Recognizing the significance of the 40th anniversary of Vincent Chin's death.

Whereas June 23, 2022, marks the 40th anniversary of the death of Vincent Jen Chin; Whereas Chin, a United States citizen of Chinese descent, lived in Michigan during an economic recession when factories were being closed and workers were being laid off, leading some to blame Japanese imports for the challenges facing the United States automobile industry; Whereas the economic challenges in Detroit resulted in strong anti-Japanese sentiments, including acts of vandalism against Japanese cars, threats against Japanese car owners, disparaging signs, and attempts to burn the Japanese flag in protest; Whereas Chin, who was celebrating his upcoming wedding with friends in the Detroit area, was chased down and beaten to death with a baseball bat by two men who accused him of being responsible for the loss of automobile manufacturing jobs in the United States; Whereas Chin’s killers were found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 3 years of probation and a $3,000 fine, never serving a day in jail for Chin’s murder; Whereas the tragedy of Chin’s death became a primary catalyst for a unified, panethnic Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) movement and united people from all communities to fight against hate; Whereas the lessons of Chin’s death still hold critical relevance today as we address the ongoing challenges of hate crimes, profiling, xenophobia, and bullying; Whereas anti-Asian hate has occurred throughout our nation’s history and continues in the present day; Whereas it was anti-Asian hate that fueled the Chinese American Exclusion Act of 1882, the imprisonment of 120,000 innocent Japanese Americans during World War II, and attacks targeting Muslim, Middle Eastern, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian communities after 9/11; Whereas, in 2021, anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 339 percent, and in 2020, they increased by 124 percent; Whereas over 11,000 anti-Asian hate incidents have been reported to Stop AAPI Hate since March 2020, and many more have gone unreported; Whereas far too many have lost their lives to the most recent wave of anti-Asian hate; Whereas a recent survey found that between 2021 and 2022, Americans have become more likely to suspect that Asian Americans are more loyal to the countries they or their families immigrated from than the United States; Whereas the most recent wave of anti-Asian hate stems not only from the pandemic but also from broader rhetoric around economic competition with China, mirroring the hate that fueled the brutal attack that killed Vincent Chin; and Whereas history is once again repeating itself as anti-Asian hate rises in a time of economic anxiety: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes the significance of the 40th anniversary of Vincent Chin’s death as an important time to reflect on the dangers of xenophobia and scapegoating of Asian and Asian-American communities; (2) recognizes that anti-Asian hate continues to plague our country; and (3) mourns all those who have lost their lives to anti-Asian hate.

Summary: This resolution recognizes the significance of the 40th anniversary of Vincent Chin's death and mourns those of have lost their lives to anti-Asian hate. Vincent Chin was killed in a racially motivated assault.