Essay: Finding the Courage to Cross the Street Again After Orlando - NBC News

My essay for NBC Asian America, remembering Vincent Chin, Joseph Ileto, Stockton School Shooting, and Orlando.

I remember the courage it took to take my children to Chinese summer camp the next morning. What if our visibly minority summer camp was targeted next? Is going to Chinese summer camp an act of bravery or an act of foolishness?

Essay: Finding the Courage to Cross the Street Again After Orlando - NBC News

Should Mark Wahlberg Be Pardoned for 1988 Assault? - NBC News.com

Asian Americans respond to Mark Wahlberg's application for pardon and 1988 court documents say race did have something to do with it. My article for NBC News Asian America.

But his assault conviction was accompanied by another, for contempt for court. That stemmed from a series of attacks he committed two years earlier, chasing and hurling rocks and racial epithets at African-American school children. A court prohibited him from assaulting, threatening, or intimidating anyone because of race or national origin; the 1988 investigation found him in violation of the order, meaning the court believed race did play a role in the attacks on Lam and Trinh.

Should Mark Wahlberg Be Pardoned for 1988 Assault? - NBC News.com

Ileto family remembers Joseph Ileto, slain 15 years ago

Remembering Joseph Ileto 15 years later:

Joseph Ileto, Ismael’s older brother, died Aug. 10, 1999 after being shot by Buford O. Furrow Jr., who had opened fire on five people at the Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills before encountering Ileto, who was working as a mail carrier in Chatsworth.

Ileto family remembers Joseph Ileto, slain 15 years ago

Francis Wong on #iamvincentchin

From jazz musician Francis Wong, reprinted with permission:

#iamvincentchin As with so many at that time the killing of Vincent Chin and the absolution of his murderers hit close. I was 25 at the time just two years younger than Vincent. And while what seems a world away from the unemployment and challenging conditions of Detroit, I had faced many potentially violent confrontations with white male students on campus in my undergraduate years at Stanford, particularly as I was doing my political organizing around issues such as the defense of affirmative action and divestment in South Africa. Particularly scary was being accosted by a group of white men in a pick up truck as I posted flyers by myself on campus for Asian American Student Association activities. (I never did that again alone). I became acutely aware of my vulnerability and developed sensitivity for situations that could get out of hand leading to dire consequences. In the decades since, this sense of danger has not abated; facing blatant and hateful behavior on occasion in my travels as a musician in our country. Of course, while I try to be careful, this has not deterred my participation in efforts to assert our humanity in our society. The killing of Vincent Chin led to a very passionate and transformational movement that I am forever grateful to have been a part of. Especially important to me was the opportunity to have a direction in my early career as a musician playing in Jon Jang's ensembles as a means to participate in a watershed period of development in our community. Thanks for listening/reading, I know this is a little long.

Frances Kai-Hwa Wang on Role of the Media in Vincent Chin Case State Bar of Michigan Legal Milestone - YouTube

Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, Executive Director American Citizens for Justice, "Role of the Media in the Vincent Chin Case and the Birth of the Asian American Civil Rights Movement" at The State Bar of Michigan's 34th Michigan Legal Milestone commemoration of the Vincent Chin Case "From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry," Friday, June 19, 2009.



Finally got this video cut and uploaded!

Frances Kai-Hwa Wang on Role of the Media in Vincent Chin Case State Bar of Michigan Legal Milestone - YouTube

Remembering Vincent Chin video from Ankur Dholakia then of Detroit News

Thanks to Ankur Dholakia, then at Detroit News, for this clip of the Vincent Chin memorial plaque installation in Ferndale, Michigan, in 2010, which includes a short summary of the case and its significance at the beginning by former American Citizens for Justice Executive Director Frances Kai-Hwa Wang (me).







Here's another video clip of the installation ceremony from WXYZ News that does not want to embed:
Video: Dec 2010 WXYZ News: Plaque honoring murdered Asian man, Vincent Chin, unveiled in Ferndale
wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/oakland_county/plaque-honoring-murdered-man-unveiled-in-ferndale

AMERICAN CITIZENS FOR JUSTICE/ ASIAN AMERICAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE OBSERVES THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE OAK CREEK SIKH TEMPLE KILLINGS AND URGES TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING

From American Citizens for Justice, inc. / Asian American Center for Justice

It was just one year ago on August 5, 2012 when white supremacist Wade Michael Page opened fire at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, killing six people. Candlelight vigils were held, and First Lady Michelle Obama visited the temple later that same month. The act was described by Attorney General Eric Holder as “an act of terrorism, an act of hatred, a hate crime.”

Upon the first anniversary of this massive hate crime, American Citizens for Justice/Asian American Center for Justice (ACJ) calls upon civil rights leaders and all people to remember the incident, the victims, and to redouble their efforts to preach tolerance and understanding of people of different ethnicities and faiths.

Emma Chen, president of American Citizens for Justice, observed “We should take this opportunity to speak out on the tragic effects of unprovoked racial hatred and acts of violence, whether it occurs in our schools, places of work, or places of worship.”

Join ACJ in remembering the victims at Oak Creek, and pledging to speak for tolerance and understanding.

American Citizens for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit civil rights organization devoted to advocacy and education on civil rights for Asian Americans and all people.

Why We Must Remember Oak Creek | Valarie Kaur

Great article on the one year anniversary of the Oak Creek shootings by Valarie Kaur

Why We Must Remember Oak Creek | Valarie Kaur