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From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
America in 1982: Japanese car companies are on the rise and believed to be putting U.S. autoworkers out of their jobs. Anti–Asian American sentiment simmers, especially in Detroit. A bar fight turns fatal, leaving a Chinese American man, Vincent Chin, beaten to death at the hands of two white men, autoworker Ronald Ebens and his stepson, Michael Nitz.
Paula Yoo has crafted a searing examination of the killing and the trial and verdicts that followed. When Ebens and Nitz pled guilty to manslaughter and received only a $3,000 fine and three years’ probation, the lenient sentence sparked outrage. The protests that followed led to a federal civil rights trial—the first involving a crime against an Asian American—and galvanized what came to be known as the Asian American movement.
Extensively researched from court transcripts, contemporary news accounts, and in-person interviews with key participants, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry is a suspenseful, nuanced, and authoritative portrait of a pivotal moment in civil rights history, and a man who became a symbol against hatred and racism.
Paula Yoo has crafted a searing examination of the killing and the trial and verdicts that followed. When Ebens and Nitz pled guilty to manslaughter and received only a $3,000 fine and three years’ probation, the lenient sentence sparked outrage. The protests that followed led to a federal civil rights trial—the first involving a crime against an Asian American—and galvanized what came to be known as the Asian American movement.
Extensively researched from court transcripts, contemporary news accounts, and in-person interviews with key participants, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry is a suspenseful, nuanced, and authoritative portrait of a pivotal moment in civil rights history, and a man who became a symbol against hatred and racism.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 20, 2021
90 people are currently reading
3465 people want to read
About the author
Paula Yoo
12 books85 followersPaula Yoo is an acclaimed book author, TV writer/producer, and musician. Her children’s and Young Adult nonfiction books and novels have won many awards, including the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the National Book Award Longlist for Young People’s Literature, ALA-YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Honor, Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist, the Asian Pacific American Youth Literature Award, several IRA Notables and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, plus many starred reviews.
Her latest YA nonfiction book, RISING FROM THE ASHES: LOS ANGELES, 1992. EDWARD JAE SONG LEE, LATASHA HARLINS, RODNEY KING, AND A CITY ON FIRE, was published on May 7, 2024 by Norton Young Readers (W.W. Norton & Co.). It was selected as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard and has received five stars so far from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Horn Book, School Library Journal, and the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.
The paperback version of her award-winning YA nonfiction book, FROM A WHISPER TO A RALLYING CRY: THE KILLING OF VINCENT CHIN AND THE TRIAL THAT GALVANIZED THE ASIAN AMERICAN MOVEMENT (Norton Young Readers 2021) is now available along with a teacher’s guide.
Paula is also the author of several award-winning nonfiction children’s books for Lee & Low Books which include SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS: THE SAMMY LEE STORY, SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG STORY, and TWENTY-TWO CENTS: MUHAMMAD YUNUS AND THE VILLAGE BANK. All three picture book biographies are available in chapter book form in Lee & Low’s “THE STORY OF…” series. Paula’s three CONFETTI KIDS early reader books for Lee and Low include LILY’S NEW HOME, WANT TO PLAY, and THE PERFECT GIFT, which have received starred reviews and were chosen as a CCBC Choices by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections.
As an executive producer/screenwriter, Paula has written for over a dozen TV shows, from NBC’s The West Wing to Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle and The CW’s Supergirl. She has sold several TV pilots and features to places like Peacock, Onyx/Hulu, and Amazon. She has been a member of the WGA (Writers Guild of America) since 2002.
As a former journalist, Paula wrote for The Seattle Times, The Detroit News, and PEOPLE Magazine. She graduated with a B.A. cum laude in English from Yale University, an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College, where she was the recipient of the Larry Levis Fellowship in Fiction.
Paula also works as a professional violinist, having played with such ensembles as the Southeast Symphony, Vicente Chamber Orchestra, Torrance Symphony, Glendale Philharmonic, New Haven Symphony, and the Detroit Civic Symphony Orchestra. She performed, toured and recorded with bands such as Il Divo, No Doubt, Fun, Arthur Lee, Love Revisited, Spiritualized, and the King Crimson tribute band The Great Deceivers. She is a member of the AFM Local 47 (American Federation of Musicians).
Paula lives with her family and cats in Los Angeles, California. Her brother, David Yoo, is also an acclaimed book author who has written many Young Adult and adult novels for Hyperion, Delacorte, Balzer & Bray, and Grand Central. https://www.daveyoo.com/author/
Her latest YA nonfiction book, RISING FROM THE ASHES: LOS ANGELES, 1992. EDWARD JAE SONG LEE, LATASHA HARLINS, RODNEY KING, AND A CITY ON FIRE, was published on May 7, 2024 by Norton Young Readers (W.W. Norton & Co.). It was selected as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard and has received five stars so far from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Horn Book, School Library Journal, and the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.
The paperback version of her award-winning YA nonfiction book, FROM A WHISPER TO A RALLYING CRY: THE KILLING OF VINCENT CHIN AND THE TRIAL THAT GALVANIZED THE ASIAN AMERICAN MOVEMENT (Norton Young Readers 2021) is now available along with a teacher’s guide.
Paula is also the author of several award-winning nonfiction children’s books for Lee & Low Books which include SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS: THE SAMMY LEE STORY, SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG STORY, and TWENTY-TWO CENTS: MUHAMMAD YUNUS AND THE VILLAGE BANK. All three picture book biographies are available in chapter book form in Lee & Low’s “THE STORY OF…” series. Paula’s three CONFETTI KIDS early reader books for Lee and Low include LILY’S NEW HOME, WANT TO PLAY, and THE PERFECT GIFT, which have received starred reviews and were chosen as a CCBC Choices by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections.
As an executive producer/screenwriter, Paula has written for over a dozen TV shows, from NBC’s The West Wing to Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle and The CW’s Supergirl. She has sold several TV pilots and features to places like Peacock, Onyx/Hulu, and Amazon. She has been a member of the WGA (Writers Guild of America) since 2002.
As a former journalist, Paula wrote for The Seattle Times, The Detroit News, and PEOPLE Magazine. She graduated with a B.A. cum laude in English from Yale University, an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College, where she was the recipient of the Larry Levis Fellowship in Fiction.
Paula also works as a professional violinist, having played with such ensembles as the Southeast Symphony, Vicente Chamber Orchestra, Torrance Symphony, Glendale Philharmonic, New Haven Symphony, and the Detroit Civic Symphony Orchestra. She performed, toured and recorded with bands such as Il Divo, No Doubt, Fun, Arthur Lee, Love Revisited, Spiritualized, and the King Crimson tribute band The Great Deceivers. She is a member of the AFM Local 47 (American Federation of Musicians).
Paula lives with her family and cats in Los Angeles, California. Her brother, David Yoo, is also an acclaimed book author who has written many Young Adult and adult novels for Hyperion, Delacorte, Balzer & Bray, and Grand Central. https://www.daveyoo.com/author/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
February 17, 2023
This book was really really really good. I didn't know this story and thought it was laid out beautifully for the reader. Yes, this is aimed at a YA audience, but honestly the book is for all ages (I would say over 12 because of language and violence). My only complaint is that the book has photos throughout and the photos have blurbs and the blurbs sometimes spoil what is to come in the book. Very annoying.
