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WORK TITLE: From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://paulayoo.com/
CITY: Los Angeles
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 336
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born c. 1969; married.
EDUCATION:Yale University, B.A. (English), 1991; Columbia University, M.S. (journalism), 1992; Warren Wilson College, M.F.A. (creative writing), 2002; studied violin at Yale University, Hartt School of Music, and Tanglewood Institute.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Journalist, screenwriter, producer, children’s book author, and musician. Former journalist with Detroit News and Seattle Times; People magazine, former entertainment correspondent; producer of television series, including Eureka, 2010-12, and Defiance, 2015. Professional violinist, performing with Detroit Civic Symphony Orchestra, Southeast Symphony, Torrance Symphony, Santa Monica Symphony, Seattle Philharmonic, and New Haven Symphony. Teacher of English at Glendale Community College, Glendale, CA; instructor at University of California, Los Angeles, Extension Writers’ Program.
AVOCATIONS:Music, films, reading.
MEMBER:Writers Guild of America, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
AWARDS:Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators grant, 2000; Lee & Low New Voices Award, 2003, Children’s Books of the Year designation, Bank Street College Children’s Book Committee, Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People selection, National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)/Children’s Book Council (CBC), International Reading Association (IRA) Children’s Book Award Notable designation, and Comstock Book Award Honor selection, Minnesota State University Moorhead, all 2006, and North Dakota Library Association Flicker Talk Children’s Book Award finalist, 2007, all for Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds; Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor selection, Choices listee, Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), and Stuff for the Teen Age listee, New York Public Library, all 2009, all for Good Enough; NCSS/CBC Carter G. Woodson Award, Best Children’s Books selection, Bank Street College of Education, and CCBC Choices listee, all 2010, all for Shining Star; Feature Writer Access Project honoree, Writers Guild of America, 2012-13; CCBC Choices listee, 2014, and Best Children’s Books selection, Bank Street College of Education, IRA Notable Books for a Global Society designation, Best Multicultural Books selection, Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Books, South Asia Book Award, South Asia National Outreach Consortium, and Social Justice Literature Award, all 2015, all for Twenty-Two Cents.
WRITINGS
Screenwriter for television series, including The West Wing, 2002-03, Tru Calling, 2004, Beyond the Break, 2006-07, Eureka, 2010-12, and Defiance.
SIDELIGHTS
UPDATE SUBMITTED IN SGML FORMAT. A screenwriter who has worked on television programs such as The West Wing and Defiance, Paula Yoo is also the author of the award-winning picture-book biographies Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story, Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story, and Twenty-Two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank. Turning to older readers, Yoo has also produced the critically praised young-adult novel Good Enough.
Yoo was inspired to write Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds while researching Korean-American history for her M.F.A. at Warren Wilson College. As a child growing up in California, competitive swimmer Sammy Lee faced racial discrimination in the form of restrictions placed on nonwhites at public pools. Despite such social segregation, which extended to academics as well, his father was determined that Lee become a physician. Dedication and determination ultimately propelled the young man to his gold medal win during the 1948 Olympics, and he achieved further success as a doctor and a swimming and diving coach. Horn Book critic Susan Dove Lempke lauded Yoo’s debut work, stating that in Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds she “smoothly incorporates the historical context” of early twentieth-century U.S. society and “creates a picture of a person who succeeded through determined hard work.” Citing the artwork by Dom Lee, Blair Christolon recommended Yoo’s text in School Library Journal, calling it an “inspirational biography.”
In Shining Star Yoo presents “a fascinating snapshot of what life was like for actresses of color,” according to Booklist critic Ilene Cooper. In this illustrated story, she introduces Anna May Wong, a laundryman’s daughter who became the first Chinese-American film star. Wong landed her first starring role in the 1922 film The Toll of the Sea, and she continued to act in films, although her roles were often stereotypical. After a trip to China taken late in her career, Wong returned to the U.S. determined to change the prejudicial environment. “Yoo explains Wong’s circumstances with clarity and portrays her hardships and triumphs in concise, easy-to-follow prose,” Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan observed in appraising Shining Star for School Library Journal.
Yoo explores the life of a Nobel Prize winner in Twenty-Two Cents. Born into a middle-class family in 1940, in what is now Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus endured incredible poverty. After studying economics in both Bangladesh and the United States, he became a professor at the University of Chittagong and developed “microcredit,” a way of extending financing to the poor through small loans, called microloans, with reasonable credit terms. Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 in recognition of his work with the Grameen Bank, a lending institution he established. “Yoo’s text is straightforward and detailed, and her story of a true hero of the modern world will resonate with students,” observed Toby Rajput in appraising Twenty-Two Cents for School Library Journal.
