Officials of Ferndale, Mich., last month unveiled a memorial in honor of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American killed in a brutal hate crime that would go on to spur a pan-Asian American movement for justice in the historic case. A marker, titled “In Memory of Vincent Chin,” was installed at an intersection on Woodward Avenue and Nine Mile Road, just across the street from a local restaurant where members of the Asian American community first gathered to organize and rally after Chin’s beating death in 1982.
The case, often noted in Asian American studies classes, outraged Asian American across the country after assailants Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz were sentenced to three years of probation and a $3,000 fine in a plea deal. The two Detroit autoworkers, who blamed Chin for losing their jobs (they mistook him for Japanese at a time when the Japanese auto industry was rising), were never sentenced to prison time.
“The murder of Vincent Chin was a hate crime made worse by the failure of our legal system to live up to the American promise of justice for all,” said Ferndale Mayor Craig Covey, during an unveiling ceremony. “This memorial symbolizes a shared community value: The people of Ferndale join others in standing up for acceptance, fairness and equality for everyone.”
The landmark hate crime case not only mobilized an Asian American movement, but also led to a changed legal system regarding sentencing guidelines and victims’ rights.
Roland Hwang, vice-chair of the Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, told the the Detroit News that the memorial cannot erase the past, but offers hope for the future. “The impact of the case touched so many people beyond the Asian American community,” he said. “This [memorial] reflects the coming together of so many groups.”