April 12, 2021
When Vincent Chin was brutally murdered in Detroit by an auto worker and his laid off step-son in June of 1982, I had just finished my sophomore year of high school in the suburbs, where I was the only Japanese-American student and everybody seemed to assume that me and Kim the only Korean-American and Plato the only Chinese-American were all either related or interchangeable. My Japanese father, who was working in the auto industry at the time, died last year, and this is yet another thing I wish I'd had the opportunity to discuss with him. Especially now, in light of all the anti-Asian violence Trump instigated with his China Flu baiting. Paula Yoo's timing for this book release is impeccable. I like how she describes the local and national history leading up to the fateful event, which became the country's first federal civil rights trial in connection with an Asian American citizen, in addition to faithfully researching its personal, legal and political aftermath.
I was so sickened by Ron Ebens being sentenced to probation and a $3,000 fine for bashing in a young man's head over and over and over again with a baseball bat. And then all the more with the realization of what he meant when he told police officers on the scene "he shouldn't have done it". That Vincent Chin shouldn't have reacted to insults being hurled at him, that he should have sucked it up like he's supposed to. To quote Helen Zia, "it just goes to show just how ignorant white America is."
I was so sickened by Ron Ebens being sentenced to probation and a $3,000 fine for bashing in a young man's head over and over and over again with a baseball bat. And then all the more with the realization of what he meant when he told police officers on the scene "he shouldn't have done it". That Vincent Chin shouldn't have reacted to insults being hurled at him, that he should have sucked it up like he's supposed to. To quote Helen Zia, "it just goes to show just how ignorant white America is."
October 18, 2022
I find this review hard to write for some reason but I just found my notes so I'm going to basically just list my bullet point thoughts.
* The description of the beating death of Vincent Chin gave me nightmares. It felt too graphic (And as I write this I'm hip deep in my annual monthlong horror fest, so I'm not exactly a wimp). But--and please don't think I'm being disrespectful of this real, tragic murder--beating someone to death with a baseball bat to the head makes me flash back to that scene in The Walking Dead. If you've seen the series, you know the one. That scene broke me so my feelings about this book's description of the murder may be distorted by that fictional, horrifically graphic scene.
* When we talk about the concept of social justice, I personally almost always think of the Black community. That's my own shortsightedness and I need to work on it. I like that this book reminded me that social justice includes many other races and ethnicities and I need to be more aware of that.
* In that vein, I appreciated that the protest group that formed in response to Vincent's death had a fairly nonspecific, more inclusive, and still somehow pointed name--"American Citizens for Justice." That group could (and did/does?) include not only Asian people but also people from many other backgrounds. Whatever our heritage, we're all Americans now and we should celebrate our differences, not persecute others.
* At the time of his death, Vincent was engaged to Vicki. In fact, he was beaten to death just about a week before their wedding. Vicki later had a son (not Vincent's) and the author included bits of interviews with him. These completely interrupted the narrative flow of the history for me and they felt very random. Maybe they were included in an effort to make this event relevant to today's youth? But I think just having one full chapter about his reaction at the end would have been a better option.
* This is a small quibble but I didn't know anything about this murder before I read this book. So the captions of the pictures sometimes gave away events that hadn't been detailed yet. The layout could have been improved to prevent that.
This murder led to the first federal civil rights trial involving a crime against an Asian American and I bet most people aren't familiar with it. This book is important for many reasons and I hope others will read it and become familiar with the history and ongoing ramifications.
* The description of the beating death of Vincent Chin gave me nightmares. It felt too graphic (And as I write this I'm hip deep in my annual monthlong horror fest, so I'm not exactly a wimp). But--and please don't think I'm being disrespectful of this real, tragic murder--beating someone to death with a baseball bat to the head makes me flash back to that scene in The Walking Dead. If you've seen the series, you know the one. That scene broke me so my feelings about this book's description of the murder may be distorted by that fictional, horrifically graphic scene.
* When we talk about the concept of social justice, I personally almost always think of the Black community. That's my own shortsightedness and I need to work on it. I like that this book reminded me that social justice includes many other races and ethnicities and I need to be more aware of that.
* In that vein, I appreciated that the protest group that formed in response to Vincent's death had a fairly nonspecific, more inclusive, and still somehow pointed name--"American Citizens for Justice." That group could (and did/does?) include not only Asian people but also people from many other backgrounds. Whatever our heritage, we're all Americans now and we should celebrate our differences, not persecute others.
* At the time of his death, Vincent was engaged to Vicki. In fact, he was beaten to death just about a week before their wedding. Vicki later had a son (not Vincent's) and the author included bits of interviews with him. These completely interrupted the narrative flow of the history for me and they felt very random. Maybe they were included in an effort to make this event relevant to today's youth? But I think just having one full chapter about his reaction at the end would have been a better option.
* This is a small quibble but I didn't know anything about this murder before I read this book. So the captions of the pictures sometimes gave away events that hadn't been detailed yet. The layout could have been improved to prevent that.
This murder led to the first federal civil rights trial involving a crime against an Asian American and I bet most people aren't familiar with it. This book is important for many reasons and I hope others will read it and become familiar with the history and ongoing ramifications.
March 17, 2021
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry in exchange for an honest review.
It's difficult with books like these to separate content and intent from impact because ultimately while I think Vincent Chin's story and the implications of it on a global scale are important things to examine, I don't think Yoo did a good job of it here.
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry turns the story of Vincent Chin and the impact of his murder into a YA piece and while I appreciate Yoo's intent, it wasn't well done. This is mostly just shelved as YA because we occasionally peak in on the son of Chin's fiancée, but I wouldn't even call it a framing device. It's more like an occasional after thought to justify this being YA. The story is also way longer and slower than it should have been to novelize everything and the narration is blunt and clinical and honestly, the whole time I was reading it, I was just wishing I'd researched Vincent Chin on my own instead. Everything good about this comes from facts and quotes surrounding the case and instead of making that more lyrical or more compelling to appeal to a new audience, this book bogs it down to try and turn it into a novel and it didn't work for me.
It's difficult with books like these to separate content and intent from impact because ultimately while I think Vincent Chin's story and the implications of it on a global scale are important things to examine, I don't think Yoo did a good job of it here.
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry turns the story of Vincent Chin and the impact of his murder into a YA piece and while I appreciate Yoo's intent, it wasn't well done. This is mostly just shelved as YA because we occasionally peak in on the son of Chin's fiancée, but I wouldn't even call it a framing device. It's more like an occasional after thought to justify this being YA. The story is also way longer and slower than it should have been to novelize everything and the narration is blunt and clinical and honestly, the whole time I was reading it, I was just wishing I'd researched Vincent Chin on my own instead. Everything good about this comes from facts and quotes surrounding the case and instead of making that more lyrical or more compelling to appeal to a new audience, this book bogs it down to try and turn it into a novel and it didn't work for me.
February 28, 2021
Overall, this book did a good job of relaying the complexity of the Vincent Chin case from the cultural context, the act itself, the trials, and its legacy, up to and including the racism surrounding the Coronavirus.