In her semiautobiographical novel Good Enough, Yoo shares “a funny story that will hit home for many readers,” in the words of a Publishers Weekly reviewer. A gifted violinist, high-school senior Patti Yoon does everything possible to please her demanding parents, who expect her to attend an Ivy League school. Those plans are put on the back burner, however, when Patti falls for new classmate Ben Wheeler, aka Cute Trumpet Guy, and her music teacher encourages her to apply to Juilliard, a prestigious New York City music conservatory. According to Kliatt reviewer Janis Flint-Ferguson, in Good Enough Yoo “reflects on the hard lessons of adolescence—maneuvering between childhood and adulthood and developing a sense of self—with humor and authenticity.”
Yoo collaborated with illustrator Shirley Ng-Benitez on three children’s picture books: Lily’s New Home, Want to Play?, and The Perfect Gift. Lily’s New Home finds young Lily not sure about her family going to New York City and moving into a brownstone. There is no front yard like at her old house in the suburbs, and flowers are sparse. Still, Lily’s parents try to reassure her that she will come to love her new home. As the story continues, Lily learns about her neighbors and begins to explore the neighborhood, which is racially and ethnically diverse, as is apparent by what is sold in various stores. A local library that reminds Lily of the library where she used to live finally convinces Lily that this is home as she makes friends with a child reading a book on the library’s steps. The book includes a page offering suggested activities for the child to write and draw further musings about the story. Lily’s New Home “introduces a refreshingly diverse cast of characters in an urban setting,” wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor. Carolyn Phelan, writing in Booklist, noted: “The simply written story introduces aspects of urban living in an appealing way.”
Want to Play?, published simultaneously with Lily’s New Home, finds Lily playing with her new friends Henry, Mei, Pablos, and Padma. The friends end up playing in a nearby park, with illustrations by Ng-Benitez showing the children’s imaginations at work. When it starts to rain, everyone goes with Pablo to his house and continues their play, with Pablo’s sisters joining in. “It’s wonderful to note that the diverse characterization will aid in making many feel all the more included,” wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor.
The Perfect Gift is a “Confetti Kids” series entry aimed at young readers who may be welcoming a new member into the family. Mei’s new baby brother, Ming, is only one hundred days old. The family is holding a party to celebrate. Attending are a diverse group of people, including Henry, Lily, Pablo, and Padma, Lily’s friends from Want to Play? Mei, however, has been a little stressed trying to decide on the perfect gift for her baby brother. Her friends try to help, pointing out little boys playing with a variety of things, from toy trucks to drums. It is Mei’s grandmother who tells her how the perfect gift has nothing to do with a thing but comes from inside one’s heart, leading Mei to produce the perfect gift. ‘This simple yet heartfelt story makes for a good beginning reader,” wrote Ilene Cooper in Booklist. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called The Perfect Gift “a perfect package of early-reader accessibility, culturally-conscious story, and inclusivity.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 15, 2005, Gillian Engberg, review of Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story, p. 1287; November 15, 2007, Gillian Engberg, review of Good Enough, p. 53; June 1, 2009, Ilene Cooper, review of Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story, p. 88; September 15, 2014, Amina Chaudhri, review of Twenty-Two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank, p. 50; February 1, 2016, Carolyn Phelan, review of Lily’s New Home, p. 46; March 1, 2018, Ilene Cooper, review of The Perfect Gift, p. 56.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, April, 2008, Deborah Stevenson, review of Good Enough, p. 361.
Horn Book, July-August, 2005, Susan Dove Lempke, review of Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds, p. 493.
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2005, review of Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds, p. 361; January 1, 2008, review of Good Enough; May 1, 2009, review of Shining Star; July 15, 2014, review of Twenty-Two Cents; December 15, 2015, review of Want to Play?; December 15, 2015, review of Lily’s New Home; April 1, 2018, review of The Perfect Gift.
Kliatt, January, 2008, Janis Flint-Ferguson, review of Good Enough, p. 13.
Publishers Weekly, April 4, 2005, review of Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds, p. 59; February 18, 2008, review of Good Enough, p. 156; June 1, 2009, review of Shining Star, p. 47.
