HAAPI Film Festival Closing Event: 'Vincent Who?' and Remembrance Ceremony for Vincent Chin
VIEW EVENT DETAILSSchedule
Sunday, June 19, 2022
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Remembrance and Rededication
1–2 p.m. Screening of Vincent Who?
2–3 p.m. Livestream Screening: Interfaith Remembrance for Vincent Chin
Health and Safety
Join Asia Society Texas and OCA Greater Houston for the closing event for the 2022 Houston Asian American Pacific Islander (HAAPI) Film Festival, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the murder of Vincent Chin, with a screening of the documentary Vincent Who? and a livestream of an interfaith remembrance ceremony for Vincent Chin that will be held Detroit, Michigan.
For additional selections from HAAPI Film Festival, please visit http://www.ocahouston.org/haapifest.
About the Film
In 1982, at the height of anti-Japanese sentiments arising from massive layoffs in the auto industry, a Chinese-American named Vincent Chin was murdered in Detroit by two white autoworkers. Chin's killers, however, got off with a $3,000 fine and 3 years probation, but no jail time. Outraged by this injustice, Asian Americans around the country united for the first time across ethnic and socioeconomic lines to form a pan-Asian identity and civil rights movement.
VINCENT WHO? explores this important legacy through interviews with the key players at the time as well as a whole new generation of activists whose lives were impacted by Vincent Chin. It also looks at the case in relation to the larger narrative of Asian American history, in such events as Chinese Exclusion, Japanese American Internment in WWII, the 1992 L.A. Riots, anti-Asian hate crimes, and post-9/11 racial profiling.
Ultimately, VINCENT WHO? asks how far Asian Americans have come since the case and how far they have yet to go.
About the Interfaith Remembrance Ceremony
Forty years after the murder of Vincent Chin and the subsequent miscarriage of justice ignited the modern Asian American Civil Rights Movement, a coalition of national and local groups plans a four-day commemoration in Detroit.
The Vincent Chin 40th Remembrance & Rededication features a national conversation on democracy, racial justice and Asian American. The commemoration also includes a first time Midwest convening of Asian American documentary filmmakers; community dialogues; cultural performances; and a motorcade to the graves of Vincent Chin and his parents for a remembrance ceremony.
“The horrific beating death of Vincent Chin in 1982 on the eve of his bachelor party led to a landmark civil rights movement led by Asian Americans,” said Helen Zia, executor of the Vincent and Lily Chin Estate and a co-founder of American Citizens for Justice (ACJ), which formed in 1983 to seek justice for Vincent Chin. “The present-day wave of anti-Asian hate violence has rekindled awareness of Vincent’s legacy. Our hope is that these events will engage present and future generations in the commitment to social justice and the fight against racism and hate.”
About Houston Asian American and Pacific Islander Film Festival (HAAPI Fest)
The HAAPI Fest, started in 2004 by OCA (Organization of Chinese Americans) Greater Houston, was created to highlight and celebrate the diversity of culture, food, and stories of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, to support AAPI artists and filmmakers, and to share the messages, issues, hopes, and dreams of the AAPI experience for the Greater Houston metropolitan area through edutainment.
About OCA Greater Houston
Founded in 1973, OCA is a national organization of community advocates dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Established in 1979, the OCA Greater Houston Chapter is one of OCA’s 100+ chapters and affiliates and works to provide strong local programs that empower the AAPI community through advocacy, cultural awareness, professional development, economic empowerment, youth leadership training, civic engagement, community service, and education.
Performing Arts and Culture programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Syamal and Susmita Poddar. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Endowment, and The Brown Foundation Inc. Generous funding also provided by AARP, The Anchorage Foundation of Texas, The Clayton Fund, and Miller Theatre Advisory Board. Additional support provided by the Wortham Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, United Airlines, and through contributions from the Friends of Asia Society, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing exceptional programming and exhibitions to Asia Society Texas Center.
Performing Arts and Culture Presenting Sponsors
Syamal and Susmita Poddar
Official Airline Sponsor
Program Sponsors
Presenting Partners
About Asia Society Texas
Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.
Event Details
1370 Southmore Blvd.
Houston, Texas, 77004