That said, this retelling was a slog. If part of the intent was to sympathize with the dragging of the justice system that ultimately failed by being slowly dragged through the process, then it succeeds. I don't see a YA audience going for this. I dont see other 40 somethings like myself going for this.
I am also not sure how this is YA. There is an occasional parallel story drawn about the son of Vincent's former fiancee. It was distracting more than enlightening and the story arc never was completed.
My take away is to seek out the documentaries mentioned and / or shorter video clips to incorporate into lessons on the economic changes in cities like Detroit in the 70s and 80s. If anyone has opinions or sources on those, let me know!!
Thank you to Paula Yoo, WW Norton and Co, and Netgalley for a free ecopy in exchange for an honest review
That said, this retelling was a slog. If part of the intent was to sympathize with the dragging of the justice system that ultimately failed by being slowly dragged through the process, then it succeeds. I don't see a YA audience going for this. I dont see other 40 somethings like myself going for this.
I am also not sure how this is YA. There is an occasional parallel story drawn about the son of Vincent's former fiancee. It was distracting more than enlightening and the story arc never was completed.
My take away is to seek out the documentaries mentioned and / or shorter video clips to incorporate into lessons on the economic changes in cities like Detroit in the 70s and 80s. If anyone has opinions or sources on those, let me know!!
Thank you to Paula Yoo, WW Norton and Co, and Netgalley for a free ecopy in exchange for an honest review
March 31, 2023
This book provides the facts of the case from a very objective lens, which I think was necessary in order to ensure that the violent mistreatment and wrongful death of Vincent were not discredited.
However, I feel that writing in such an unbiased manner gave the killers more remorse than should have been given. It frustrates me that the judicial system of the nation truly fails to protect us by choosing to protect individuals they unfortunately may have an inherent bias to treat better. Just because an individual has a clean track record does not and will not EVER justify killing someone. If someone’s character doesn’t align with the heinous crime they committed, that does not mean they should go unpunished. So although people will disagree with me on this, I hope that killer never lives a day with a peaceful mind or clean conscience because no matter how long they rot away, all the “suffering” they experience from harassment and all the time they sit in remorse about their actions will NEVER bring the man he killed back.
The story of Vincent Chen brings so many charged emotions, and I really wish this book focused more on that. Maybe I’m naive to say that this book gave too much sympathy when none should have been given.
So in the end, this book left me hollow. Maybe because I hoped to fill this hunger for justice that I thought could be achieved only by inflicting the same hurt the killer left.
But that’s not the case.
It’s true. “It’s not fair.” So, what can we do? I wanted the book to say more on what we can do to EMPOWER ourselves rather than victimizing ourselves. In the afterward, the author wrote an anecdote about a racist encounter she experienced from white neighbors during the pandemic as they noticed her asian heritage. But I did not hear meaningful solutions that changes a culture that allows hatred because of someone’s race to breed.
Condemn individuals in influential positions when they make remarks that are implicitly racist that puts minority communities at risk of experiencing violent attacks. Share the culture and customs from different ethnic backgrounds to prevent individuals from staying ignorant and intolerant to cultural diversity. We need to break down the racist mentality that an individual’s worth is inferior simply because they are of a different ethnicity.
I wanted the book to shed light on the irreparable damage a reckless killing causes. I wanted it to evoke the emotions of loss and injustice at a level that some might not have ever experienced in their lives. And at the same time, I wanted to have hope that there is a possibility to change this reality. I wanted a lot from this book. But this book held back on the parts it needed to hit home.
However, I feel that writing in such an unbiased manner gave the killers more remorse than should have been given. It frustrates me that the judicial system of the nation truly fails to protect us by choosing to protect individuals they unfortunately may have an inherent bias to treat better. Just because an individual has a clean track record does not and will not EVER justify killing someone. If someone’s character doesn’t align with the heinous crime they committed, that does not mean they should go unpunished. So although people will disagree with me on this, I hope that killer never lives a day with a peaceful mind or clean conscience because no matter how long they rot away, all the “suffering” they experience from harassment and all the time they sit in remorse about their actions will NEVER bring the man he killed back.
The story of Vincent Chen brings so many charged emotions, and I really wish this book focused more on that. Maybe I’m naive to say that this book gave too much sympathy when none should have been given.
So in the end, this book left me hollow. Maybe because I hoped to fill this hunger for justice that I thought could be achieved only by inflicting the same hurt the killer left.
But that’s not the case.
It’s true. “It’s not fair.” So, what can we do? I wanted the book to say more on what we can do to EMPOWER ourselves rather than victimizing ourselves. In the afterward, the author wrote an anecdote about a racist encounter she experienced from white neighbors during the pandemic as they noticed her asian heritage. But I did not hear meaningful solutions that changes a culture that allows hatred because of someone’s race to breed.
Condemn individuals in influential positions when they make remarks that are implicitly racist that puts minority communities at risk of experiencing violent attacks. Share the culture and customs from different ethnic backgrounds to prevent individuals from staying ignorant and intolerant to cultural diversity. We need to break down the racist mentality that an individual’s worth is inferior simply because they are of a different ethnicity.
I wanted the book to shed light on the irreparable damage a reckless killing causes. I wanted it to evoke the emotions of loss and injustice at a level that some might not have ever experienced in their lives. And at the same time, I wanted to have hope that there is a possibility to change this reality. I wanted a lot from this book. But this book held back on the parts it needed to hit home.
September 25, 2021
A deeply researched, compelling, and heartbreaking examination of a brutal killing that resonated with Asian Americans and galvanized a movement. A bar fight in Detroit turns fatal, leaving Chinese American Vincent Chin beaten to death at the hands of two white men, autoworker Ronald Ebens and his stepson, Michael Nitz. Yoo vividly recounts the killing, the trial, and verdicts that followed. Ebens and Nitz plead guilty to manslaughter, but the punishment was a $3,000 fine and three years probation. The lenient sentence sparked outrage among Asian Americans, resulting in protests and demands for justice. The first federal civil rights trial involving a crime against an Asian American followed. A riveting portrait of a pivotal moment in civil rights history, and a man who became a symbol against hatred and racism.
May 7, 2021
I couldn’t stop listening to this - I knew absolutely nothing about it prior to listening, and yet this case changed so much about the justice system & took place mere miles down the road from where I teach. This is the first book I’ve read that directly discusses racism towards Asian Americans, and my eyes are opened. Not only does it discuss the scope of this case, but the current racism toward Asian Americans during the pandemic is also briefly addressed. I can’t think of a more important time to read/listen to this book.
Read
May 5, 2021For readers who want a book at the intersection of true crime and social justice, Yoon's YA nonfiction is a winner. The book follows the murder of young Chinese American Vincent Chin in Detroit in 19082 by two white men, Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz. What began as a fight at a dance club sparked a series of trials where racism lie at the heart of the murder -- at a time when anti-Asian sentiment in Detroit was high, especially among those in and near the auto industry, many believed this crime happened as a result. The series of trials were able to happen due to Vincent's mother Lily advocating for her son and helping spearhead social justice movements among and for Asian Americans.