School Library Journal, April, 2005, Blair Christolon, review of Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds, p. 128; February, 2008, Shannon Seglin, review of Good Enough, p. 130; July, 2009, Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, review of Shining Star, p. 74; October, 2014, Toby Rajput, review of Twenty-Two Cents, p. 134.
Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 2008, Sarah Hill, review of Good Enough, p. 57.
ONLINE
Cynsations blog, http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ (September 17, 2014), Cynthia Leitich Smith, interview with Yoo.
Lee & Low website, http://www.leeandlow.com/ (October 14, 2018), interview with Yoo.
Paula Yoo website, http://paulayoo.com (October 14, 2018).*
Paula Yoo is an award-winning book author, TV writer/producer and feature screenwriter. She is also a former journalist, having worked for The Seattle Times, The Detroit News, and PEOPLE Magazine. She graduated with a B.A. cum laude in English from Yale University, an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College, where she was the recipient of the Larry Levis Fellowship in Fiction.
Paula is the author of many published children’s books and YA novels. Her latest Young Adult narrative non-fiction book, FROM A WHISPER TO A RALLYING CRY: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement is from Norton Young Readers (W.W. Norton & Company). Her books have won many awards, including IRA Notables, Junior Guild Library Selections, and starred reviews from Kirkus. Her debut YA novel Good Enough (HarperCollins 2008) was one of the winners of the Asian Pacific American Awards for Youth Literature.
Paula's TV credits include Freeform’s Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, The CW’s Supergirl, SyFy’s Defiance and Eureka, Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle, and NBC’s The West Wing. She has also sold TV pilots and feature scripts.
Paula is also a professional violinist, having played with the Southeast Symphony, Vicente Chamber Orchestra, Torrance Symphony, Glendale Philharmonic and Detroit Civic Symphony Orchestra, toured and recorded with bands including Il Divo, No Doubt, Fun, Arthur Lee, Love Revisited and Spiritualized, and appeared on national TV shows and commercial spots, including A&E’s The Two Coreys reality show and a United Airlines commercial. When she’s not writing or playing her violin, Paula loves hanging out with her family and cats in Los Angeles, California.
Four Questions for Paula Yoo
By Cady Zeng | Apr 13, 2021
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Television writer, producer, screenwriter and award-winning author Paula Yoo returns with a biography for young readers, this time geared toward a YA audience. In From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial That Galvanized the Asian American Movement, Yoo spotlights Vincent Chin, victim of a horrific racist crime resulting in his death, and the first-ever federal civil rights trial involving an Asian American. Yoo’s nonfiction narrative is extensive, being the first and only account to cover Chin’s case in its entirety. Yoo spoke about how her journalism background aided her book writing career, the information uncovered during her research, and her thoughts on the subject of this book given the present-day attacks on Asian Americans.
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You’ve written many biographies for younger readers. How do you choose your subjects and what made you decide to write one that’s more in depth about Vincent Chin? Were there any particular challenges in presenting this subject matter for young readers?
My first children’s book biography was Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds about Sammy Lee, and that actually happened by accident. I saw a link to a story about him and I got curious so I clicked on it and I remember thinking, “This would be a great picture book biography.” So I wrote that and it won the Lee & Low New Voices competition, which was what got me started. It was really a nice marriage of my former life as a journalist, where I was used to researching, and my love of telling stories.
Vincent Chin, I realized, was not a picture book. I actually wanted to write Vincent Chin as a movie screenplay but everyone I talked to about this as a movie said, “It’s an incredible story but you’re going to have a very small audience.” So I put it on the shelf for a little bit. Later on, I had time to work on a passion project, and I think because of the increase in Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in film, because of Crazy Rich Asians and Fresh Off the Boat, and also because racism against AAPI had risen quite dramatically after the 2016 presidential election, I thought, “Now is the time.” I had a phone call with my book agent, Tricia Lawrence, and she said this should be a nonfiction narrative for young adults because of books like The 57 Bus and authors like Steve Sheinkin and Deborah Heiligman.
Although there are adult elements in the book, such as the setting of the adult entertainment nightclub and the “F” word being said in witness testimony, I didn’t censor anything. The 57 Bus helped me because Dashka Slater didn’t hold back either. I realized teenagers are very smart and very sophisticated and so I wasn’t worried about that. The amount of reporting I did for it was no different than if this was a nonfiction story for adults. I really examined everything from both sides because I realize the teenagers reading this book are learning critical thinking skills and it’s important for them to walk away drawing their own conclusions.
