What if Jeremy Lin Weren’t Asian?

By Kevin | Wednesday, February 8, 2012 | 35 Comments

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8a lin What if Jeremy Lin Werent Asian?

As with most people, I don’t remember much of my early childhood; I emigrated to the State from Taiwan when I was 5 years old and the only relevant and vivid memories I have from my time on the Formosan island was sitting 2 feet away from a sizable television watching Michael Jordan win his first championships. I still have the Bulls snap-back from back then; the logo is faded and the brim is bent, but it represents the simplest and only remnants of a forgotten upraising.

So it wasn’t far-fetched to feel a sense of pride as Jeremy Lin dropped 25 on the Nets, playing against a premiere point guard in Deron Williams, and then 28 on Utah to take command of a team without two of the top 15 players in the league, let alone his team. Tonight, he plays against John Wall, the player picked in draft in 2010 before anyone else, the same draft that Lin himself wasn’t picked in. Facebook and Twitter will explode like it did the last two games, and the story will continue to write itself.

The day after the Nets game, I watched the Super Bowl with a few other Asian Americans and an innocuous conversation started about Jeremy Lin’s success. I had, over the last 24 hours, scoured over all media coverage of Jeremy Lin and absorbed much of it as I could, and as I juxtaposed that coverage, on ESPN, basketball and sports blogs, and newspapers, with the conversation I had with Asian American peers, I realized that the dialogue was different; we we’re appreciating him for different reasons.

If you look into it, Lin’s exposure is rather curious. Averaging 26 points over 2 games isn’t much to rave about; it doesn’t always happen, but it does happen. After all, there are rookies and sophomores out there who are having better years than Jeremy Lin (Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, Ricky Rubio, Paul George to name a few), with less exposure. And while the event is historic , the history is terribly uninteresting. Who cares that no one’s put up a 25 point, 8 assist game in their first start since Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas did it? Or that the last person to score 20 points in the NBA from the Ivy League was journeyman Chris Dudley, who only averaged 3 points per game in his career? To put in perspective; I doubt many NBA fans remember when Brandon Jennings dropped 55 points his rookie year; and the story was gone in a matter of days, if not hours. It definitely helps that he’s in biggest market in the United States, but what if someone else did it? What if that player were Iman Shumpert? Would it still be news? Would there be LinSanity?

The point is, America’s intrigued with Jeremy Lin because he’s Asian, but America fails to acknowledge it openly; solely hinting at the phenomenon without addressing it. That’s like completely ignoring a festering wound that’s the size of the elephant sitting in the room. In many cases, it can’t. Overt conversations about race is a marketing and media third rail; you may be able to walk by and approach it, but you’re dead if you touch it. ABC/ESPN can’t dedicate segments his ethnic identity, it faces too much pressure from third parties. It’s more than that; Jeremy Lin has been forced to carry on his shoulder the burden of an entire race simply by association and under-representation, and the Asian American community perpetuates this. In the same way that his success is OUR success in tearing down stereotypes and fighting bigotry, his potential failure becomes OUR failure, and that become dangerous.

That becomes dangerous because if he does fail, Asians are then perceived as weak and emasculated; physically inferior to a game dominated by African and Euro-Americans. It’s dangerous because if he succeeds, it perpetuates the Model Minority (I’m sorry, but the VioLin? Is that not the most tiger-mother coded reference ever? That’s the best you could come up with? Thousands of fans carrying violins? Because you can’t spell it without L-I-N? Why not MandoLins? There’s an abbreviation for mandarin in there too! Let’s talk about how he can’t play at UCLA or Stanford because they’re a Division 1 school, but was a sure-in at an Ivy League school.)

Now don’t get me wrong, Jeremy Lin might not fail, but that’s no guarantee for his success either. But the subtleties of race made this a story, and by ignoring a deeper conversation about it as a nation, the Asian American community sets itself up to criticism. Maybe, just maybe, he stops being a novelty, but I doubt it. This isn’t something we can openly address; and if America doesn’t address it, the Asian American community always will; we’re going to “ride him like freakin’ Secretariat.” And if we’re lucky, he’ll carry us into a new age of racial understanding, but if not?

