Legendary Activist Helen Zia to Create TV Series on Vincent Chin’s Horrific 1982 Murder

December 28, 2020

A limited television series based on the 1982 murder of Chinese American Vincent Chin is in the works from renowned author and activist Helen Zia.

Untold story: The award-winning writer is set to develop the series to shed light on the history behind the hate crime and the landmark case that sparked the Asian American activism that exists today, the Center for Asian American Media announced last Monday.

Chin was brutally clubbed to death with a baseball bat by two unemployed former autoworkers in Detroit amid a national recession in 1982.
The men were reportedly blaming the Japanese for the struggling U.S. auto industry and vented their anger on the Asian American man.
While there were many witnesses, the killers were only sentenced to probation and paid minimal fines.
That same year, Zia led the call to bring justice to the case as the national organizer and spokesperson for the Justice for Vincent Chin campaign.
Her call was heeded not only by the Asian American community in Detroit, but also the Black, white, Jewish, Arab and other communities across the country.

Timely reminder: Speaking about the upcoming series, Zia highlighted the relevance of Chin’s case today, at a time when “racism and inequality” exact a “deadly toll” on communities.

“This is a story that begs to be told with the gritty detail of those who lived it — about Americans of different races and backgrounds coming together to fight for justice and against hate,” Zia was quoted as saying.
To bring Chin’s story to the small screen, Zia has partnered with producers Paula Madison, Donald Young and Vicangelo Bulluck.

Feature Image (left) via Getty, (right) via AAAJ

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