A Day for Vincent Chin and Me

by Jacqueline Turner Banks

Tommy comes to understand the importance of fighting for one's beliefs after learning an important lesson from his mother about her own participation in the battle against racism.

112 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main characters are sixth graders, with Tommy being the main narrator. A friend of her sister's is deaf. The road they live on is one on which cars tend to speed, and many people are worried about the deaf girl being killed.

Tommy's mother is also going to be involved in a march for Vincent Chin, something which Tommy feels could draw attention to his being Japanese-American.

Vincent Chin was an actual person, Chinese-American, who was murdered in a racist act when two auto workers killed him, angry over Japan's effect on car sales in the U.S.

Tommy is upset when he finds out just how important a role his mother is playing in the march, and the fact that she is in danger because of that.

Tommy and his friends decide to build a speed bump to slow down traffic on their road. He gets home and finds KKK painted on his house. Tommy's grandmother had been interned.

Tommy has some black friends and one of them tries to help him understand what being in a minority can mean in relation to how you're perceived by others.

Tommy and his friends construct the speed bump (which the city plans to tear down and then immediately replace with an “official” speed bump). Tommy also realizes how important it is to do what you can to improve the lives of other people.

[Rahadyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ordered this a few weeks before Election Day, but it didn't arrive until a couple of days ago. While written and published before the events of 9/11, it was timely them and it seems timely now. I'll be giving this to my goddaughter/niece.

[libreroaming · Rating 2 out of 5]

A younger skewing middle grade novel about a boy named Tommy who is conflicted that his mother is organizing a rally for awareness of anti-Asian violence, like they did in 1982 when Vincent Chin was murdered. The title and the actual plot, that of Tommy and his friends deciding to make a homemade speed bump in order to slow down traffic and protect kids playing in the street, are very separate ideas that never fully come together except for the basic conceit of "stand up and do the right thing."

The book is also very dated, reading like it came from the mid-90s, which may make it harder for kids nowadays to feel connected to it. Probably good for a very soft introduction to social issues, as its direct addressal is present but not the major focus of the book, and the sixth grade characters read very young.

[Paul Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book for 5th-6th graders about prejudice and about making a difference to help others. However, I was disappointed in the ending because I wanted there to be a stronger connection at the end to the true and tragic story of Vincent Chin--someone we should all remember and tell kids about in order to stop racial injustice and violence. If the book had ended at a march/rally or something like that, I would have been more satisfied and moved.

[Miketif Celey]

that he is nice

[Taylor Doty · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cool book. It had a good message.

[Mills College Library]

Fiction B2184d 2001