| Approx.
time |
Expression |
Explanation |
| 1:39 |
preceded |
went before |
| 1:44 |
J-1 visa |
a non-immigrant visa to
the United States for visitors in programs promoting cultural exchange or
providing professional training. |
| 2:35 |
rings true |
Something still sounds
correct or appropriate. |
| 2:44 |
Foreign Medical
Graduate |
a physician from another
country practicing medicine in the United States—now called
International Medical Graduate (IMG) |
| 3:30 |
self-involved |
not paying attention to
others, only to oneself |
| 3:57 |
siblings |
brothers and sisters |
| 4:19 |
strong accent |
speaking another language
with heavy influence from one’s first language, sometimes hard to understand |
| 4:40 |
Chinks go back to China! |
“Chink” is considered a
racial slur against people from China.
A slur is a negative, insulting word to identify a person by his or
her race. The word “chink” means
a narrow opening, a reference to typical almond-shaped eyes of people from
East Asia. Susan was doubly
insulted because the Anglos meant to sound rude, but they used the wrong word
since her family was from Korea, not China. |
| 5:25 |
[palm of right hand ] |
Alan pointed to the palm
of his right hand and said, “Traverse City.” Because the state of Michigan is
shaped like a mitten, Michiganders use their open hands as a map to point to
locations within the state’s lower peninsula. I find it easier to use my left index
finger to point to the palm of my right hand, but you can use your right
pointer index finger to point to the back of your left hand. |
| 5:32 |
cosmopolitan |
having worldwide views,
being globally sophisticated |
| 6:03 |
adoptees from Korea |
For many years, abandoned
children in Korea were sent abroad for adoption, peaking at 8,000 per year in
the 1980s. They were largely
adopted in Europe and the United States. |
| 6:07 |
befriended |
took as a friend |
| 6:20 |
to be candid |
to be very honest |
| 6:39 |
assimilate |
There is a change in
philosophy today in how immigrants fit into their new homeland. The word “assimilation” means to
change oneself and blend in without being noticed, to become one of the
group. A preferred concept is to
allow immigrants the chance to “acculturate.” This means they learn the ways of the
new culture, but they only take on the beliefs and behaviors they truly
value. This allows them to fit
into the culture in practical ways without giving up their core beliefs. A good way for Americans to think
about this would be to imagine losing their U.S. home and citizenship (due to
war or economics) and then imagine if they’d want to convert to the religion
and culture of their new homeland. |
| 6:54 |
coming out of the woodwork |
seeming to appear from
everywhere (somewhat surprisingly and mysteriously) |
| 7:44 |
the Diag |
The main open space on the
central campus of the University of Michigan, often the site of large public
gatherings. Originally called the
Diagonal Green because of the crisscrossing of many diagonal sidewalks through
the space |
| 8:00 |
Vincent Chin |
Vincent Chin was a Chinese
American who was beaten to death by two white Americans who mistook him for
Japanese. |
| 8:12 |
What on earth…? |
An expression of strong
surprise, similar to “What possibly could be happening?” |
| 8:21 |
model minority |
In the U.S., East Asians
are stereotyped as being hard working and polite, a good role model for other
racial minorities to copy. Of
course, this is unfair to Asians for restricting them to studious and quiet behavior
and unfair to other people of color for implying they are lazy and rude. |
| 8:43 |
strip club called Fancy
Pants |
Susan said Vincent Chin
was at a strip club called Fancy Pants for a bachelor’s party. |
| 8:46 |
bachelor’s celebration |
Young American men are
sometimes taken by their friends to strip clubs the night before they get
married. This kind of evening may
be seen as a type of male bonding and may symbolize the young man’s “last
chance” to be out in public watching strip-tease dancers. |
| 8:50 |
verbal altercation |
argument, fighting with
words |
| 8:53 |
Caucasian |
white, Euro-American |
| 9:00 |
racial slur |
As mentioned earlier, a
slur is an insulting word to identify a person by his or her race. |
| 9:06 |
kicked out |
forced to leave (the strip
club) |
| 9:15 |
companion |
friend who came along |
| 9:32 |
bludgeoned to death |
beaten to death with a
heavy weapon |
| 9:38 |
off-duty police officers |
police officers who were
not officially working but who have the power to take action if they see a
crime happening |
| 9:46 |
criminal prosecution |
court trial for breaking a
law against the government |
| 10:00 |
eye witness |
person who actually saw a
crime take place |
| 10:09 |
civil rights actions |
actions to protect an
individual’s rights against unnecessary and harmful acts by the government or
an organization |
| 10:17 |
defendant |
a person who defends
him/herself against charges in court |
| 11:10 |
you Japs |
Susan said the two men
thought American autoworkers were out of jobs “because of you Japs.” The word “Jap” is a racial slur
against the Japanese. Anytime the
word “you” is added to a label, this group of people feels negatively singled
out, usually because it is done by a member of dominant groups (either
able-bodied people, whites, males, straights, the wealthy, or Christians). |
| 11:12 |
out of jobs |
unemployed |
| 11:24 |
standing up for |
supporting, speaking on
behalf of, offering help or protection when another person is attacked |
| 11:27 |
in our corner |
Someone who is in your
corner is on your side, is advocating for you, and wants you to win. The expression comes from the sport of
boxing, where the one person a boxer can trust is the trainer in his/her
corner of the boxing ring. |
| 11:34 |
transpired |
happened |
| 11:54 |
advocating for them |
standing up for, speaking
on behalf of them |
| 11:56 |
horrific |
causing fear or horror |
| 11:58 |
hate crime laws |
Susan said Vincent Chin
was killed at a time when there were no laws against hate crimes. Today, a person can be tried and
punished if he or she commits a crime against someone specifically because of
that person’s race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. These charges are often difficult to
prove because they go beyond the doing of crime to the reason or motivation
for the crime. |
| 12:05 |
horrendous tragedy |
terrible, frightful,
awful, regrettable event |
| 12:19 |
self-same |
identical, exactly the
same |
| 12:22 |
defining moment |
a time when one’s purpose
becomes clearly identified or shown |
| 12:29 |
pre-med |
pre-medical studies (4
years) at an American university before one can enroll in medical school |