I think the other thing that makes not just a straight-ahead nonfiction for adults is that I got to speak with Jarod, one of the kids of Vincent’s bride-to-be, Vicki Wong. I talked about how Vincent Chin was the OG millennial. He was a young kid going to school and working part-time, no different than today’s young adults. I think teenage readers would be able to identify with Chin, but this does take place in the ’80s so there’s a bit of emotional distance between them. Having part of the story take place in the present-day with a young person not much older than the readers themselves and seeing the story unfold through his eyes gives these readers an emotional anchor so that they can live the story as opposed to just learning about it. So those were the techniques I used to gear it toward YA readers, but I think adults can still read it and get a lot out of it.
As a former journalist, did you draw on that experience in preparation for this book? How did you begin your research?
I wrote for the Seattle Times, the Detroit News, and People magazine before leaving in 2000 to pursue writing fiction full-time. I was getting my MFA in creative writing, and teaching English as an adjunct faculty instructor, and I thought, “I’ll finish my MFA, write a great American novel, and maybe teach full-time one day.” But I ended up writing for TV because a friend of mine had said that TV is basically fiction writing on a newspaper deadline. When I wrote for TV, whether for something realistic like The West Wing or sci-fi like Supergirl, my reporting never left me. I go overboard with everything because my journalism training taught me you over-report and underwrite to get to the heart of the matter. I call it due diligence but my friends joke and call it “Yoo diligence.”
To start with, I read all the books. My book is the first to cover Chin’s case from beginning to end but there are several academic books and memoirs where people involved in the case or people who are Asian American activists have written at least one chapter [on it]. One of these was Helen Zia’s memoir Asian American Dreams, where she has a beautiful chapter about her involvement in the case. I used that and newspaper articles to form a foundation of reading first. Then I made a list of all the people I wanted to interview and tracked down their contact information and where they lived. I also went to archives and museums to get all the original documentary footage that I could find, and did follow ups, so I ended up interviewing people several times to make sure I got all the information. I think I have about 100,000 written words worth of notes alone.
Were you struck by anything in particular during the research process?
There were two things that shocked me. The first was that, like a lot of people, I had a very simplified, and actually, inaccurate idea of what happened. A lot of people say it was two white, laid-off workers who killed Chin because they were angry about Japanese competition with the American auto industry. But actually, Ronald Ebens was not unemployed. He was a manager at Chrysler, and [Michael Nitz] was laid off but was collecting unemployment and going to college. And they weren’t mad about anything when they first entered the nightclub. But here’s the thing: what happened to Vincent Chin happened at the height of increased anti-Japanese sentiment and rising xenophobia against Asians. I thought there would be an evil racist villain and a superhero good person, but it turns out there was also toxic masculinity and too much drinking on both sides. Ebens wasn’t completely evil and Chin was just a regular person, not some exalted superhero.
The second thing was, and I don’t know if I’m correct about this, but I may be the only writer to have met with Ronald Ebens in person since Michael Moore in the late 1980s. I can’t talk about what we [discussed] because it was an off the record visit, but I will say I’m grateful he allowed me into his home. The most shocking thing was learning that compassion and justice are not mutually exclusive. Although I ultimately felt compassion for both sides in this tragic case, I was still angry that justice was not done for Vincent. You can conclude how I feel about the case in the afterword of this book. I felt I earned the right to be a bit more editorial there, since I’ve been so impartial throughout.
It was also interesting interviewing Jarod. It was a very emotional time for him because he didn’t realize his connection to Chin was this close. For example, he had one of his birthday parties at the restaurant where Chin used to work and had no idea. It was this almost spiritual journey. We felt Vincent was reaching out to us saying, “You’re on the right path, keep going.” When I interviewed people in person and on the phone, I realized this was one of the most horrifying things to happen in their young lives, and it had lifelong PTSD effects on them. That’s what haunted me doing research for Vincent Chin. I had to separate emotions from the logical, journalist part of me. But I realized in order to really get the humanity of the story across, I could have an emotional reaction and still be fair in reporting this story.
What is your hope for this book in light of the current climate of anti-Asian American violence and civil unrest?
