Lily Chin (Chinese: 陈余琼芳; 1920–2002)[1][3] was a Chinese-American activist known for her attempts to seek legal proceedings for the death of her adopted son, Vincent Chin.[4]
Lily Chin | |
|---|---|
 Lily Chin holds a photograph of her son Vincent, c. 1983 | |
| Born | 1920[1] |
| Died | June 10, 2002[2] |
| Known for | Activism for Asian-American rights |
Early life
editBorn in Heping, China, Lily Chin emigrated to the United States in 1948.[2][4] She married David Bing Hing Chin and adopted Vincent, their only child, from China in the 1960s.[2][4]
Death of Vincent Chin
editIn the 1980s, the popularity of Japanese automobiles in the United States led to job losses and anti-Japanese sentiments among Americans.[5]
About to be married in a few days, Vincent celebrated his bachelor's party in bar in Detroit with his friends.[5] Ronald Ebens Ebens and his stepson Michael Nitz, two unemployed Anglo American auto workers in the bar, thought Vincent was Japanese and an altercation ensued. They blamed him for the layoffs in the American auto industry and said racial slurs to him.[4][5] They were ejected from the bar, but chased Vincent down and killed him by hitting his head with a baseball bat.[4][5]
Activism
editThe two men who killed Vincent were found guilty, but only received a probation and a $3,000 fine.[5]
The leniency of the sentence sparked outrage among Asian-Americans. Chin spoke across the United States in rallies and demonstrations. With Chin as their moral conscience, a civil rights movement formed among Asian-Americans to seek a trial against the two killers, which resulted in the federal government pursuing a civil rights trial for an Asian-American for the first time.[5]
The 1984 federal civil rights case against the men found Ebens guilty of the second count and sentenced him to 25 years in prison; Nitz was acquitted of both counts. Ebens' conviction was overturned in 1986.[6]
A civil suit against Ebens and Nitz settled out-of-court. Nitz was ordered to pay $50,000 to the Chins. Ebens was ordered to pay $1.5 million to the family, but stopped making payments in 1989.[7]
Chin's role in the movement was documented in the movie Who Killed Vincent Chin?, an Academy Award nominee.[5]
She established a scholarship in Vincent's memory, to be administered by the Americans for American Citizens for Justice.[8]
Death
editAfter Ebens' acquittal, Chin returned to her hometown in Guangdong, China, in September 1987, reportedly because her home in Oak Park, Michigan, reminds her of the sad memories of her son.[4][2][9]: 175 She was diagnosed with cancer in 2001 and returned to Michigan for treatment.[9]: 176 She died in Farmington Hills, Michigan, in 2002 and was buried in Detroit with her husband and son.[4][2]
References
edit- ^ a b Zia, Helen (2002). "Eulogy for Mrs. Lily Chin (1920–2002)". Amerasia Journal. 28 (3): 60–65. doi:10.17953/amer.28.3.y4t7607652277415. ISSN 0044-7471.
- ^ a b c d e f g "OCA Mourns Death of Lily Chin" (Press release). June 10, 2002. Archived from the original on 2017-08-03 – via Asian American Council (Dayton, Ohio).
- ^ Smith, Mitch (2022-06-17). ""如今形势更糟"：陈果仁案40年后，亚裔仍未摆脱恐惧". 纽约时报中文网 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g Woo, Elaine (2002-06-14). "Lily Chin, 82; Son's Killing Led to Rights Drive". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g Zia, Helen (2009-01-01). "Lily Chin: The Courage to Speak Out". Untold Civil Rights Stories. Asian Pacific American Legal Center. pp. 35–41. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ US. v. Ebens, 800 F.2d 1422 (U.S. App. 6th Cir. 1986).
- ^ Henry Yee and the Estate of Vincent Chin (deceased) vs. Ronald Ebens, Michael Nitz, and Fancy Pants lounge, 83-309788 CZ (Mich 3rd Cir 1983).
- ^ "OCA Mourns Death of Lily Chin" (Press release). June 10, 2002. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017 – via Asian American Council (Dayton, Ohio).
- ^ a b Yoo, Paula (20 April 2021). From a whisper to a rallying cry : the killing of Vincent Chin and the trial that galvanized the Asian American movement. London: W. W. Norton & Company Ltd. ISBN 9781324002888.
External links
edit
Media related to Lily Chin at Wikimedia Commons
