WASHINGTON — The Asian American Center for Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice), which consists of the Asian American Institute, Asian American Justice Center, Asian Law Caucus, and Asian Pacific American Legal Center, issued the following statement March 27 on the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida:
“This case is a chilling reminder of the ongoing specter of racial prejudice and discrimination — and that justice is often elusive for those who are considered ‘suspicious’ or ‘other.’ In 1982, Vincent Chin, a Chinese American man celebrating his upcoming wedding, was beaten to death with a baseball bat by two unemployed white auto workers who presumed Chin was Japanese. The two perpetrators never spent a day in jail.
“We call upon federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to devote the full extent of their resources to investigate and prosecute the killing of Trayvon Martin so that history does not repeat itself. While there was no justice for Vincent Chin, we demand justice for Trayvon Martin.
“Advancing Justice is committed to building bridges and partnerships with all communities so that we can collectively achieve an end to racial bigotry, stereotyping, and discrimination in our society.”
On the Web:
Asian American Center for Advancing Justice www.advancingjustice.org
Asian American Justice Center in Washington, D.C. www.advancingequality.org
Asian American Institute in Chicago www.aaichicago.org
Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco www.asianlawcaucus.org
Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles www.apalc.org