Accuracy in Covering Vincent Chin

Please don't perpetuate misinformation

get the facts right

The story of Vincent Chin and the campaign for justice has been told by many, but some factual errors have been repeated. 

 Here are just a few

  • The two killers were NOT unemployed auto workers

    Ronald Ebens was a plant supervisor working for Chrysler--this was a high-level supervisory job. His stepson, Michael Nitz, had been laid off from an auto factory but was employed at a large furniture company when he and his stepfather killed Vincent.

  • The killers did NOT mistake Vincent for being Japanese

    Even though Ebens was overheard to say, "It's because of you motherf---s that we're out of work," which was a clear reference to Japan, Vincent's buddies at the bachelor party told Ebens, "he's Chinese, not Japanese." Outside the bar, they only chased after Vincent and his Chinese friend, not his non-Asian friends; then they hired a man to "get the Chinese." This was not a case of mistaken identity.

  • Vincent Chin was a draftsman, not an engineer

    Many news outlets reported otherwise.