Asian American activist Helen Zia revealed that the makers behind the star-studded podcast about the murder of Vincent Chin in 1982 never tried to connect with her or the Chin Estate during the development of the five-episode audio series despite her major role in demanding justice.
The behind-the-scene details: Zia revealed on Instagram on May 27, a day after the podcast titled “Hold Still, Vincent” was released, that she did not know anyone involved in it.
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- Zia urged creators to reach out to people who “lived these experiences, including the estate of Lily and Vincent Chin — the AAPI community and its activists deserve that respect.”
- “I’m not dead yet and it’s weird hearing/seeing myself fictionalized by people who have never tried to connect with me or the Estate,” Zia added.
- Annie Tan, a member of Chin’s extended family, also confirmed on Twitter that to her knowledge the creators never got in touch with the family for the podcast, Reappropriate reported. She noted in the post how other groups that have produced content about Chin have contacted her or other family members.
- Zia along with attorney Liza Chan led the public appeal for a federal retrial of the case.
The aftermath: The production company, A-Major Media, apologized on Instagram last Saturday to Zia and the Chin Estate, adding that they are “disabling the podcast out of respect” for them.
- The studio also apologized to others involved in the project, including the cast, QCODE, Phillip Sun of M88, Carmen Cuba, Gold House and Gemma Chan, who promoted the podcast in April.
- In an updated post on Instagram, Chan said the team informed her that “an approach had been made at an earlier stage of the process,” however, they learned that the Asian American activist was already developing her TV project about Chin’s case.
- Chan added she was “devastated” after learning the team did not reach out to Zia for the project, adding, “All of us in the Asian community are indebted to her and the other activists who struggled fiercely for justice for Vincent and Lily Chin.”
- Despite all the controversy surrounding “Hold Still, Vincent,” Tan and Zia continue to show their support in the effort to make the Vincent Chin story more widely known.
- “I want more people to know about this case,” Tan told Reappropriate, adding she understands the story will get fictionalized over time. “…I hope in the future this helps other storytellers tell ‘truth’ in its many facets and which honors the lived experiences of those who witnessed it.”
Featured Image via Talks at Google (Left), American Citizens of Justice (Right)
