Module 2: Economic Crises, the Politics of Blame, and 1980s Detroit
Did the killing of Vincent Chin and the activism it sparked change what it means to be Asian American?
Children are often taught at a young age that it is wrong to blame others for their mistakes and misdeeds, that they should shoulder responsibility for their actions. Yet the murder of Chinese American Vincent Chin in 1982 was caused precisely because many Americans, including influential leaders, actively blamed Japan and Japanese people for America’s economic problems.
This module explores how for more than a decade, the anger and hostility toward Japan transformed into the blaming, targeting, and scapegoating of Asian Americans in general, which at times resulted in violence and even death.
What social and economic conditions in the US (and world) in 1982 contributed to scapegoating people like Vincent Chin?
Why do you think some people in the US blamed only Japanese people, not Germans, when both Japan and Germany produced popular fuel-efficient cars?
What leads someone to hate and want to hurt, even kill, an entire group of people because of differences in appearance, language, or culture?