There was a statistic that came out saying one in four AAPI teens reported being victims of bullying and harassment because of Covid. As a Gen X woman, I’m furious kids are going through what I went through in the ’80s. So I’m really glad I wrote this [as a YA]. I hope this book teaches them you can fight back, and not alone. I hope this book is read by non-Asian teens to make them realize we have to be allies, we have to stand in solidarity, and more importantly, we need friendships. The people who banded together for Chin weren’t just AAPI. It was churches, synagogues, Black communities who all marched in solidarity for Chin’s justice. It’s important for teens to learn, especially since we see things today like #AsiansForBlackLives and Black teen activists fighting against what happened in Atlanta. I hope this book teaches kids to do more for their community.
I also go into detail about a lot of other Asian American historical milestones such as the Chinese laborers, one of whom was Chin’s great-great-great grandfather, who did railroad work. This is sort of like a primer to encourage young readers to find out more about these events. I’m hoping teachers and students get interested.
I’m honored by the attention this book is getting, but I’m heartbroken because I didn’t want this book to go viral in the past couple of weeks because of the shooting in Atlanta. This is not about selling books for me. This is about raising awareness and keeping Chin’s name alive. I often say I fight back by writing back, and if I can write a book to educate and humanize Asian American contributions, it’s the least I can do. Writing this book had a profound personal effect on how I view racism, trauma, and violence in the country. That’s Vincent’s legacy. He helped me become a more aware and proactive person when it comes to fighting against hate in this country.
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial That Galvanized the Asian American Movement. Paula Yoo. Norton Young Readers, $19.95 Apr. 20 ISBN 978-1-324-00287-1
Paula Yoo is an author, screenwriter, and musician. Her latest YA non-fiction book, FROM A WHISPER TO A RALLYING CRY: THE KILLING OF VINCENT CHIN AND THE TRIAL THAT GALVANIZED THE ASIAN AMERICAN MOVEMENT (Norton Young Readers/W.W. Norton & Co. Publication Date: April 20, 2021), was selected for the 2021 National Book Award Longlist: Young People's Literature and won the 2021 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction. Her book is a 2021 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and the May 2022 YA book selection for the National Education Association (NEA) "Read Across America" program. It has also received 5 *starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Horn Book and School Library Journal and has been featured in national media including The New York Times, TIME Magazine, NPR, The Today Show, Good Morning America and NBC News. Her other books include the YA novel GOOD ENOUGH (HarperCollins 2008), an Asian/Pacific American Award for Youth Literature honor book, and the IRA Notable picture book/chapter book biographies SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS: THE SAMMY LEE STORY, SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG STORY, and TWENTY-TWO CENTS: MUHAMMAD YUNUS AND THE VILLAGE BANK from Lee & Low Books. She has also written three books for Lee & Low’s “CONFETTI KIDS” early reader series and has a chapter book series coming out in 2022 from Lee & Low. As a TV writer/producer, her credits range from NBC’s The West Wing to The CW’s Supergirl, and she has sold multiple TV pilots and feature scripts. She is also a former journalist (The Seattle Times, The Detroit News, and PEOPLE Magazine). She graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in English, an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College, where she was the recipient of the Larry Levis Fiction Fellowship. When she’s not writing, Paula is a professional freelance violinist who has played and toured with orchestras and such national recording acts as No Doubt, Il Divo, Fun, and Love. Website: https://paulayoo.com
ABOUT PAULA YOO
Paula Yoo is an author, screenwriter, and musician. Her latest YA non-fiction book, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement (Norton Young Readers/W.W. Norton & Co. Publication Date: April 20, 2021), is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and received a starred review from Kirkus. Her other books include the YA novel Good Enough (HarperCollins 2008), an Asian/Pacific American Award for Youth Literature honor book, and the IRA Notable picture book biographies Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story, Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story, and Twenty-two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank from Lee & Low Books. She has also written three books for Lee & Low’s “Confetti Kids” early reader series and has a chapter book series coming out in 2022 from Lee & Low. As a TV writer/producer, her credits range from NBC’s The West Wing to The CW’s Supergirl, and she has sold multiple TV pilots and feature scripts. She is also a former journalist (The Seattle Times, The Detroit News, and PEOPLE Magazine). She graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in English, an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College, where she was the recipient of the Larry Levis Fiction Fellowship. When she’s not writing, Paula is a professional freelance violinist who has played and toured with orchestras and such national recording acts as No Doubt, Il Divo, Fun, and Love.
