In 1982 in Detroit, a 27-year-old Asian American man named Vincent Chin was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat by two white male auto workers while they yelled racial slurs at him. As he laid there dying, his skull cracked open and blood and cerebral matter pouring out of his head, he uttered his final words, “It’s not fair.” This was in the 1980s, during one of the worst economic recessions America had ever experienced. During the recession, unemployment was at an all-time high, and many Americans blamed huge Asian manufacturing companies such as Toyota and Honda, as workers from those companies were being laid off at mass rates. As a result, anti-Asian sentiment was running sky high. And while Vincent Chin, who was American as well, was feeling the effects of the recession just as much as anyone else since he too was part of the working class that was suffering, he represented everything many Americans hated at the time. Chin symbolized Asia, America’s economic rival that was causing people to lose their jobs. When his killers saw him, they didn’t see a fellow American; instead, they saw the face of the enemy.
A huge factor that contributed to this anti-Asian American rhetoric that swept America at the time was the words of politicians. During the recession, many politicians would fuel anti-Asian rhetoric to shift the blame from America’s suffering economy. For example, a very influential politician blamed the “little yellow men” as the reason behind the recession. Eventually, the general public would adopt the same hatred, leading to a massive spike in anti-Asian hate crimes during the recession.
Maybe we are seeing history repeat right before our eyes. With the coronavirus pandemic sweeping through America, crimes against Asians have been at an all-time high. According to advocacy group AAPI, just between March and June, there have been more than 2100 anti-Asian American hate incidents related to Covid-19. For example, at a San Francisco hardware store on May 6, one man yelled \”bringing that Chinese virus over here\” during an attack against an Asian American man. The perpetrator reportedly also said things such as \”Go back to China,\” \”Fuck you, Chinaman\” and \”Fuck you, you monkey” according to CBS news. In another incident on June 9, someone threw a glass bottle at an Asian American woman putting her child in a car seat and yelled, \”Go home Chink.\” And then in Santa Clara on June 16, a man kicked a woman\’s dog and then spat at her, saying, \”Take your disease that\’s ruining our country and go home.\” These are just a handful of incidents where Asian Americans have been harassed, discriminated against, and attacked; the “tip of the iceberg,” says Russell Jeung, professor at San Francisco State University. These acts are simply outrageous.
Asian Americans are Americans too, and we are in no part responsible for the actions of the Chinese government or bringing the Coronavirus to America. I cannot help but be reminded of the anti-Asian rhetoric that was so present during 1982 in America. The similarities are clear. Many Americans still do not see a fellow citizen when they see an Asian American. Instead, they see the face of an “enemy” and who they blame them for the Coronavirus pandemic, despite the fact that the Asian American community in the U.S has nothing to do with it and are completely without fault. Similar to the situation in 1982, we are seeing politicians continue to blame Asians for their own administration’s troubles. We have repeatedly seen President Trump calling the coronavirus the “Chinese Virus” or “Kung-Flu” according to CNBC, despite the World Health Organization having advised against it. Words matter, especially when they are coming from the highest position of power in the country, and President Trump\’s words have only promoted Anti Asian American sentiment. Many racist assailants who have targeted Asian Americans since the outbreak of Covid-19 have parroted Trump’s “Chinese Virus” term. President Trump needs to understand that words matter, and his words as a person of authority have a huge influence on the general public. The conclusion is very clear. It is time President Trump stops referring to the Covid-19 virus as the “Chinese Virus” or the “Kung-flu” so as to not promote Anti Asian American rhetoric.
Little, Becky. “How the 1982 Murder of Vincent Chin Ignited a Push for Asian American Rights.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 5 May 2020, www.history.com/news/vincent-chin-murder-asian-american-rights.