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TienVNguyen

“In the same way that his success is OUR success in tearing down stereotypes and fighting bigotry, his potential failure becomes OUR failure, and that become dangerous.”

Yeah this is pretty much not true, lest you provide previous such examples.
itzagudwun

@TienVNguyen That’s hard because there really isn’t anyone that’s as big as Jeremy Lin in the United States in the current discussion of Asian American diaspora… I don’t think there’s ever been… I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. This isn’t because he’s the most succsesful (Michelle Kwan comes to mind. It’s because his field is so racialized, his race becomes more relevant than say… John Cho’s. I think that if something is more racialized, or you’re trying to impact a more racial community; race becomes doubly as important. It’s really a perfect storm, IMO. List the last big Asian American person with a profile and fame that rivals Jeremy Lin that isn’t named Bruce Lee. Plus, I think it’s noticeable that he’s Asian AMERICAN as opposed to an immigrant and the dichotomies that have to be drawn there in regards to Jackie Chan..

They hype is literally palpable and the statement I made is simply an extension of the racial undertones reflected in the hype. Is it a bit hyperbolic? Maybe. But we’re talking about the undertones of a “post-racial” America, the smallest of things make the biggest impact now-a-days. He is stereotypes personified, but he is also challenging the very concepts of those stereotypes. I don’t think it’s too hard to see that.

I guess I’ll try to give examples of what I mean.

https://twitter.com/TaiwaneseAm_org for tweets from the foremost taiwanese american online community. Blogposts on this blog as with other Asian American blogs reflect similar hype. We’ve been building him up for years now. Look at what happened in that one game in NorCal he played back when he was at Harvard. The AsAm community went haywire.

Look to the colorlines article I linked earlier to probably get a better look at the foundation for the assumption I made. (http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/02/jeremy_lin.html)

Which links this Jay Caspian Kang article that juxtaposes the AsAm experience, the Black Body, the Asian body, and Jin (It’s pretty interesting to reflect on Jin the MC. Even in his hayday, Jin can’t claim to have captured as many hearts as Lin has in the past 5 days. Aren’t there still comments as to “Holy Crap, Far*East Movement is Asian?”)

http://freedarko.blogspot.com/2010/01/lives-of-others.html
Reechard

I think America pretty much DOES recognize that “LinSanity” is spurred heavily on the fact that he is “Asian-American in a league devoid of them: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/sports/basketball/jeremy-lin-has-burst-from-nba-novelty-act-to-knicks-star.html?_r=1&hp
Reechard

Also, I think your fear that if he fails it will spur stereotypes is unfounded. Those stereotypes already existed before Jeremy Lin exploded into the national media. His failure, if it occurs, won’t really add fuel to that fire.

You seem afraid to support him just because he is an APA. To that I say, why not? Like article I cited earlier stated, he is an “Asian-American in a league devoid of them” so I think it’s not surprising how people gravitate towards him.

Finally, I renew my argument (from previous posts) that perhaps your views and this sites’ views are skewed by the overwhelmingly West-Coast bias on APA issues present on 8asians. For us on the East Coast and especially New York Knicks Fans (I must admit I am a 76ers and OKC fan), there is a reason APAs, whites, blacks, and fans of all colors cheer for Lin, and its because he makes the Knicks and the NBA exciting.
itzagudwun

@Reechard That’s my point… If he weren’t Asian, he wouldn’t matter (as much). My question is this: Why Jeremy? What makes him special? And what are the consequences. If Iman Shumpert put up numbers like Jeremy Lin, would it be as compelling?

