No Cover-Up, Please : Vietnamese-American student dies after mob beating

Ten days ago Luyen Phan Nguyen, 19, went to a party in Coral Springs, Fla., and ended up dead--a victim of a racially motivated beating. A small crowd watched while as many as 15 attackers kicked and punched the University of Miami pre-med student. No one came to his aid.

Nguyen, who arrived in the United States from Vietnam 12 years ago, died later of head injuries and a broken neck. His ugly, senseless death is yet another example of the rise in violence and other acts of bigotry against Asian-Americans, the fastest-growing U.S. minority group. The problem was highlighted in March by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

At the party, Nguyen had objected to derogatory racial remarks about his Vietnamese ancestry. As the exchange turned into physical confrontation, Nguyen attempted to escape. Detective Jim Milford said: “They chased him down like a hunter chases down an injured deer. It was like a mob scene. . . . In 14 years this is one of the sickest things I have seen.” Coral Springs Mayor Jeanne Mills deplored those who did not step in to prevent the murder.

The Asian-American Federation of Florida and the National Network Against Anti-Asian Violence, a coalition of Asian-American groups nationwide, have condemned the attack and are pressing for a full investigation and prosecution of the case. So far, police, prosecutors and Mayor Mills appear to be moving quickly. Eight white male suspects have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

Ten years ago Vincent Chin was beaten to death by two jobless Detroit auto workers who mistook the Chinese-American for a Japanese and blamed him for the loss of U.S. auto jobs. That case was badly mishandled by authorities. It will be yet another insult to Americans of every ethnicity if the Nguyen case fares no better.