The book, which initially doesn't seem like YA, is a read so many teens will love because of how it ties together crime and social justice. But it also is a story of family secrets: the framing of the book is around Vincent's fiancee's son, who never knew his mother lost her first love to violence. When he discovers this, he unravels a whole history of his mom, his family, and Asian American activism he never knew before.
Yoo's research is excellent and the narrative engaging. It's not an easy read, and it's a reminder that 1982 wasn't that long ago. The end of the book ties the events in the early 80s to today's anti-Asian sentiments.
The book, which initially doesn't seem like YA, is a read so many teens will love because of how it ties together crime and social justice. But it also is a story of family secrets: the framing of the book is around Vincent's fiancee's son, who never knew his mother lost her first love to violence. When he discovers this, he unravels a whole history of his mom, his family, and Asian American activism he never knew before.
Yoo's research is excellent and the narrative engaging. It's not an easy read, and it's a reminder that 1982 wasn't that long ago. The end of the book ties the events in the early 80s to today's anti-Asian sentiments.
July 19, 2021
Very interesting, I really liked reading into the Court case. It really goes to show that racism towards Asian Americans didn't just "start" in the recent years, rather, it's something thats been constant since Asians first immigrated into America in the early nineteenth century. And it's even more interesting to note (like author Paula You did) that there was so much normalized racism towards Asians, often overlooking hardships the community faced as a result of stereotypes and the model minority myth. After reading this book, I thought greatly about the stigma around Asians (especially in recent light of the pandemic) and wondered if Ebens and Nitz would've been tried the same had it been a white man they'd killed. My personal thoughts, though I am partial with this, having read a story largely on the side of Liza Chan, Helen Zia, etc., (spoilers!!) are that Ebens had violated Vincent Chin's rights, though at the time the idea of civil rights and racism were largely different. Though it's understandable Ebens and Nitz will and were unable to ever live a normal life as a result of the medias heavy coverage on the issue, it is important to remember Vincent Chin had died and couldn't live his life. Powerful and compelling nonfiction story.
January 18, 2021
My deepest thanks to Netgalley & publishers for giving me an arc of this book!
After reading 'from a whisper to a rallying cry', one thing stands out to me: Even after 40 years, Vincent Chin's case is still very much present in the world, the hate is still here and unforgivably living.
This book gave me a part of American/world history I didn't know. And showed me that I need to look harder at the world and history & today.
This book was a perfectly unbiased read; it made sure you felt the heartbreak of the case and that you knew everyone from Lily Chin to Eben were human, and it gave their sides and the facts. No one can claim it was biased or that it affected their opinion in this case. It, in the end, left me heartbroken.
Little note: I will be requesting my store and stores surrounding me to get this book. The hate and harassment that Asians in the world had to experience during the pandemic were awful, and I hope that many can read this and realize we must always fight for each other. We have to fight for the BLM, Chinese Muslims, and more.
After reading 'from a whisper to a rallying cry', one thing stands out to me: Even after 40 years, Vincent Chin's case is still very much present in the world, the hate is still here and unforgivably living.
This book gave me a part of American/world history I didn't know. And showed me that I need to look harder at the world and history & today.
This book was a perfectly unbiased read; it made sure you felt the heartbreak of the case and that you knew everyone from Lily Chin to Eben were human, and it gave their sides and the facts. No one can claim it was biased or that it affected their opinion in this case. It, in the end, left me heartbroken.
Little note: I will be requesting my store and stores surrounding me to get this book. The hate and harassment that Asians in the world had to experience during the pandemic were awful, and I hope that many can read this and realize we must always fight for each other. We have to fight for the BLM, Chinese Muslims, and more.
August 31, 2023
“This is injustice to the grossest extreme. I grieve in my heart and shed tears in blood. My son cannot be brought back to life, but he was a member of your council. Therefore, I plead to you. Please let the Chinese American community know, so they can help me hire legal counsel to appeal, so my son can rest his soul”.
The fear of the world forgetting Vincent Chin came true, as without this book, I would not know his name. I would not have kept him alive in memory or through the power of sharing his story. Paula Yoo not only gave voice to Vincent and made sure he continued to be relevant, but Yoo also brought an intimacy to this book as we learned and cared about his mother, Lily Chin, and the key people who played a part in Vincent’s life before and after his death. We also meet his murderer and stepson; nothing justifies his right to take a life, yet everyone has an opinion. At a time when Japanese car imports were "disrupting" America, racial tension began to rise, and it continued to filter throughout Detroit. Vincent Chin was full of life and on his way to becoming married as he celebrated his bachelorette party with friends. Though different stories arose from Vincent’s tragic death, the comment of a racial slur against him sparked a movement that can never be forgotten. Vincent was 27, adopted, loved, and though his parents found out the "American Dream" was not real as they searched for a better life, Vincent was able to have numerous opportunities and share his joy with so many others. His death was brutal and out in the open, and the men who degraded him only received three years of probation and a $3,000 fine each. Justice was not served, and Lily Chin’s cry for help woke America up. Yoo details so much with interviews, facts, and even pictures. This book keeps Vincent’s life and story alive and speaks on unity and the Asian American Movement as the American Citizens for Justice took a stand and could not be silenced. Laws have been put in place, and though it took a tragedy to happen, the memory must never die. I understand this is a YA book, but it is a book for everyone and will always be relevant.
The fear of the world forgetting Vincent Chin came true, as without this book, I would not know his name. I would not have kept him alive in memory or through the power of sharing his story. Paula Yoo not only gave voice to Vincent and made sure he continued to be relevant, but Yoo also brought an intimacy to this book as we learned and cared about his mother, Lily Chin, and the key people who played a part in Vincent’s life before and after his death. We also meet his murderer and stepson; nothing justifies his right to take a life, yet everyone has an opinion. At a time when Japanese car imports were "disrupting" America, racial tension began to rise, and it continued to filter throughout Detroit. Vincent Chin was full of life and on his way to becoming married as he celebrated his bachelorette party with friends. Though different stories arose from Vincent’s tragic death, the comment of a racial slur against him sparked a movement that can never be forgotten. Vincent was 27, adopted, loved, and though his parents found out the "American Dream" was not real as they searched for a better life, Vincent was able to have numerous opportunities and share his joy with so many others. His death was brutal and out in the open, and the men who degraded him only received three years of probation and a $3,000 fine each. Justice was not served, and Lily Chin’s cry for help woke America up. Yoo details so much with interviews, facts, and even pictures. This book keeps Vincent’s life and story alive and speaks on unity and the Asian American Movement as the American Citizens for Justice took a stand and could not be silenced. Laws have been put in place, and though it took a tragedy to happen, the memory must never die. I understand this is a YA book, but it is a book for everyone and will always be relevant.
May 12, 2021
Compelling and unfortunately timely! A few months ago I saw a twitter poll asking if readers had heard of Vincent Chin, and TBH the only reason I had was because I'd seen reviews of this (then-upcoming) book. It's unfortunately safe to assume a lot of teen readers won't have learned about this story in school, either. Anyway, Yoo does a great job of unpacking the sort of messy details of the legal case(s) involved but the heart of the story is the Asian American civil rights movement responding to the case. A great read for teens (or underinformed adults!) interested in history/social justice (I saw some reviews listing this as "true crime" which I guess...technically....it is....but the murder itself isn't exactly the focus of the story. So if you just want to read about murder this probably isn't your best bet.) There's a short afterword talking about the ongoing anti-AAPI racism of the COVID era, which is grim but helpful for readers who might not have been able to connect the dots.