It’s not that these stereotypes have never existed, it’s that they’re exacerbated, and even further so by his success and/or failure. I know it seems like I’m not a fan, and in many ways I’m playing Devil’s Advocate and processing my thoughts, but I think I’ve spent about 4 hours in the last 3 days just looking at highlights, reading, and so on. I’m watching him dunk on the Wizards right now, but I wanted to ask why.. and if “Asian American” is the answer, then there are a lot of implications to that.
dcj125

I agree with several of the points made in the article, but I can’t help but feel you’re missing something.

For starters, you’re overlooking the fact that Brandon Jennings, Kyrie Irving, Ricky Rubio, and Paul George are starters for their respective teams. And then, Kemba Walker and Kyrie Irving were studs in college, coming from very reputable basketball programs and doing very well in the NCAA. And then Ricky Rubio has been playing basketball professionally since 2005 in Europe, so he’s only a rookie based on a technicality.

A big reason why Jeremy Lin is so big is because as of just last week, he was THIRD string. The only reason why he wasn’t fourth was because Baron Davis is yet cleared to play by team doctors. A lot of people knew J-Lin can play, but before this week, his fanbase was probably 99% Asian (90% of which were probably Taiwanese lol).

The most amazing thing to me is that it’s not like his skills drastically improved overnight. Not to the point where he’s able to lead his team to consecutive victories without their two best players. But racism in the league has prevented him from getting a chance. It only took a very desperate situation for the Knicks to finally force D’Antoni to give him minutes.

That is actually what frustrates me the most. Everyone talks about how he was a third stringer last week and makes it seem like he was keeping his skills tucked away in his back pocket. You expect me to believe not a single scout saw J-Lin play in college? Or that his coaches and teammates never saw him play in practice?

So while it’s true that being Asian has helped fuel the LINsanity, it’s also a story of overcoming and succeeding in the face of adversity (which we already know). Therefore, I don’t think it’s reasonable to dismiss the media’s and fans’ fascination with Jeremy Lin in any way.
dcj125

Oh, and to answer your question: What if Jeremy Lin weren’t Asian?

If he wasn’t Asian, LINsanity wouldn’t exist because he’d be starting or playing 2nd string on the team that drafted him in 2010, playing with regular minutes and averaging 18 points and 7 assists on the season. Basically, have a normal and productive career in the NBA. Better late than never though.
dcj125

Oh, and to answer your question: What if Jeremy Lin weren’t Asian?

If he weren’t Asian, LINsanity wouldn’t exist because he’d be starting or playing 2nd string on the team that drafted him in 2010, playing with regular minutes and averaging 18 points and 7 assists on the season. Basically, have a normal and productive career in the NBA. Better late than never though.
johnklin

“Lin is the first player since LeBron James in 2003 to score at least 20 points and hand out at least 8 assists in his first two NBA starts.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/36666/superman-3-pointers-fly-for-magic

Jeremy Lin being Asian is just one aspect of his overall story line. Another is him being a undrafted Harvard grad – the first Ivy League basketball player to play in the NBA since 2003 (or so). Another his Lin being a Christian – the next Tim Teebow, as during interviews, he expresses he thanks to God and Jesus Christ.

At the end of the day though, it’s his breakout performance, now in his 3rd game, from someone that has been sitting for most of the past year on the bench that is the real story.
Keith Oh

Excellent article. I like what you said that about the other side of the coin of the APA community relishing in his success is the potential fallout from him failing in the long run. I however, as a long suffering Knicks fan do enjoy the fact that he has made the Knicks relevant again in the NBA. You have to realize that for a marquee franchise in the USA’s biggest media market to be bad for so long was horrible for the NBA’s image. I think part of the fact that he is a point guard, who is essentially the quarterback of the basketball team and thus making everyone else better is part of the reason he is getting outsized attention from ESPN and the rest of the sports blogosphere.
Laciemn

Well, if he succeeds or fails, I think it’s great, because he’s sort of proven a point. Maybe more coaches will be willing to give Asian guys a chance after this. As a hobby, I pay close attention to pop culture, trends, and the effects overall. All the big waves start with a ripple, and maybe he is the ripple! Though he may not live up to this standard he set for himself, other Asian basketball players or aspiring basketball players may look up to him and feel a little bit more belief in themselves, cause they see that all those stereotypes aren’t necessarily true =].
aarisings

Not sure that 18 points and 7 assists per game would be “average” in the NBA. Currently the league average with guards in the NBA is 9.3 ppg and 2.8 assists per game. Most teams would be pretty happy if their guards were pulling in 18 ppg and 7 assists.

