men were let off with a 3,000 dollar fine and 3 years of probation. 

I ask again, who is Vincent Chin?

To the two men who killed him, he was a Japanese guy who put them out of work.

To the justice system, he was treated like an insignificant living thing.

To the Asian Americans of today, he is a common name lurking around. 

In Vincent Chin's case, it is very obvious that these two white males committed a hate crime, which ultimately led to the death of an innocent Asian man. Although Chin's killers were let off with a slap on the wrist, the fact that these two males were let off with ease isn't what bothers me. What bothers me is why this case is not brought up in history books, or focused on in any other way. What bothers me is how I, as an Asian American woman had never heard of such injustice. What bothers me most is how minimal the focus of racial injustice is to my peers alike. 

According to Bonilla-Silva, the minimization of the significance of race is a central frame of color blind racism. When speaking of hate crimes of people of color, it is often taboo to call it a hate crime. Calling it a hate crime is asking for the debate on racism which in today's society appears to be "nonexistent." 

I'm not here to say that all of the other hate crimes that get attention don't deserve attention. In a society where racism is minimized, or brushed off the shoulder as insignificant, it is easy to get lost with the big picture. 

As the model minority coming from the bay area, a heavily populated area of asians, it is often minimized that asians experience racism. Coming to the Midwest as a person of color. I recognized that there was a sense of racial inequality throughout this campus. With something as simple as telling a story of a man of this specific race who was killed because of blind racism, more people would be educated and see the whole picture of things. I'm Asian America. I am a woman of color. I still experience racism and I feel just as uncomfortable as others who. this small sliver of minorities, although ideal, still deserves attention, and because of minimization, this often does not occur. Take Vincent Chin for example.