What the Invisibility of Vincent Chin Says About AAPIs Today

Only 12 percent of Americans are moderately aware of the story of Vincent Chin — a young Asian American whose brutal murder 40 years ago this month still weighs heavily on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. At a time when AAPI hate and violence continue to run rampant, Vincent’s invisibility speaks volumes about the hurdles we face — all these years later — to be seen and feel that we belong in this country.

At just 27 years old, on the night of his bachelor party on June 19, 1982, Vincent was pursued and beaten to death with a baseball bat by two white autoworkers outside of a McDonald’s in Detroit, Michigan. At the time, the success of Japanese carmakers coincided with the collapse of Detroit’s auto industry and mass unemployment — all of which contributed to a rise in anti-Asian sentiment. Although Vincent was Chinese American, not Japanese, it didn’t matter. His attackers knew Vincent’s identity but targeted him anyway —?just for being Asian American, just for being “other.”?

This racist, senseless act of violence spurred outrage with protests taking place across the country. The response ultimately resulted in the first federal civil rights trial for an Asian American and the expansion of civil rights laws to include Asian Americans. These protections are still in place, but 40 years after Chin’s death, hate and violence directed at the AAPI community is at an all time high. We need to recognize this reality, and act with an urgency commensurate with this crisis.???

Anti-AAPI hate incidents were up 339% in 2021, and according to the 2022 STAATUS Index, nearly one-third of Americans are unaware of the rising number of attacks plaguing Asian American communities. Americans are not only blind to the pervasiveness of anti-AAPI hate in our present, but also our past. Even when prompted with specific events, many Americans are not familiar with the history and experiences of Asian Americans. Vincent Chin isn’t the only example. Only about half of Americans are familiar with the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and only 28 percent are familiar with the mistreatment of South Asian Americans after the attacks on 9/11.?

As we’ve seen previously, the recent? surge in anti-AAPI hate incidents has been fueled by misperceptions others have about our communities. Thanks to harmful rhetoric like “China Virus” that was promoted by prominent public figures — including the former president of the United States — Asian Americans have been scapegoated for the pandemic. And even though the Trump administration is no longer in power, and pandemic restrictions have largely been lifted, Americans are more likely to question Asian Americans’ loyalty to the United States and more likely to blame us for COVID-19 than they were in 2021. As attitudes toward Asian Americans are getting worse, it’s no wonder that violence toward us has too.

If we want to stop this trajectory we are on, and finally break these cycles of hate that have littered our American experience for far too long, then we need to make AAPI experiences more visible to curb stereotypes and racist attitudes before they can take root. Of course we need to address the hate as it is happening, but we also must ensure that as a society we are seeking solutions that can bring about long-term, lasting change.

First, it’s crucial that AAPI history is taught in public schools so that young people have the opportunity to learn about our diverse communities’ valuable contributions to this nation. Students need to learn at an early age that AAPI history is American history —?there is no difference. The states of Illinois and New Jersey recently required AAPI history be taught in public schools, and Rhode Island seems to be ready to do the same. Other states committed to tackling anti-AAPI hate should follow suit.

Second, we need to better center the stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the media and in television and film. Our stories too often go untold entirely, or they’re told in ways that box us into negative or stereotypical roles. There’s no reason for this. In fact, consider how a strong majority of Americans want to see more Asian Americans represented on the silver screen — what’s holding Hollywood back??

Finally, AAPIs also need to be centered in business and philanthropy. Our communities have historically been abysmally underfunded , receiving less than 0.2 percent of charitable giving. Increasing philanthropic funding for AAPI organizations and causes will help ensure that issues impacting our communities are better addressed and get broader visibility. In the business sector, companies have come forward in recent years committing to do their part to advance racial justice. Those efforts must be inclusive of AAPIs so that our communities have equal opportunities to climb the corporate ladder and achieve broader prosperity.

Vincent Chin would have been 67 years old today. He might have had children and even grandchildren. But like far too many others in this nation, he was killed just because of what he looked like. I hope the 40th anniversary of his death encourages more to learn his story and that of so many others who have been impacted by racism in America. Asian American and Pacific Islander stories need to be seen and heard, otherwise we’ll never have what so many others have long enjoyed in this country: to feel that we belong.

Norman Chen has served as CEO of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) since November 2021, and he co-founded Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change (LAAUNCH) in September 2020.