Sure, his Asian-ness is getting him attention (much like his Harvard education, which I see in the media seems to get more attention than his ethnic background, actually) but he is also getting a lot of attention because he was the player on the bench that they didn’t know they had, and that’s been one of the biggest reasons for the Linsanity.

I think Yao Ming really already took away that first level of uniqueness of an Asian playing in the NBA. And we certainly can’t discount that. Most NBA fans will not be able to discern Jeremy Lin’s Asian American-ness with Yao Ming’s Asian-ness. To them, we are all alike, period. But Yao opened the door to have an Asian face on your team. Lin takes it a step further though now with the Asian American aspect.

New York likes to root for the underdog. We see it time-and-time again and Lin has been the underdog. We see it in movies all the time where that one person at the end of the bench has to go into a game, much to the chagrin of the coach, and then goes on to win the game for the team. It’s a classic story and thus Lin represents that same classic story.

From a media perspective, the Lin story just has so much goodness to write about. You’ve got not only the Asian American angle but you’ve got the Harvard angle (the first Harvard player in the NBA since 1954), the non-guaranteed contract angle (he did not have a guaranteed contract with the Knicks until this week), being 3rd string PG (averaging 3.5 points and 1.8 assists) to starter, to helping make his teammates play better (Knicks lose 11 out of 13 and now suddenly win 3 in a row), and winning the last two games without the Knicks most productive starters in Carmelo and Amare (who account for 40 points on an average night). It really became a perfect storm situation for Lin to just become newsworthy.

You can bet that if Lin put up the numbers from the last 3 games and Knicks still lost all 3 games, the Linsanity would not be as crazy as it is now.
dcj125

@aarisings

I don’t disagree anything you said, but I just want to clarify that I said J-Lin would be averaging 18ppg/7apg on the season, not that he is an average PG. I think he’s an above-average PG that is very capable of starting for most other teams in the league. I think 18ppg/7apg is reasonable for an above-average, starting PG in the league.

But none of what I said actually matters because it’s a hypothetical.
Pingback: Welcome to the bigs, Jeremy Lin | Justin Fung
coach41

I read your article a couple of times but I am not sure why you are concerned about his “failures”.

As a Jeremy Lin fan since he played high school ball, I love it that he is getting a chance to show his skills. I don’t know if you followed Jeremy’s story LAST year when the my hometown Golden State Warriors signed Jeremy. Asians supported the signing heavily, other people (mostly non-Asians / some Asians) decried it as a marketing ploy. The limited minutes he got with the Warriors and the fact that he got cut by the Warriors / Rockets seemed to prove the point that Jeremy COULD NOT PLAY in the NBA. Jeremy seemed destined to be a footnote. He would be the first Harvard / Asian American guy to play NBA ball in many years but would otherwise be a bench (12th to 15th) kind of player.

From that context, does you see why people are cheering for Jeremy? He has gone from the bottom of the bench to the STARTING FIVE, playing a lot of minutes AND playing well. I find your comment that “26 points over 2 games isn’t much to rave about” puzzling. Sure, if you’re a LeBron James / Dwayne Wade or some other “star player”, 26 points any game is probably expected. Jeremy WAS NOT EXPECTED to to do this. It may have had to do with his race but the main thing was that he was a bench player. I really think you have to give Jeremy credit that he has done what he did.

As far as him “failing”, you never defined what a “failure” was. At this point, we have NO IDEA what will happen to Jeremy. He could continue his current pace and be a star. The worst case is that he is a flash in the pan and never gets close to what he did and that would be considered a failure. But I don’t understand your concern for that worst case scenario. Jeremy has shown enough that I think he will be a productive NBA player for years to come.

