Who Killed Vincent Chin (1987)
We view the documentary Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987) because it brings together patterns and themes we've been exploring in class over the past few weeks. As you view this video, take notes that help you to address the following questions:
- What structural conditions in 1980s Detroit, Michigan contributed to the murder of Vincent Chin? What organizations and institutions are key to the events that took shape?
- What cultural dynamics played into the racial climate of the time? How were APIs viewed by the dominant culture and why?
- How was power distributed among groups? Where was power among groups observed?
- In addition to racial and ethnic identities, how would you describe the manner in which socioeconomic, gender, and sexual orientation identities also shaped the dynamics surrounding Vincent's death?
- What events in the documentary illustrate the close relationship among power, culture, social structure, and identity?
- How do your observations of the Vincent Chin case relate to ideas, themes, and patterns we've explored in our cross-ethnic group analysis so far?