Commentary

EMIL GUILLERMO: Asian American Icon Vincent Chin’s June 19th

Ebens’ murder of Chin is considered the most infamous individual hate crime in Asian American history, mostly because the murderer has done no time for the crime.

Published

5 years ago

June 24, 2021

Christy Price

Vincent Chin/Wikimedia Commons

People talk so much about intersectionality these days, I like to joke, “Is that where MacArthur crosses Broadway in Oakland?”

But when it comes to Juneteenth we have a genuine opportunity for Black and Asian solidarity.

Have you ever thought about Juneteenth and Vincent Chin’s June 19^th?

On June 19^th, 1982 in Detroit, Ronald Ebens, a white auto worker, got in a fight with Chin that ended up with Ebens striking Chin twice to the head with a baseball bat. Chin was in a coma until he died on June 23.

Ebens’ murder of Chin is considered the most infamous individual hate crime in Asian American history, mostly because the murderer has done no time for the crime.

Still alive at 81, Ebens has not only skirted prosecution in the criminal matter; he has skillfully used bankruptcy and homesteading laws in Nevada to avoid a wrongful death civil suit settlement. Ordered by the court in 1987 to pay $1.5 million to Chin’s family, the Chin estate has received nothing for the last 34 years.

That sense of delayed justice is no less than the extension of the crime itself—one thing the Chin case has in common with Juneteenth. Blacks in Texas were working as slaves for more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Nobody bothered to tell them that overtime for slavery was now illegal in the United States.

Once you understand the purposeful ignorance that allowed slavery to be extended beyond its time, you understand how those subjected to this and their descendants deserve a whole lot more than a federal holiday.

Asian Americans don’t need a holiday, but they should appreciate the irony of the coincidence with Juneteenth.

After his attack on June 19^th, Chin was in a coma on the 20th, the 21st, and the 22^nd. On the 23rd , Chin didn’t wake up.

But an entire generation of Asian Americans did.

For those born in the Civil Rights Era, Chin was the cue for a new wave of Asian Americans ready to take part in the coalition for social justice.

Since then, the Asian American population has grown to more than 23 million people. And now, a new generation is discovering the impact and the importance of the Chin case, in a time when more than 6,600 hate instances have occurred, fueled in a pandemic era by a scapegoating Republican administration.

Much has been made of viral images of black perps attacking mostly older Asian Americans. Don’t be fooled into making a knee-jerk generalization.

The University of Michigan’s Virulent Hate Project reviewed 4,337 news articles between January 1 and December 31, 2020, and identified 1,023 incidents of anti-Asian racism.

The victims were across all AAPI ethnicities, but were mostly women (65 percent) and people of Chinese descent (58 percent).

The perps? The study showed “the majority of the offenders were identified as male and white.”

Seven years ago, I wrote a column proposing that the four days between June 19th and the 23^rd be used by Asian Americans to reflect what it means to be Asian American now.

What does it take to stand up for a sense of ourselves? Our community? Our personal and public identity? What does real equality, real justice, mean today? Have we reached that place? Are we still far short? Why are some of us still asking “Vincent Who?”

We don’t need a federal holiday, but we do need time to understand what the Chin case and the last 39 years say about the state of Asian America. And how we are in solidarity with Black and Latinx communities as we seek to be seen and heard.

Setting aside the time when Chin was in a coma is a good time to reflect on it all. We begin with the celebration of Juneteenth to give us hope. On the very same day, we begin our personal remembrance of brother Vincent.

When Chin died, Asian America came alive.

Christy Price

Posts by Christy Price

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

1 week ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.