PROFILES
A Journalist Revisits the Case of Vincent Chin
BY LAURA SIMEON • MAY 3, 2021
A Journalist Revisits the Case of Vincent Chin
Paula Yoo. Photo by Sonya Sones
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial That Galvanized the Asian American Movement (Norton Young Readers, April 20) is Paula Yoo’s gripping account, written for a young adult audience, of the tragic 1982 death of a young Chinese American man beaten by a White auto worker in Detroit at a time when tensions over Japanese car imports were running high. Chin’s killer, Ronald Ebens, served no time, receiving only a nominal fine and parole for manslaughter. Following a grand jury indictment, Ebens was found guilty of having violated Chin’s civil rights but was acquitted upon appeal. The case led to nationwide protests, heightened awareness of racism faced by Asian Americans, and the growth of a pan–Asian American identity and community, yet it’s a story that has lapsed into obscurity. The escalation in anti-Asian hate crimes in recent years makes this an especially critical read.
Yoo is a former journalist (at the Detroit News and other publications)–turned–screenwriter and producer (she worked on TV shows such as The West Wing and Supergirl). She brings her considerable experience to the book, which balances a dynamic narrative with exemplary research, including interviews with many of the people directly involved. Yoo spoke with us over Zoom from her home in Los Angeles, California; the conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
As you worked on the book, did your impressions of the problem of anti-Asian racism change?
We have always been excluded and erased from the dialogue about racism in this country. Vincent Chin’s case was the first federal civil rights trial for an Asian American, and this was the 1980s. My friends and I joke occasionally about [how] being Asian American is like dying by a thousand cuts, a thousand microaggressions. But I’m realizing now that’s also part of the conversation: Unfortunately, most Americans think of racism in very broad strokes, as wearing a KKK hood or [going] up to someone, [punching] them in the face, and [calling] them a racist slur. Obviously, there’s a higher priority for violent physical crime, but that does not erase the importance and complexities of microaggressions. Trauma happens, whether it’s one shocking, horrifying event or a lifetime of tiny microaggressions that add up. What I am happy about, though, is that we’re finally having this conversation and finally addressing all forms and varying degrees of racism. You cannot have one conversation about racist mass shootings and not have an equally important conversation about microaggressions. For the Asian American and Pacific Islander experience, that is what we know, and the rest of the world is now finally finding out. So I would say my one surprise is that it took me this long to have this conversation.
Like many Asian Americans, I have long held the impression that there was unambiguous, incontrovertible evidence that this was a hate crime and that the lax sentencing reflected the ongoing struggles we’ve had as a community to get society to take anti-Asian racism seriously. I finished reading your book surprised at all the complex, complicating factors at play: conflicting eyewitness testimony, other forms of bias that affected the course of the police investigation, problems with how manslaughter cases were routinely handled in Michigan, issues with the prosecution’s gathering of evidence, and more. I emerged with a greater understanding of how the aftermath unfolded the way it did as well as feeling like I had a full enough picture of events to draw my own conclusions.
I was a little frustrated at first because I wanted it to be cut and dried: There is an evil villain and then you’ve got your superhero. But that wasn’t the case at all—both men had flaws, there was toxic masculinity on both sides, everyone had been drinking too much. Legally speaking, it was also complicated because at the end of the day, Ronald Ebens was found not guilty of violating Vincent Chin’s civil rights. Is he guilty of manslaughter? Yes, he pled guilty. He knew what he did was wrong. To this day he still expresses remorse. He still insists that he is not racist. Because Ebens was ultimately found not guilty in the 1987 second trial for violating Vincent Chin’s civil rights, he and his legal team believe this also means his actions were not the result of racism but of a bar brawl that turned tragic—and fatal. The complication is, what exactly is your definition of racist? The complexity at first daunted me. I thought, what can I really say about racism? He was found not guilty.
But then, the more I delved into it, the more I realized that it’s a complicated case because racism is a complicated topic. If it was good versus evil, if it was simply him wearing something obvious like white Ku Klux Klan [robes] and if there was an actual smartphone back in 1982 that recorded him saying [racist] words, sure, that would be an easy story to tell. But would it be as effective? I think it is important and vital that the case was as complicated as it was because that shows the difficulty of how racism is perceived in this country. The rise in anti-Asian racism because of the pandemic [has] been bringing up difficult conversations as well about anti-Blackness and other types of prejudices within our own communities. There are things we have to address right now about our own flaws, but I hope this book also reminds people that there also have been many bridges that were built, decades ago, that are very strong, and we’re walking across those bridges.
