John, 

"Vincent Who?" A documentary by filmmaker and writer Curtis Chin, released in 2009, chronicles the story of the beating death of Vincent Chin in Detroit in 1982. Vincent was celebrating his bachelor party when two other patrons began complaining about the Japanese auto industry being the cause of American workers losing their jobs. The two out-of-work auto workers believed Chin, who was Chinese, to be Japanese, and after they were all kicked out of the club, they pursued Chin with a baseball bat and beat him into unconsciousness, cracking his skull, on a street corner in Detroit. Chin remained in a coma for four days before dying from his injuries. Though there have been some monetary fines levied and paid, neither man involved in this incident has ever spent a day in jail for the beating death of Vincent Chin. But this shouldn’t surprise any of us; it is but one case in a lineage of injustices minorities have endured throughout our history.

The anti-Japanese sentiment was probably an extension of WWII bias that was rekindled by the declining market share of American-made cars in deference to cars being manufactured and imported from Japan. Auto companies like Mazda, Datsun, and especially Toyota had a huge impact on the local economies in midwestern cities, which made up the steel belt and auto industries. Michigan is being hit especially hard, with the automobile industry being the number one economic driver.

In the early ‘80s, there were Toyota cars being placed in public venues around Michigan, where anyone could take one of several sledge hammers provided and smash the car! The Big Three automakers, Ford, GM, and Chrysler, refused to adapt a strategy of building lighter, more fuel-efficient cars and trucks that would last while clinging to their ill-fated strategy of opulence and planned obsolescence.

There were other contributing factors to the decline of white middle-class factory workers in and around the Detroit area. Due to the changing demographics within the city itself, white families had left to move to the suburbs in groves. Throughout the late sixties and seventies, there was a huge influx of workers from the Middle East, from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the former Yugoslavia, Croatia, and Albania. All the while, assembly plants are closing up shop and moving out of Michigan. Many of the workers, both Black and White who had migrated from the south for good union factory jobs in the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s were retiring. With the production of U.S. steel having been outsourced, the entire country was mired in a deep recession, with the midwest being hit the hardest.

Even though there is not a large Asian population in Michigan, there has been a long and established presence of Asians in Michigan, with a small Chinatown in Detroit in an area near downtown called the Cass Corridor. Asians in Michigan, for the most part, have lived an assimilated, peaceful existence, contributing in the usual ways. Generally speaking, the local Asian residents had nothing to do with the decline of the domestic auto industry. But for this act of ignorance, violence, and racism in 1982, it served as a stark reminder that we must continually teach our history. That we must not forget! That we must stand together, with those of us who fight for justice and against prejudice, ignorance, violence, and racism.

Thank you to Curtis Chin for continually providing support and a voice to organizations that are doing this great work, whether it be in the immigrant community, LGBTQIA, or others fighting for civil rights!

Click HERE to learn more about Curtis Chin. 

In solidarity,

Fred Yamashita
Executive Director
Arizona AFL-CIO

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Send a Letter: Don't Default on Working People

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has introduced legislation that forces deep cuts to health care, retirement and many other kitchen-table priorities for working people. It is an economic crisis in the making, and it is completely unnecessary.If you agree that we should choose veterans, retirees and families over corporations, email your representative now. Ask them to vote to raise the debt ceiling without preconditions and to reject McCarthy’s devastating spending cuts.

Julie Su Needs Your Help!

We know Su is the right person to support America’s workers. She’s never backed down from a fight when workers’ fundamental rights are on the line—and with your help, we’re not backing down either.

The problem? Well-heeled lobbyists and corporate special interests are spending big to block Su's confirmation because they know she puts working people first. Workers deserve a labor secretary who will fiercely defend us. 

Call your senators now and tell them to vote to confirm Julie Su as secretary of the Department of Labor. 

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Why NJ Needs More Women in the Construction Trades

"If you’ve recently tried to get an electrician, plumber or another skilled trade worker to your home or office you know how difficult it is to find a professional who’s quickly available. And it is only going to get worse. America faces a shortage of skilled trade workers and its especially acute in New Jersey." 

What the Writers’ Strike Means for the Future of Hollywood 

"Here’s my attempt to summarize the context of the Hollywood writers’ strike in three sentences. First, the entertainment business, floated on easy money and encouraged by the unusual conditions of the Covid era, committed itself to an unsustainable expansion — the great streaming experiment, in which every major brand would have a Netflix of its own."

Residential Doctors Go on Strike at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens 

“More than 150 trainee doctors went on strike Monday morning at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, the first physician strike at a hospital in New York City in more than 30 years. Chief among their grievances is the fact that they are generally paid less working at a public hospital in Queens, where they care for poor patients, than their counterparts are paid at wealthier Manhattan institutions."

Amazon COVID Changes and CEO's Anti-union Comments Broke Law, Labor Board Alleges

"Amazon.com repeatedly violated federal labor law by unilaterally changing policies and terminating union supporters at its sole unionized warehouse, U.S. labor board prosecutors alleged in a complaint, which also accuses Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy of personally making illegal anti-union comments. In a Monday filing, a National Labor Relations Board regional director wrote that Amazon illegally restricted employees' ability to visit their unionized New York City warehouse during their time off, to discourage them from engaging in labor activism."

Labor Union Says It Will Start Recall Effort Afainst Oregon State Lawmaker 

"United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 says his failure to support House Bill 3183, which would block cannabis employers from interfering with employee efforts to unionize, is one of the reasons behind its effort. The union is trying to make the case that the representative has turned his back on working people."

Why REI's Grassroots Unionization Efforts are Spreading Across the Fleet 'Like Wildfire'

"'The pandemic seems to have sort of changed the labor environment in a way that sort of opened up an opportunity for unions,” said John Logan, a labor professor at San Francisco State University. “Particular kinds of workers are very attracted to the idea of organizing right now as a result of the way they were treated during the pandemic". At places like Starbucks and REI, these workers tend to be younger, college educated idealistic and driven by their values.”

"Aren't Afraid to Make Their Voices Heard": David Zaslav's Speech at Boston University Sparks Student Outcry

“On Sunday, May 21, 2023, David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president took the stage at the graduation ceremony for Boston University to deliver his commencement address to the students. However, as Zaslav delivered his speech, he was met with boos from a section of students. The protesting Boston University students were chanting, "Pay your Writers."

Arizona Governor Vetos Bill Banning Use of Transgender Students' Names, Pronouns

“Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bill that would have compelled schools not to refer to transgender students by the names or pronouns they identify with. Hobbs announced the veto Monday afternoon, saying the legislation was an attack on transgender children. Under the bill, employees or independent contractors of a school district or charter school would be prohibited from knowingly calling a student age 18 or younger by a pronoun other than the one assigned to them at birth. They also could only address them with the first or middle name listed on school records."

Contract Negotiations Put Thousands of Phoenix Children's Healthcare at Risk

“Thousands of Phoenix children have healthcare at risk if contract negotiations fail between United Healthcare and Phoenix Children’s. Phoenix Children’s has warned patients with a memo that the current agreement with United Healthcare is set to expire on May 31. This would mean that around 17,000 children could lose their in-network coverage at the hospital."

Industrial Commission: Circle K Retaliated Against Worker for Taking Sick Time

“The state’s worker-safety agency issued a $72,417 penalty to Circle K Stores Thursday after saying the company retaliated against an employee for using paid sick time. The Industrial Commission of Arizona said a fuel-truck driver took four days of sick leave between February and October of last year and two days of sick leave in January. The worker was given a written warning in October then placed on administrated leave in January after taking a sick day and later terminated the same month."

Honoring Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 

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