May 19, 2021
Reading this felt like grieving for a loved one even though I never knew Vincent Chin. I've known about Vincent Chin for almost a decade now, having first learned about him during my undergrad years, but this is my first time finding out about a lot of the nitty-gritty details of his death and the trials that followed. Reading the multiple witness testimonies describing the scene of his beating really broke me. He was born just four years before my own dad, and he died about a year before my dad set foot in the American Midwest, just a state away from Michigan. If Vincent were still alive, he'd have children around my age. He was 27 when he was murdered, and I'm now 28, older than he was when he passed. It hurt a lot to read this, but remembering that we are undergoing a revival of Asian American activism gives me hope.
July 3, 2022
This book was a compelling and heartbreaking read about the racially motivated murder of Vincent Chan, a case I am somewhat embarrassed to say I hadn't heard of beforehand. It was informative and getting to read about the court case in detail was very interesting. Excellent non-fiction YA book that is sadly still relevant today, especially considering the tensions over the last few years.
March 2, 2022
The book could've used some better editing - but the story is so compelling and important.
We already know the justice system in America is far from perfect - but to hear a judge say outright that it isn't, shocked me: "You don't make the punishment fit the crime, you make the punishment fit the criminal." (62) So, you can kill a person and not serve time??? Apparently - in this case if you've held a responsible job at the same company for 17-18 years!
I was also surprised by how few Asian Americans lived in the US in the 1980s - I suppose growing up in California, even a small town, gave me an incorrect perception of the US as a whole. Only 1.5% of the population was Asian American per the 1980 census (p.126)
We already know the justice system in America is far from perfect - but to hear a judge say outright that it isn't, shocked me: "You don't make the punishment fit the crime, you make the punishment fit the criminal." (62) So, you can kill a person and not serve time??? Apparently - in this case if you've held a responsible job at the same company for 17-18 years!
I was also surprised by how few Asian Americans lived in the US in the 1980s - I suppose growing up in California, even a small town, gave me an incorrect perception of the US as a whole. Only 1.5% of the population was Asian American per the 1980 census (p.126)
August 4, 2024
Like most people, I had no idea who Vincent Chin and why his case mattered until recently. If you were like me, then FROM A WHISPER TO A RALLYING CRY will be an eye-opening read that, while not perfect, is incredibly informative.
With compassionate objectivity, Yoo reconstructs the events of the night in June 1982 when Chin was brutally murdered by a baseball bat wielded by two white men. The book then follows the move to re-try his murder case as a civil rights trial when the first judge sentenced Ebens and Nitz only to probation and a $3000 fine, and the way in which the outcome of that federal trial (the men were found not guilty of committing a hate crime against Chin on account of his race) continues to influence the Asian American rights movement nowadays. Despite being published as a book for young readers, Yoo’s prose is universally accessible.
Yoo smartly lingers in the parts of the book with the most emotional impact: the night of Chin’s murder, and the civil rights trial. The latter in particular will raise your blood pressure as you learn just how stacked the US’ judicial system is against helping people of color win fair and just recognition. My mouth fell open and my heart swelled with rage as I listened to the manner in which the jury for the trial was selected: the final roster of 12 jurors and 2 alternates consisted of 3 African Americans and 11 white people. No Asian American jurors were chosen because the judge felt they “would be influenced by their connection to the Asian American community.” Such a juror selection process invariably discriminates against people of color and produces a largely privileged and apolitical pool of jurors. It’s no wonder that cops are always being acquitted of murdering black people, if this is how the juror selection process works.
Two things held me back from giving this a higher rating. The first is that I didn’t quite understand the decision to bracket each part of the book with the story of Jared Lew, who was the Asian American photographer who accompanied Yoo on some of her research trips, and whose mother was Chin’s fiancée. While that factoid was fascinating, I wasn’t sure what purpose it served, in particular because that arc goes nowhere: now, as before, Vikkie Wong has steadfastly refused to be interviewed, desiring instead to leave that part of her life in the past. All the respect for her decision—but if that was the case, then why leave Jared’s arc in the book? I found myself getting distracted by it, wanting some resolution to Jared and his mother’s story rather than focusing on the meatier parts of the book.
The second is either Yoo’s objectivity or the actual facts of the trial themselves do not paint a clear picture of Chin’s murder being racially motivated. If Ebens simply murdered Chin because Chin said the wrong thing to him that night, and not because he held a grudge against the Japanese and Japanese-looking people, that would also be a travesty. But Chin’s murder is often portrayed as being the epitome of Asian hate in the US and the predecessor to today’s Stop Asian Hate movement… and I’m not convinced. The takeaway I got from the book is that racially motivated crimes are very difficult to prove.
With compassionate objectivity, Yoo reconstructs the events of the night in June 1982 when Chin was brutally murdered by a baseball bat wielded by two white men. The book then follows the move to re-try his murder case as a civil rights trial when the first judge sentenced Ebens and Nitz only to probation and a $3000 fine, and the way in which the outcome of that federal trial (the men were found not guilty of committing a hate crime against Chin on account of his race) continues to influence the Asian American rights movement nowadays. Despite being published as a book for young readers, Yoo’s prose is universally accessible.
Yoo smartly lingers in the parts of the book with the most emotional impact: the night of Chin’s murder, and the civil rights trial. The latter in particular will raise your blood pressure as you learn just how stacked the US’ judicial system is against helping people of color win fair and just recognition. My mouth fell open and my heart swelled with rage as I listened to the manner in which the jury for the trial was selected: the final roster of 12 jurors and 2 alternates consisted of 3 African Americans and 11 white people. No Asian American jurors were chosen because the judge felt they “would be influenced by their connection to the Asian American community.” Such a juror selection process invariably discriminates against people of color and produces a largely privileged and apolitical pool of jurors. It’s no wonder that cops are always being acquitted of murdering black people, if this is how the juror selection process works.
Two things held me back from giving this a higher rating. The first is that I didn’t quite understand the decision to bracket each part of the book with the story of Jared Lew, who was the Asian American photographer who accompanied Yoo on some of her research trips, and whose mother was Chin’s fiancée. While that factoid was fascinating, I wasn’t sure what purpose it served, in particular because that arc goes nowhere: now, as before, Vikkie Wong has steadfastly refused to be interviewed, desiring instead to leave that part of her life in the past. All the respect for her decision—but if that was the case, then why leave Jared’s arc in the book? I found myself getting distracted by it, wanting some resolution to Jared and his mother’s story rather than focusing on the meatier parts of the book.
The second is either Yoo’s objectivity or the actual facts of the trial themselves do not paint a clear picture of Chin’s murder being racially motivated. If Ebens simply murdered Chin because Chin said the wrong thing to him that night, and not because he held a grudge against the Japanese and Japanese-looking people, that would also be a travesty. But Chin’s murder is often portrayed as being the epitome of Asian hate in the US and the predecessor to today’s Stop Asian Hate movement… and I’m not convinced. The takeaway I got from the book is that racially motivated crimes are very difficult to prove.
