On May 24th, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) hosted a webinar conversation, “We are Detroit. We are Vincent Chin: An American Legacy” with special guest Helen Zia, author, activist, and spokesperson for the Estate of Lily and Vincent Chin. At a time when the battle around who gets to tell history is being fiercely fought, the discussion was a powerful reminder to evolve and deepen the Black-White narrative. The media barely tells the stories of cross-racial solidarity that abound throughout history, including the time when Black leaders stood beside Lily Chin after the death of her son through a multicultural, multi-class movement to show that we can unite and stand together to stand up for all of us.
This rare conversation in philanthropy was scheduled to highlight the upcoming 40th Vincent Chin Remembrance and Rededication in Detroit, culminating in an interfaith remembrance ceremony on Juneteenth, a day of significance for both Black and Asian communities. This conversation serves as another call to action for philanthropy in seeing the connections across communities.