About the Vincent Chin Memorial Scholarship and Internship
The brutal attack that killed Vincent Chin occurred late at night with few people around, but its reverberations spread across the country and have lasted for decades. Asian Americans came together to demand justice and found a common voice and purpose. Yet questions remain and justice goes undelivered.
This scholarship honors the legacy of Chin thanks to the generosity of Joe Grimm, a former newsroom recruiter and staff development editor for the Detroit Free Press.
This $1,500 scholarship honors a student member who demonstrates interest, ability, and growth in community-centered journalism, elevating community-rooted stories that inform and empower. Alongside the award, the recipient will complete a 4-6 week hybrid internship with the Vincent Chin Institute (VCI), creating projects that elevates the Vincent Chin story and highlights its present-day significance through social media storytelling.
- Must be an active AAJA member
- Must be a current college student enrolled in an accredited U.S. college or university
- Preference for juniors or seniors, given the independent nature of the project
- Preference for those with experience and interest in social media storytelling
- Resume
- Transcript
- Letter of recommendation
- A brief statement describing any financial need
- Describe a current event around the AAPI community that could draw parallels of the incident and legacy of Vincent Chin. If written, keep under 500 words. If video, audio or social media content, keep under 90 seconds.
- Examples of relevant social media content, if any
- Work Sample or Published Work demonstrating community-centered journalism
- Any medium accepted: written, video, audio, graphics, social media content etc.
- Community-centered journalism will be judged on the reporting about groups of people connected by ethnicity, location, or belief; and, covers their experiences in relation to systemic challenges and supportive efforts to affect that.
About Joe Grimm
Embarrassed and shamed by the killing of Vincent Chin, Joe’s friendship with AAJA helped him decide to elevate a story he wanted to hide. Journalism teaches that it is only through learning, even when it is painful, that we can become better, more purposeful people.
Questions? Email support@aaja.org.
Picture: Lily Chin buries her son on her 62nd birthday.
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