April 24, 2023
This is the story of the murder of Vincent Chin in 1982 and the prosecution of his killers, and the history of Asian American hate crimes. I found the story, especially interesting because it takes place in the area of Detroit Michigan in many locations that are familiar to me because I grew up in a northern Detroit suburb and live the first 30+ years of my life in southeastern Michigan.
I have a 20 year old adopted daughter from China, who had her own experiences of hate and discrimination directed at her by several classmates at school shortly after the election of Donald Trump.
I have a 20 year old adopted daughter from China, who had her own experiences of hate and discrimination directed at her by several classmates at school shortly after the election of Donald Trump.
June 21, 2021
Having not known much about the Vincent Chen case prior to reading this novel, it was really informative. But I especially liked how it touched on Asian and Black solidarity through the trial with people like Jesse Jackson and many other racial/ethnic minority groups coming together. I wish we learned this in history class :(
May 5, 2022
4.5 stars. Such an important event in Asian American history.
November 7, 2022
The story was compelling, the story-telling less so. Still, I'm glad I read it. I'm embarrassed to admit I knew nothing about the case prior to reading it his book.
April 27, 2023
This was written for a YA audience but I appreciated it so much! I didn't really know the story of Vincent Chin, who was murdered in 1982. His Asian American community rallied to demand justice and there are so many parallels to our current society (think Stop AAPI Hate and the protests after the murder of George Floyd).
Yoo provides a lot of context and definitions (i.e. the different types of manslaughter) and explanations (i.e. that oriental used to be a socially acceptable term to use) but is never condescending. She presents facts of the case and biographical details of all the parties, victim and perpetrators, providing a nuanced story that isn't just right vs. wrong. If this helped me critically think about Chin's murder, it would be amazing for high school kids to discuss with a savvy teacher.
I was completely invested in Yoo's storytelling and wanted to know the story of Chin, his family and the generation of Asian American activists described in the book.
Yoo provides a lot of context and definitions (i.e. the different types of manslaughter) and explanations (i.e. that oriental used to be a socially acceptable term to use) but is never condescending. She presents facts of the case and biographical details of all the parties, victim and perpetrators, providing a nuanced story that isn't just right vs. wrong. If this helped me critically think about Chin's murder, it would be amazing for high school kids to discuss with a savvy teacher.
I was completely invested in Yoo's storytelling and wanted to know the story of Chin, his family and the generation of Asian American activists described in the book.
June 22, 2021
This book is an incredible read.
With this book, specifically written for teenage readers, there is now a readily accessible way for all American students, Asian or not, to learn about this critically important piece of American civil rights and Asian American history. Chapters are short, concise, and very approachable. But even though it's YA, it does not pull any punches; every detail of the murder and trial is laid bare. Parents should know that this book uses the word "motherfucker" explicitly, as well as racial slurs like Chink, Nip, and Jap, but only because they are part of direct quotes related to the case. There's also a passing mention of prostitution.
I think the author choosing to tell the story interspersed with the experiences of Jarod Lew was brilliant. I didn't know about Vincent Chin until well after college, and the fact that Jarod didn't know about Vincent Chin until he was 25 was not only believable to me, but actually representative of my generation of Asian Americans.
Having read Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People by Helen Zia, who played a major role in the activism surrounding the Vincent Chin case, I thought I had a pretty good understanding of what happened. Still, this book presented a deluge of information that was new to me, including heartwarming and heartbreaking anecdotes about Vincent, his mother, his friends, and the activists demanding justice. As a mother myself, I bawled every time Lily Chin's part of the story was told; I could feel the weight of the enormity of what she suffered and how much she fought.
Given the target audience, I liked the occasional reminder of how events occurred before social media and even before personal computers were prevalent, e.g., the way flyers and press releases had to be typewritten, cut and pasted, and frequently hand-delivered to recipients. (p. 93-94, 130) I also appreciated how the author connected the behaviors of people involved in the case to relevant terminology that is used today but which was not yet coined in the 1980s, like "white privilege" (p. 239) and "toxic masculinity" (p. 241).
It's clear the author did an immense amount of research, getting perspectives from basically every person remotely involved in the case, on both sides. Paula Yoo impressively managed to walk the fine line of humanizing the killers without excusing their actions or defending their light sentences.
Notably, the book is physically heavy. Each page is printed on glossy photo paper, which allows pictures to be displayed throughout the book according to their relevance to the text. I actually love this formatting because when photos are grouped together in the middle of a book, I always feel a little annoyed having to flip back and forth between text and related photos. I also liked that any time images with text were included, they were printed with enough clarity to actually be read.
Incidentally, there's an episode of the They Call Us Bruce podcast with the author, Paula Yoo, which I also highly recommend. It's an excellent conversation with even more behind-the-scenes tidbits.
With this book, specifically written for teenage readers, there is now a readily accessible way for all American students, Asian or not, to learn about this critically important piece of American civil rights and Asian American history. Chapters are short, concise, and very approachable. But even though it's YA, it does not pull any punches; every detail of the murder and trial is laid bare. Parents should know that this book uses the word "motherfucker" explicitly, as well as racial slurs like Chink, Nip, and Jap, but only because they are part of direct quotes related to the case. There's also a passing mention of prostitution.
I think the author choosing to tell the story interspersed with the experiences of Jarod Lew was brilliant. I didn't know about Vincent Chin until well after college, and the fact that Jarod didn't know about Vincent Chin until he was 25 was not only believable to me, but actually representative of my generation of Asian Americans.
Having read Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People by Helen Zia, who played a major role in the activism surrounding the Vincent Chin case, I thought I had a pretty good understanding of what happened. Still, this book presented a deluge of information that was new to me, including heartwarming and heartbreaking anecdotes about Vincent, his mother, his friends, and the activists demanding justice. As a mother myself, I bawled every time Lily Chin's part of the story was told; I could feel the weight of the enormity of what she suffered and how much she fought.
Given the target audience, I liked the occasional reminder of how events occurred before social media and even before personal computers were prevalent, e.g., the way flyers and press releases had to be typewritten, cut and pasted, and frequently hand-delivered to recipients. (p. 93-94, 130) I also appreciated how the author connected the behaviors of people involved in the case to relevant terminology that is used today but which was not yet coined in the 1980s, like "white privilege" (p. 239) and "toxic masculinity" (p. 241).
It's clear the author did an immense amount of research, getting perspectives from basically every person remotely involved in the case, on both sides. Paula Yoo impressively managed to walk the fine line of humanizing the killers without excusing their actions or defending their light sentences.
Notably, the book is physically heavy. Each page is printed on glossy photo paper, which allows pictures to be displayed throughout the book according to their relevance to the text. I actually love this formatting because when photos are grouped together in the middle of a book, I always feel a little annoyed having to flip back and forth between text and related photos. I also liked that any time images with text were included, they were printed with enough clarity to actually be read.
Incidentally, there's an episode of the They Call Us Bruce podcast with the author, Paula Yoo, which I also highly recommend. It's an excellent conversation with even more behind-the-scenes tidbits.
