From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial That Galvanized the Asian American Movement
America in 1982: Japanese car companies are on the rise and believed to be putting U.S. autoworkers out of their jobs. Anti-Asian American sentiment simmers, especially in Detroit. A bar fight turns fatal, leaving a Chinese American man, Vincent Chin, beaten to death at the hands of two white men, autoworker Ronald Ebens and his stepson, Michael Nitz.
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.
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Paula Yoo is an author and screenwriter whose children's books for Lee & Low include Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds, Shining Star, and several titles in the Confetti Kids series. Her titles have been recognized by the International Reading Association, the Texas Bluebonnet Award Masterlist, and Lee & Low's New Voices Award. She and her husband live in Los Angeles, California, where she works in television. You can visit her online at paulayoo.com.
A tremendous feat of both research and writing--and a major contribution to our inspiring and infuriating American story.-- "Steve Sheinkin"
This clear and lucid account, based on in-depth research, superlatively conveys the context and significance of the events.... An accessible and compelling account of a tragedy that resonates through the decades.-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"
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.-- "Booklist (starred review)"
Yoo skillfully retells the life story of Vincent Chin [and] reminds readers of Chin's legacy 'to fight back against hate.'-- "Horn Book Magazine (starred review)"
Suspenseful.... [A] resonant, painstakingly recreated historical account.-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"
Readers will be riveted.... Highly recommended for readers interested in social justice nonfiction such as Chris Crowe's Getting Away with Murder and Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy.-- "School Library Journal (starred review)"
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
[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.-- "Shelf Awareness"
