STARTING THE CONVERSATION

Immediately after the film, you may want to give people a few quiet moments to reflect on what they have seen. You could pose a general question (examples below) and give people some time to themselves to jot down or think about their answers before opening the discussion. Alternatively, you could ask participants to share their thoughts with a partner before starting a group discussion.

1. What general emotions are you feeling after watching this film?
2. What parts of the film are especially difficult to digest? Why?
3. What questions or statements might you want to ask or say to any of the Key Participants?

ESTABLISHING THE KEY PARTICIPANTS AND THE KILLING

1. From listening to the witnesses at the scene, how clear a picture do you have of what happened? According to their accounts, how do you think the killers should be held accountable for their actions?
2. What do you think the neighbor of Ebens and Nitz meant by “it could happen to anybody"? What is she insinuating about Ebens and Nitz?
3. Compare and contrast the differences between Ronald Ebens’ and Lily Chin’s experiences when they moved to Detroit.
4. The film interviews of Ronald and Nita Ebens occurred after he killed Vincent Chin. What are their attitudes toward Vincent Chin and his death? How is this disturbing?

A RACIALLY MOTIVATED KILLING

1. How did Ebens, his wife, and a neighbor describe him in terms of whether he could potentially have killed Vincent out of racial motivation? Do you think this proves anything? Explain.
   1. Can you think of any contemporary examples where White men have been accused of causing harm and their harm has been justified in similar ways?
2. In what ways is it evident that Vincent Chin’s murder was racially motivated?
3. In what ways do dangerous ideas, popularized in culture (i.e., the bumper stickers mentioned earlier) have the power to motivate and incite very real violence?
   1. Can you think of any contemporary examples where acts of violence are rooted in ideas of hate, racism, and discrimination?
4. According to Ebens’ defense attorney, Frank Eamon, “It's a quantum leap, a giant jump to say that you're angry at Japanese imports and that you then hate Asian [sic] people.” Do you agree with this statement? Why would someone think it’s too far-fetched to make this kind of connection?

Reflecting on the title of the film, Who Killed Vincent Chin?, what other factors are responsible for contributing to the lack of accountability demanded by the men who killed Vincent Chin? What structural issues contributed to this injustice?

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

1. What was Ebens' and the defense’s reasoning behind why he killed Chin? To what extent do you think Ebens wanted to kill Chin?
2. Judge Kaufman explains his sentencing by stating: “They did this too severely in careless, reckless disregard of human life, which is what manslaughter is and that's what they were found guilty of and that's what I predicated my sentence on. Had it been a brutal murder, of course, these fellows would be in jail now.” How do both toxic masculinity and white supremacy show up in Kaufman’s ideas of justice and fairness?
3. When a victim’s family and all witnesses to a crime are not present at a trial or legal hearing, how might that alter the verdict and sentencing? Why do you think certain individuals’ testimonies were left out of the sentencing hearing of the Vincent Chin case? To what extent do you think the race, gender, class, job status, and so on of witnesses affected their exclusion from the investigation and sentencing hearing?

ACTIVISM AND HATE CRIMES

1. What compelled Asian Americans to get involved in the Justice for Vincent Chin campaign? Describe a time in which you felt strongly about acts of injustice for which you wanted to stand up. What other examples are there in history or more recently?
2. Asian American activists built multiracial coalitions to fight the unjust criminal justice system. Why is coalition building such a powerful tool when protesting for equity and civil rights? What do you think are best practices and a good mindset to have in order to stay unified around civil rights struggles? Describe examples of how coalitions made up of people of all different backgrounds have effectively fought for equity.
3. How else has the criminal justice system failed people of color and marginalized communities? What can be done about a system that has historically been created from the foundations of White supremacy? What strategies can be used?
4. Hate crime laws under the U.S. Department of Justice protect individuals from civil rights violations, yet these crimes continue to happen and often go unpunished. What do you think needs to change to truly protect those frequently victimized? Think about this in terms of those who have been marginalized, scapegoated, profiled, and victimized.
5. Part of the reason the appeal of the civil rights trial in 1987 failed is because many people found it difficult to believe that Asian Americans experienced discrimination, let alone racial violence. Why do you think this is the case and do people still think this today? How can we better inform society about who Asian Americans are and the long history of anti-Asian racism in the United States.?
6. Defense attorney Frank Eaman suggested the following about American Citizens for Justice when they pursued a civil rights case for Vincent Chin: “The American Citizens for Justice began by just wanting to put these people in jail any way they could. Then they discovered really, the only way they could put him in jail is if there were a federal prosecution.” What is your reaction to this statement? What is he insinuating here?

CLOSING QUESTION/ACTIVITY

Conversation Cards

This is an activity to help participants process feelings that came up for them with more focus and attention and to take care listening to one another as they process collectively.

Preparation:

Create conversation cards by writing each question on a separate index card and assembling all six cards into a pile.

Choose a facilitator with the following abilities:

• Capacity to listen intently
• Be empathetic
• Validate by reflecting individuals’ viewpoints and challenging them if viewpoints are inappropriate and disrespectful
• Ability to defuse potentially disruptive comments

Activity:

• If possible, assemble viewers into a semi-circle or circle to allow for more personal conversations.
• Facilitator informs the audience that they will be sharing space in an intimate conversation to help process the difficult issues addressed in the film.
• Facilitator directs the audience’s attention to the posted Community Agreements for Holding Safe Space:
  • Be present. (i.e., refrain from using cell phones).
  • Listen attentively by giving eye contact.
  • Think well of one another.
  • Raise your hand to speak and wait for the facilitator to recognize you.
  • Disagree respectfully to statements, not people.
  • Offer your ideas as a perspective, not as an authority.
  • Silence is okay.
• Get the group into a reflective mindset by doing a short mindfulness exercise. Say and do the following together:
  • Feel free to put one hand on your heart or belly to calm the nervous system.
  • Breathe in deeply and feel healing energy. Exhale into the spaciousness of collective belonging.
• Facilitator chooses one of the Conversation Cards from the deck of index cards.

Optional:Use a talking stick or microphone to give participants a chance to take turns. Explain to participants that whoever is holding the talking stick or microphone has the floor to speak, and everyone else has a responsibility to listen quietly.

Conversation Cards Questions:

1. What makes this story hard to process? What is most upsetting about it?
2. Describe a time when you experienced or witnessed someone getting away with a crime or unjust actions. How did it make you feel and how did you respond?
3. What makes it difficult to accept when a punishment does not fit the crime?
4. What can be done to bring justice and closure to a situation like the Vincent Chin case?
5. How can one cope or find peace from the outcome of the case?
6. Describe your reaction to the comments of Ebens, Nitz, and their friends. What makes them hard to hear? How do you deal with people who make challenging commentary?