Groups Screen Hate Crime Film

In an effort to promote student awareness about racial profiling, the Asian American Association (AAA) and the Harvard Foundation for Race and Intercultural Relations screened a documentary last night about the widely controversial 1982 murder of a Chinese-American man in Detroit.

“Who Killed Vincent Chin?,” created by Renee E. Tajima ’80 and Christine Choy, follows the story of Chin’s killing and his mother’s five-year quest for justice. Chin was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat two days before his wedding at a strip club by Ronald Ebens and his stepson Michael Nitz in what was widely believed to be a racially motivated killing.

“This is the 20th anniversary of his death,” said AAA Co-President Sophia Lai ’04. “We want...to increase awareness of how discrimination can affect you even as a Harvard student.”

Lai expressed concern that people are unaware of the pervasiveness of hate crimes, particularly against Asian-Americans, because they are not familiar with issues Asian-Americans face.

The case caused national controversy and protest when both Ebens and Nitz were found not guilty of murder and civil rights violations. They were sentenced instead to three years of probation for the killing.

During the case, prosecutors argued the beating was motivated by Ebens’ and Nitz’s belief that Chin was Japanese. Prosecutors said the men resented the Japanese because they believed imported Japanese cars were causing layoffs in the American automobile manufacturing industry. Detroit in 1982 was experiencing severe layoffs in the business.

The documentary featured both supporters of Chin and supporters of Ebens and Nitz.

“Vincent Chin would be alive today if he were not Asian—there is no doubt about that,” said Helen Zia in the film. Zia was a key actor in the effort to secure harsher punishments for Ebens and Nitz.

Others featured in the documentary, including police officers on the scene and dancers in the club, were outraged that Ebens and Nitz were sentenced without testimony from key eyewitnesses.

“People had a strong reaction to the film. There was a realization that this actually happened, a disbelief,” said AAA President Roger Hong ’03. “It’s important to bring up the issue—it’s an issue many people aren’t aware of.”

Lai said she pushed for the screening as part of an AAA campaign for political, social and educational initiatives.

In the coming months, AAA will sponsor a number of events, including a panel co-sponsored with the Black Students Association and the Harvard Islamic Society, to explore discrimination and hate crimes based on appearance.

The screening was followed by a discussion devoted to racial profiling.