Narrator Catherine Ho deftly guides listeners through the complex web of events and legal actions surrounding the 1982 death of Vincent Chin. The young Chinese-American man was beaten with a baseball bat following an argument at a bar. After the defendants received probation and a fine, the case was taken up as a potential hate crime by a wide coalition of Asian-American justice advocates. Ho excels at re-creating the emotional testimony and firsthand recollections of those involved in the case. She also maintains the author’s commitment to listening to all sides and getting to the bottom of what happened. The narrative sags a little near the end, and the production doesn’t provide access to photos or citations, but otherwise this audiobook is excellent. N.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
Narrated by Catherine Ho
Paula YooUnabridged — 7 hours, 36 minutes
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
Narrated by Catherine Ho
Paula YooUnabridged — 7 hours, 36 minutes
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Overview
Paula Yoo has crafted a searing examination of the killing and the trial and verdicts that followed. When Ebens and Nitz pled guilty to manslaughter and received only a $3,000 fine and three years' probation, the lenient sentence sparked outrage. The protests that followed led to a federal civil rights trial-the first involving a crime against an Asian American-and galvanized what came to be known as the Asian American movement.
Extensively researched from court transcripts, contemporary news accounts, and in-person interviews with key participants, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry is a suspenseful, nuanced, and authoritative portrait of a pivotal moment in civil rights history, and a man who became a symbol against hatred and racism.
Editorial Reviews
★ 04/26/2021
In 1982 Detroit, anti–Asian American sentiment is on the rise as Japanese car companies are purported to threaten the livelihoods of U.S. autoworkers. After autoworker Ronald Ebens and his stepson Michael Nitz, both white, kill Chinese American Vincent Chin, they plead guilty to his manslaughter but are let off with a lenient sentence. Serving “as a wake-up call for Asian America,” the incident spurs outrage—and action—in the Asian American community. Through in-person interviews, court transcripts, and present-day accounts, Yoo’s YA nonfiction debut exhaustively details Chin’s murder and carefully considers its resulting impact. Eyewitness accounts provide clarity, and detailed chronicling of the trials elicits justified frustration on the final verdict. In six well-structured parts, suspenseful narration illuminates Chin’s personal life, his gruesome death, the trials’ obstacles, and Chin’s legacy; well-integrated news clippings and emotive photographs imbue events with a hard-hitting real-time feel. This resonant, painstakingly recreated historical account features a timely afterword spotlighting the rise in anti-AAPI violence amid the Covid-19 pandemic, drawing parallels between this haunting account of a 40-year-old crime to present-day atrocities. Back matter includes a timeline, notes, list of sources, and suggestions for further reading. Ages 14–up. Agent: Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary. (Apr.)
"[An] extensive examination.... From a Whisper is arguably the most comprehensive overview of the gruesome events and the aftermath of trials, protests, convictions, reversals and civil suits.... Yoo is determined: "not knowing" is no longer an option."
"Yoo skillfully retells the life story of Vincent Chin [and] reminds readers of Chin’s legacy 'to fight back against hate.'"
"A vivid, heartbreaking account of one of the most important moments in Asian American history. I couldn’t put it down."
"A Washington Post Best Children's Book of 2021"
"A Publishers Weekly Best Young Adult Book of 2021"
"A School Library Journal Best Book of 2021"
"A New York Public Library Best Book of 2021"
"A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2021"
"An NPR Best Book of 2021"
"A Horn Book Best Book of 2021"
"Admirably objective.... Yoo discusses the resurgence of anti-Asian attitudes and rhetoric in connection to COVID-19, reinforcing the book’s through line that Chin mustn’t be forgotten."
"A tremendous feat of both research and writing—and a major contribution to our inspiring and infuriating American story."
★ 05/01/2021
Gr 8 Up—This narrative nonfiction title chronicles the brutal 1982 murder of Vincent Chin, which led to the first federal civil rights case involving an Asian American. While celebrating his bachelor party at a Detroit nightclub, Chin, who was Chinese American, became involved in a fight with two white autoworkers, Ronald Ebens and his stepson Michael Nitz. The two men later cornered Chin at a McDonald's and beat him to death with a baseball bat. Ebens and Nitz received a reduced charge of manslaughter and were sentenced to a mere three years probation and a $3,000 fine. The Asian American community was outraged at this unjust punishment, perceived to be a manifestation of anti-Asian racism fueled by anger directed at the Japanese car industry. Readers will be riveted by the first-person accounts from multiple points of view, including Chin's family and friends, lawyers, defendants, and eyewitnesses. In fact, the book reads almost like a TV crime drama, utilizing flashbacks and culminating in a series of chapters depicting each key witness's testimony. The book includes black-and-white primary photos and newspaper articles as well as a time line, extensive endnotes, and a list of archive sources. As the author reflects in her afterward, Chin's story is an important parallel to today's societal strife mirrored in the rise in racism and violence against Asian Americans who have been unfairly blamed for the COVID-19 pandemic. VERDICT Highly recommended for readers interested in social justice nonfiction such as Chris Crowe's Getting Away with Murder and Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy.—Maile Steimer, Jones M.S., Buford, GA
Narrator Catherine Ho deftly guides listeners through the complex web of events and legal actions surrounding the 1982 death of Vincent Chin. The young Chinese-American man was beaten with a baseball bat following an argument at a bar. After the defendants received probation and a fine, the case was taken up as a potential hate crime by a wide coalition of Asian-American justice advocates. Ho excels at re-creating the emotional testimony and firsthand recollections of those involved in the case. She also maintains the author’s commitment to listening to all sides and getting to the bottom of what happened. The narrative sags a little near the end, and the production doesn’t provide access to photos or citations, but otherwise this audiobook is excellent. N.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
★ 2021-03-03
An account of the 1982 killing of Vincent Chin and its subsequent impact on Asian Americans’ civil rights struggles.
Ronald Ebens, the Detroit auto worker who beat Chin to death with a baseball bat, brought a devastating end to Chin’s short but promising life. Adopted from a Guangdong orphanage by Chinese immigrant parents at age 6, 27-year-old Chin was mourning his father’s recent death but eagerly anticipating his upcoming wedding. Ebens and his stepson, Michael Nitz, were two White men living in a city reeling economically due to competition from Japanese car imports. The question of whether this was merely a drunken fight that got out of hand or a racially motivated hate crime was hotly debated after the two men were sentenced only to probation and a small fine for manslaughter. Despite two federal grand jury trials, neither served any time, but the case marked a turning point for Asian American unity and identity and was critical to progress around documentation of hate crimes and manslaughter sentencing reform in Michigan. This clear and lucid account, based on in-depth research, superlatively conveys the context and significance of the events. The conflicting accounts and explanations are presented evenhandedly, offering readers the opportunity to weigh the evidence and draw their own conclusions. A timely afterword discusses anti-Asian racist rhetoric and violence during the Covid-19 pandemic.
An accessible and compelling account of a tragedy that resonates through the decades. (timeline, notes, sources, picture credits, index) (Nonfiction. 13-18)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940172820205 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
| Publication date: | 04/20/2021 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 982,459 |
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