Bill Text: MI SR0156 | 2021-2022 | 101st Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: A resolution to commemorate June 23, 2022, as the 40th anniversary of Vincent Chin's death.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-06-23 - Adopted [SR0156 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2021-SR0156-Enrolled.html
MICHIGAN SENATE
Senate Resolution No. 156
Offered by Senators Chang, Alexander, Bayer, Geiss, Moss, Polehanki, Santana and Wojno
A RESOLUTION TO COMMEMORATE JUNE 23, 2022,
AS THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF VINCENT CHIN’S DEATH
WHEREAS, Vincent Chin was born in the Guangdong province of China on May 18, 1955. In 1961, he was adopted from a Chinese orphanage by Bing Hing Chin and Lily Chin; and
WHEREAS, Chin’s father earned the ability for his wife to immigrate to the United States from his service in the United States Army during World War II; and
WHEREAS, Chin was raised in Highland Park, Michigan along Woodward Avenue until 1971 when his family moved to Oak Park. He graduated from Oak Park High School in 1973; and
WHEREAS, In 1982, Chin was employed as an industrial draftsman by an automotive supplier, worked weekends as a waiter in Ferndale, and was engaged to be married; and
WHEREAS, On June 19, 1982 in Highland Park, while celebrating his upcoming nuptials, Chin was attacked because of his race; and
WHEREAS, At a time when Japanese auto companies were thriving and the American auto industry was struggling, two former autoworkers mistook Chin for being Japanese and verbally harassed him, using racially motivated language; and
WHEREAS, Later that day, the same two men followed Chin to a nearby fast food restaurant. They bludgeoned Chin with a baseball bat until his skull cracked open; and
WHEREAS, Four days later on June 23 1982, Chin died at Henry Ford Hospital at the age of 27; and
WHEREAS, The two killers were convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to three years of probation, and fined $3,000.
Their sentences were considered by many to be an injustice, considering the severity of the crime; and
WHEREAS, Chin’s attorneys brought federal charges regarding the violation of Chin’s civil rights and successfully settled a civil case for unlawful death; and
WHEREAS, The hate crime and tragic killing of Vincent Chin sparked a pan-Asian American movement in Detroit.
Asian Americans of all ethnic groups came together to address injustice; and
WHEREAS, In the wake of Chin’s killing, American Citizens for Justice (ACJ) was founded in Michigan. ACJ organized rallies and events to advocate for equal justice for all; and
WHEREAS, 40 years after Chin’s death, there are parallels between the anti-Asian sentiment that existed in the 1980s and the current, ongoing wave of anti-Asian hate incidents and discrimination due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Asian Americans and their allies mark this 40th anniversary as an important opportunity for continued advocacy for equal justice and to stand against hate and discrimination; and
WHEREAS, We remember Vincent Chin and the legacy of the civil rights activism that originated from his tragic death; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the members of this legislative body commemorate June 23, 2022, as the 40th anniversary of Vincent Chin’s death.
Adopted by the Senate, June 23, 2022.
Secretary of the Senate
