Video Interviews

Jack Wong on Knowing Vincent Chin as a Friend and Schoolmate in College
Vincent Chin has become an icon, but in the process, the actual person of Vincent has often been lost in the enormity of the case itself. After VINCENT WHO? was completed, the director learned, to his unexpected surprise, that one of his uncles actually knew Vincent Chin in college. In this interview, the director asks his Uncle Jack to reflect back on his friendship with Vincent. And in doing so, Wong offers a rare glimpse into Vincent Chin's character and personality.

Lisa Ling with Words of Tough Love for the Asian American Community
In perhaps her most candid on-camera interview to-date on Asian American matters, world-renowned journalist Lisa Ling offers a revealing look into her growing up as an Asian American, the challenges she faced as an Asian American journalist, and why Vincent Chin's death still haunts her. She also does not mince words in assessing the Asian American community and what it must do to make real progress in America.

Dale Minami on the Chin Case and the Japanese American Redress Movement
Dale Minami, a civil rights lawyer, was one of the leading activists in the Japanese American Redress Movement, which sought reparations for Japanese Americans who were ordered into internment camps during World War II. Shaped by his critical involvement in this movement and other Asian American civil rights cases, Minami offers his seasoned perspective on the Vincent Chin case and other thorny questions concerning the Asian American community.

Helen Zia on the Chin Case and Asian American Activism - Past, Present and Future
As a leading activist during the Chin case, and a journalist, author and scholar on APA issues, Helen Zia reflects with knowledge and passion on the Asian American movement that emerged out of the Vincent Chin case, the state of the APA landscape today, and the imperative of continued Asian American activism into the future.

Frank Wu on the Historical Context Behind Vincent Chin's Murder
Inspired by the Vincent Chin case to pursue an active role in civil rights, law, and scholarship, Frank Wu shares why the story of Vincent Chin is the story of a city (Detroit) and the story of a country (America). He provides a fascinating look into the historical circumstances that made Detroit in the 1980s the most difficult place in America to be Asian American, creating a "perfect storm" of events that would lead to Vincent Chin's murder.

New!  Angela Oh on the 1992 L.A. Riots, the Chin Case, and a Critique of APAs
Attorney Angela Oh, perhaps the most prominent Korean American leader to emerge from the 1992 L.A. Riots, discusses that seismic event in relation to the Vincent Chin case, critical lessons learned, and the problematic nature of pan-Asian unity. Frank and incisive, she comments on topics ranging from the profundity of silence to global leadership. She forcefully calls upon Asian Americans to do some serious self-reflection and confront the prejudice within themselves.

New!  Sumun Pendakur on the Critical Necessity of Coalition-Building
Despite the diversity that makes pan-Asian unity difficult and despite the fact that other communities of color may not necessarily see value in allying with our community, Sumun Pendakur argues that Asian Americans simply have no alternative but to engage in coalition politics. Otherwise, we do not stand a chance in rectifying the significant power disparity that exists between the APA community and the established power structure.

Nhung Truong: Profile of a Young Asian American Activist
In VINCENT WHO?, Nhung Truong, a former district representative for Congressman Adam Schiff, tells how hearing about the story of Vincent Chin changed the course of her life, thus illustrating the power of sharing Vincent Chin's story with others. In fact, it was through Nhung Truong that the director of this documentary first learned about Vincent Chin (see Director's Statement). In this interview, we learn more about Nhung and her views on political action.

Bonus video: Nhung gives a very personal and moving speech, announcing her bill proposal inspired by her mother's passing. Her bill becomes law in less than a year, proving that one person can make a difference by taking political initiative.