June 21, 2022
Quick read. Very important part of history, well researched, and put into an easily accessible YA version for younger readers. I was unexpectedly impressed in which the various angles the case was presented as well.
March 19, 2021
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was born in the late 80s so just slightly past when the last bit of these court proceedings passed. I still never heard anything about this story though. This book really touched my heart, especially in light of recent hate crimes against the AAPI population. This is an important book to read.
I was born in the late 80s so just slightly past when the last bit of these court proceedings passed. I still never heard anything about this story though. This book really touched my heart, especially in light of recent hate crimes against the AAPI population. This is an important book to read.
May 21, 2021
5 stars. Audiobook.
I devoured this book in 48 hours. It was my first read in my new quest to explicitly and consciously educate myself on America’s history with Anti-Asian racism. My husband, who is Japanese, and I plan to move to the States from Japan in the next few years and I wanted to make sure I was equipped to be the best partner for him I could be in a new political landscape (especially one with a language barrier). I’ve always been aware of Asian slurs and the concept that racism towards Asians existed in America, but outside of the Japanese Internment camps from WWII, I wasn’t aware of other specific instances. Including, it pains me to say, Vincent Chin’s story. I’m very thankful I know it now.
This is a must read. The rallying cry that Vincent Chin’s murder inspired was the catalyst for different Asian communities uniting under the “Asian American” alliances we now recognize. But this book not only explores the effects his death caused, it also talks about his life, which is just as important.
I don’t want to talk too much more as I think you should go into the this book knowing only what the author tells you in the title. Let yourself go on the journey of sadness, anger, and hope as you experience both the delivery and miscarriage of justice in the case of Vincent Chin.
Let it inspire us all to be better.
I devoured this book in 48 hours. It was my first read in my new quest to explicitly and consciously educate myself on America’s history with Anti-Asian racism. My husband, who is Japanese, and I plan to move to the States from Japan in the next few years and I wanted to make sure I was equipped to be the best partner for him I could be in a new political landscape (especially one with a language barrier). I’ve always been aware of Asian slurs and the concept that racism towards Asians existed in America, but outside of the Japanese Internment camps from WWII, I wasn’t aware of other specific instances. Including, it pains me to say, Vincent Chin’s story. I’m very thankful I know it now.
This is a must read. The rallying cry that Vincent Chin’s murder inspired was the catalyst for different Asian communities uniting under the “Asian American” alliances we now recognize. But this book not only explores the effects his death caused, it also talks about his life, which is just as important.
I don’t want to talk too much more as I think you should go into the this book knowing only what the author tells you in the title. Let yourself go on the journey of sadness, anger, and hope as you experience both the delivery and miscarriage of justice in the case of Vincent Chin.
Let it inspire us all to be better.
May 5, 2021
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement is an account of the 1982 killing of Vincent Chin and its subsequent impact on Asian Americans' civil rights struggles. Paula Yoo, an author, screenwriter, and musician wrote this biography.
Vincent Jen Chin was a Chinese American draftsman who was beaten to death by two white men, Chrysler plant supervisor Ronald Ebens and his stepson, laid-off autoworker Michael Nitz. Ebens and Nitz assailed Chin following a brawl that took place at a strip club in Highland Park, Michigan, where Chin had been celebrating his bachelor party with friends in advance of his upcoming wedding. They apparently assumed Chin was of Japanese descent and are alleged to have used racial slurs as they attacked him.
In 1982 Detroit, anti–Asian American sentiment is on the rise as Japanese car companies are purported to threaten the livelihoods of American autoworkers. After autoworker Ronald Ebens and his stepson Michael Nitz, both white, kill Chinese American Vincent Chin, they plead guilty to his manslaughter, but are let off with a lenient sentence. This served as a wake-up call for Asian America, as this incident spurs outrage and action in the Asian American community.
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement is written and researched extremely well – it is far from perfect, but it comes rather close. Through in-person interviews, court transcripts, and present-day accounts, Yoo's exhaustively details Chin’s murder and carefully considers its resulting impact.
Eyewitness accounts provide clarity, and detailed chronicling of the trials elicits justified frustration on the final verdict. In six well-structured parts, suspenseful narration illuminates Chin's personal life, his gruesome death, the trials’ obstacles, and Chin’s legacy with well-integrated news clippings and emotive photographs imbue events with a hard-hitting real-time feel.
Furthermore, this resonant, painstakingly recreated historical account features a timely afterword spotlighting the rise in anti-AAPI violence amid the Covid-19 pandemic, drawing parallels between this haunting account of a 40-year-old crime to present-day atrocities. Back matter includes a timeline, notes, list of sources, and suggestions for further reading.
All in all, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement is an accessible and compelling account of a tragedy that resonates through the decades.
Vincent Jen Chin was a Chinese American draftsman who was beaten to death by two white men, Chrysler plant supervisor Ronald Ebens and his stepson, laid-off autoworker Michael Nitz. Ebens and Nitz assailed Chin following a brawl that took place at a strip club in Highland Park, Michigan, where Chin had been celebrating his bachelor party with friends in advance of his upcoming wedding. They apparently assumed Chin was of Japanese descent and are alleged to have used racial slurs as they attacked him.
In 1982 Detroit, anti–Asian American sentiment is on the rise as Japanese car companies are purported to threaten the livelihoods of American autoworkers. After autoworker Ronald Ebens and his stepson Michael Nitz, both white, kill Chinese American Vincent Chin, they plead guilty to his manslaughter, but are let off with a lenient sentence. This served as a wake-up call for Asian America, as this incident spurs outrage and action in the Asian American community.
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement is written and researched extremely well – it is far from perfect, but it comes rather close. Through in-person interviews, court transcripts, and present-day accounts, Yoo's exhaustively details Chin’s murder and carefully considers its resulting impact.
Eyewitness accounts provide clarity, and detailed chronicling of the trials elicits justified frustration on the final verdict. In six well-structured parts, suspenseful narration illuminates Chin's personal life, his gruesome death, the trials’ obstacles, and Chin’s legacy with well-integrated news clippings and emotive photographs imbue events with a hard-hitting real-time feel.
Furthermore, this resonant, painstakingly recreated historical account features a timely afterword spotlighting the rise in anti-AAPI violence amid the Covid-19 pandemic, drawing parallels between this haunting account of a 40-year-old crime to present-day atrocities. Back matter includes a timeline, notes, list of sources, and suggestions for further reading.
All in all, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement is an accessible and compelling account of a tragedy that resonates through the decades.
May 23, 2022
I read this in two days. The short, snappy chapters helped keep my focus, and ever since I learned about Vincent Chin (just a few years ago) I have been interested in a more complete story of what happened.
Chin was attacked the day after I was born, not 40 miles away. He died four days later. The trial and appeals of his murderers did not end until I was almost five. I was (very) young when all this happened, but at no point did I hear about this case; it wasn’t until I was 37, and it was both striking and pure happenstance. This book came out not two years later, in time for the 40th anniversary of Chin’s death.
