Helen Zia, a pioneering journalist, author and activist, will present the Asian American Distinguished Speaker Series lecture at the University of Notre Dame at 5 p.m. on March 19 (Wednesday) in the Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn. Jennifer Huynh, assistant professor of American Studies, will moderate the event, which is free and open to the public.

Zia’s role in the national Asian American civil rights movement began after the racially motivated killing of 27-year-old Vincent Chin in Detroit in 1982. After a judge sentenced Chin’s attackers to probation, Zia helped organize and lead a coalition of Asian Americans to stand up for justice and equality. Zia’s efforts and this movement were crucial, prompting officials to bring federal civil rights charges against the perpetrators. Zia’s efforts are documented in the Academy-Award-nominated PBS film “Who Killed Vincent Chin?” After 40 years of civil, women’s and LGBTQ+ rights activism, Zia founded the Vincent Chin Institute in 2023 to build multiracial solidarity against hate.

The Asian American Distinguished Speaker Series honors innovative, creative and effective Asian American leaders and celebrates their contributions. This year’s lecture is sponsored by the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies with the Department of American Studies, the Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy, and the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights at the University of Notre Dame.