What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
I hope my book has a positive impact on young readers in terms of showing them that they have a voice, that their lives, their history, and their heritage matter. I hope my book has a positive impact on young readers who may not be Asian, [that] it will inspire them to learn more about the contributions we’ve made in this country and to form not just allyships with other communities, but friendships. Because one of the most important things about this book is that the activists were not just Asian, they were White, there were Jewish organizations, Black organizations, the Latino community, Pacific Islanders—everybody joined in together. I hope that people walk away from this not only feeling anger and wanting to do something, but also proud of how people of many different backgrounds can actually get together and work toward a common good. We have to fight hate with love. We can also fight with anger, but our anger is fueled by that love. My heart breaks thinking about what kids are going through right now because of this traumatic pandemic, and I hope that this book gives them hope—to know that no matter how dark things get, you can always find the light.
Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial That Galvanized the Asian American Movement. By Paula Yoo. Apr. 2021.352p. illus. Norton/Young Readers, $19.95 (9781324002871). Gr. 8-12.973.05.
On June 19, 1982, Chinese American Victor Chin was murdered near Detroit, Michigan, when a drunken fist fight became a brutal beating with a baseball bat. There was no question as to who was responsible: Ronald Ebens--the white supervisor of a Chrysler plant--and his grown stepson, Michael Nitz. The shock, apart from Chin's death itself, came when Ebens and Nitz were charged with manslaughter rather than murder, receiving no jailtime for their crime. Outrage swept the Asian American community. Yoo dives into this story, giving important historical context to the anti-Asian sentiments of the time while anchoring it in the experiences of those closest to Chin, most notably his mother, Lily Yet, for all the personal touches, Yoo remains admirably objective in how she relays the various court cases that arose from Chin's murder, as well as their outcomes. She does not sanitize nor play up the story's more salacious details--a strip club, drinking, swearing, violence--and these things never overshadow the real issue on trial: Was Victor Chin's murder a hate crime? Chin's death united the Asian American community to stand against racism and fight for civil rights in unprecedented ways. In a compelling afterword, 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. Supported by robust source notes, news clippings, and photos.--Julia Smith
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 American Library Association
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Smith, Julia. "From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial That Galvanized the Asian American Movement." Booklist, vol. 117, no. 14, 15 Mar. 2021, p. 45. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A656304069/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=dd5c3f5e. Accessed 16 Oct. 2021.
YOO, Paula. The Story of Movie Star Anna May Wong. illus. by Lin Wang. (The Story Of ...). 64p. bibliog. chron. further reading, glossary, notes. Lee & Low. Jan. 2019. pap. $8.95. ISBN 9781620148532.
Gr 3-6--Short, informative, readable chapters chronicle the fascinating life of actress Anna May Wong and the experiences of Chinese Americans in the early 20th century. The author also deftly explores issues of representation, inclusivity, and identity in U.S. history and culture. Yoo depicts Wong as a woman who succeeded at a time when there were limited roles for Asian Americans, yet the author also acknowledges Hollywood's whitewashing and stereotypical portrayal of Asian people. Contemporaneous photos capture the look and mood of the times, in particular Hollywood, and Wang's illustrations add nuance. Some words appear in bold and are defined in the glossary. The detailed and organized back matter, which includes sources, recommended further reading by topic, and suggested films, will please report writers and casual readers alike. VERDICT An excellent chapter book biography for elementary schoolers.--Kristyn Dorfman, The Nightingale-Bamford School, New York City
KEY: * Excellent in relation to other titles on the same subject or in the same genre | Tr Hardcover trade binding | lib. ed. Publisher's library binding | Board Board book | pap. Paperback | e eBook original | BL Bilingual | POP Popular Picks
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Dorfman, Kristyn. "YOO, Paula. The Story of Movie Star Anna May Wong." School Library Journal, vol. 64, no. 13, winter 2018, p. 74. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A567633082/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=83a9486c. Accessed 16 Oct. 2021.
YOO, Paula. From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial That Galvanized the Asian American Movement. 384p. Norton. Apr. 2021. Tr $19.95. ISBN 9781324002871.
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 blackand-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
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Steimer, Maile. "YOO, Paula. From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial That Galvanized the Asian American Movement." School Library Journal, vol. 67, no. 5, May 2021, pp. 102+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A661255372/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1c035d24. Accessed 16 Oct. 2021.