I was most impressed by how restrained Yoo was as she circled around and around this story. She relates a slew of details that are quite disturbing and upsetting, but at no point did I feel she was being either gratuitous or overly condemning. She begins with the attack, then the death, then the first trial, followed by the wave of outrage and activism, and then the two civil rights trials. Tucked in there are brief overviews of many of the people involved, including the son of Vincent’s fiancée, who had no idea that his mother was once engaged to a man who was brutally murdered.
The layers of this story continually unpeel, through the horrific actions of the core tragedy, through a clunky justice system, and explore Asian-American activism and the way our law has changed since this case was decided. It is clear, too, that (other that the extreme violence of Ron Ebens) there are a lot of people who were not necessarily good or bad. Just ordinary people inspired to speak up about a tragic situation, and some of them made mistakes. Or ordinary people trying to do their job within a flawed system. Yoo does not make a lot of judgements (however sorely she may have been tempted), and she doesn’t make Ebens out as a supervillain either. But she does highlight how cracks in the law of the time allowed Ebens to beat a man to death and never serve jail time, even though he fully expected to. She also connects the anti-Japanese sentiment of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s with continued bigotry today.
Both a dark chapter in Michigan history, and an inspiring look at people who tried to stand up for justice using the tools at their disposal.
Chin was attacked the day after I was born, not 40 miles away. He died four days later. The trial and appeals of his murderers did not end until I was almost five. I was (very) young when all this happened, but at no point did I hear about this case; it wasn’t until I was 37, and it was both striking and pure happenstance. This book came out not two years later, in time for the 40th anniversary of Chin’s death.
I was most impressed by how restrained Yoo was as she circled around and around this story. She relates a slew of details that are quite disturbing and upsetting, but at no point did I feel she was being either gratuitous or overly condemning. She begins with the attack, then the death, then the first trial, followed by the wave of outrage and activism, and then the two civil rights trials. Tucked in there are brief overviews of many of the people involved, including the son of Vincent’s fiancée, who had no idea that his mother was once engaged to a man who was brutally murdered.
The layers of this story continually unpeel, through the horrific actions of the core tragedy, through a clunky justice system, and explore Asian-American activism and the way our law has changed since this case was decided. It is clear, too, that (other that the extreme violence of Ron Ebens) there are a lot of people who were not necessarily good or bad. Just ordinary people inspired to speak up about a tragic situation, and some of them made mistakes. Or ordinary people trying to do their job within a flawed system. Yoo does not make a lot of judgements (however sorely she may have been tempted), and she doesn’t make Ebens out as a supervillain either. But she does highlight how cracks in the law of the time allowed Ebens to beat a man to death and never serve jail time, even though he fully expected to. She also connects the anti-Japanese sentiment of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s with continued bigotry today.
Both a dark chapter in Michigan history, and an inspiring look at people who tried to stand up for justice using the tools at their disposal.
May 31, 2021
Thanks to the serendipity of a well timed library hold, this was the last book in my Asian-American authors readfest in honor of Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and I can't think of a better book to close out the month.
I'm embarrassed to admit I knew almost nothing about Vincent Chin until the so-called Atlanta spa shootings -- the killing of six Asian women in Atlanta in March 2021 -- brought his name into the conversation again. Vincent Chin was a Chinese-American in Detroit who in June 1982, one week before his wedding, in full view of a group onlookers that included two police offers, was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat by two white men who would never serve any jail time. The perceived injustice led to nationwide rallies of Asian-Americans across the spectrum of ethnicities, inspiring a generation into activism.
The book is apparently targeted to younger readers, but you'd never know that from the way it reads - American dream gone awry, budding love story, legal thriller all in one. I could not put this down from the beginning and read this in one go. (Thank you, supportive cushions and nearby beverages.) The author presents so many points of view and deftly keeps them balanced - there is no clear cut mustachioed villain, and the complexity of it makes it all the more heartbreaking. Some of the quietest sections in the book brought me to tears unexpectedly. Progress came, but at such high cost.
I especially appreciated the author's afterword, discussing this past year's lockdown and how anti-Asian incidents rose in response to politicians who if not incited the racism, at the very least condoned it. A reminder that history doesn't happen in a vacuum.
I'm embarrassed to admit I knew almost nothing about Vincent Chin until the so-called Atlanta spa shootings -- the killing of six Asian women in Atlanta in March 2021 -- brought his name into the conversation again. Vincent Chin was a Chinese-American in Detroit who in June 1982, one week before his wedding, in full view of a group onlookers that included two police offers, was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat by two white men who would never serve any jail time. The perceived injustice led to nationwide rallies of Asian-Americans across the spectrum of ethnicities, inspiring a generation into activism.
The book is apparently targeted to younger readers, but you'd never know that from the way it reads - American dream gone awry, budding love story, legal thriller all in one. I could not put this down from the beginning and read this in one go. (Thank you, supportive cushions and nearby beverages.) The author presents so many points of view and deftly keeps them balanced - there is no clear cut mustachioed villain, and the complexity of it makes it all the more heartbreaking. Some of the quietest sections in the book brought me to tears unexpectedly. Progress came, but at such high cost.
I especially appreciated the author's afterword, discussing this past year's lockdown and how anti-Asian incidents rose in response to politicians who if not incited the racism, at the very least condoned it. A reminder that history doesn't happen in a vacuum.
May 31, 2025
In the late night of June 19, 1982, a fight broke out in a nightclub that eventually lead to the death of Vincent Chin, who was brutally beaten via baseball bat. Days later, Vincent would die and his death would spark a rally of many Asian Americans when they heard the initial sentencing of the man who killed Vincent, Ronald Ebens, to just a probation & a small fine. This public outcry would spark a movement that installed laws for hate crimes and bringing the plight of the Asian American experience to a greater public view. Paula Yoo documents the trial, the re-trial, and the legacy that was left behind since Vincent Chin's death.
Written for a young adult audience, Yoo captures in great details of the events that lead to the murder, the context of social & political background of the early 1980s, and the trials of Eben's conviction. Yoo gathers information from contemporary sources and viewpoints from all sides, from Vincent's friends & Eben's supporters. Much of the book focuses on the outcry and the court cases, but it also delves into how, despite the upsetting judgement, it brought greater recognition to Asian Americans when they had been largely ignored by the media and the government. Written in great detail, I learned a lot about the controversy surrounding the case and hear about how the power of unity can bring forth social movements. I do think many readers, especially the new, younger generation of Asian Americans will benefit greatly in learning about this incident and how far we have come, even when things still aren't perfect. It is an inspiring story of when one knows they need to take a stand against wrongdoing.
Written for a young adult audience, Yoo captures in great details of the events that lead to the murder, the context of social & political background of the early 1980s, and the trials of Eben's conviction. Yoo gathers information from contemporary sources and viewpoints from all sides, from Vincent's friends & Eben's supporters. Much of the book focuses on the outcry and the court cases, but it also delves into how, despite the upsetting judgement, it brought greater recognition to Asian Americans when they had been largely ignored by the media and the government. Written in great detail, I learned a lot about the controversy surrounding the case and hear about how the power of unity can bring forth social movements. I do think many readers, especially the new, younger generation of Asian Americans will benefit greatly in learning about this incident and how far we have come, even when things still aren't perfect. It is an inspiring story of when one knows they need to take a stand against wrongdoing.
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