I understand being a devil’s advocate but I’d take what Jeremy did recently than what he had going on when he was cut twice and then glued to the Knicks bench. THAT would have been the worst case scenario. Just even with his three good games, he has shown that an Asian-american CAN play in the NBA. It remains to be seen what happens long term but that’s the fun part.
Reechard

@itzagudwun Honestly, I think your paranoid. Your arguments are based on your “fear” or “emotion” of the implications of his media prowess being based on the fact he is an APA. But as others have pointed out to you above, he is also popular because he is a Harvard Grad and Christian.

At the end of the day, I understand your concern, slightly. But if the answer to your concern is because he is an APA, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that in the long run.

When you grow up and have a career, you should be proud if you get recognized for your accomplishments as an individual and as an APA, like Jeremy Lin.
itzagudwun

@coach41 I does see it. And I commentate on it. I never said he would fail, or that he is limited to failure; my point is that we’ve labeled him a success beyond what he’s actually achieved. He is more likely to fail than to succeed (and I’ll write about that later in this comment) My point is that Jeremy Lin “WAS NOT EXPECTED” to be a good player as a subtle reference to his race, more than his being a 3rd string or Harvard alum. Talent is talent, and perhaps the NBA fails to see talent because of lackluster measures or metrics (although it is interesting that Houston gave Lin a shot especially when they’re probably the most metric based team).

Again, some of you are missing the point. What. If. Jeremy. Lin. Were. Black. All other factors held constant. I contend his success wouldn’t be as rambunctious and that implies something dangerous with BOTH success AND failure.The fact that he’s from Harvard shouldn’t really be a factor. The fact that he had talent to play D1-AAA ball at dream school UCLA or Stanford is. His not going to UCLA or Stanford is not a reflection of him, its reflection of those programs. He is the greatest player in Ivy League/Harvard history, IMO. Stephen Curry came from Davidson, who holds the same prestige as an Ivy League in terms of sports. He was not as celebrated as Jeremy Lin. What if Stephen Curry were Asian? I contend that a lot of top tiered talent come from non-major conference schools. Football reflects this quite well. Greg Jennings came from a mid-major, Jerry Rice came from a D1-AA school, same with Kurt Warner, Donald Driver, Adam Vinatieri, and so on. There are a lot of NBA players who come from mid-level. Basketball is all about flops. Why is Darko doing poorly, Greg Oden, Sam Bowie?I’m saying that 3 good games from a team without their starters and sub-par basketball teams doesn’t prove he’s good. But that the sensation from beating teams with a combined record of 26-51 would be unfounded if an African American or White basketball player came off the bench, was cut by 2 teams, and then did well.
coach41

I neglected to mention one other thing. You posted “Let’s talk about how he can’t play at UCLA or Stanford because they’re a Division 1 school, but was a sure-in at an Ivy League school/”

I think I know what you meant but you had it all written wrong. The Ivy league schools ARE Division I schools, just like Stanford and UCLA. It’s just that UCLA / Stanford are more known for their athletics than Harvard (or other Ivy League schools). Plus, the ivy league schools do not offer scholarships so Jeremy HAD to have good grades to make it to Harvard. If that means he’s a model minority, then so be it.

I blogged about this sometime ago that Jeremy was the perfect storm of a role model for that Asian Americans parents would like and kids should emulate. Why? He wasn’t JUST a basketball player that went to a collage basketball powerhouse and then left school after two years to pursue an NBA career. He played four years and also has good character. He’d the kind of guy most parents would want their daughters to marry.

Asian parents sometimes don’t think it’s worth it for kids to pursue non-traditional careers. However, Jeremy proved that you can be Asian, get good grades, go to college AND play sports. That is something that CANNOT be overlooked. Asian parents seem to think academic and athletic success are mutually exclusive.

Jeremy Lin has dared to show that is not the case. This is something that ALL people should emulate. Too many times, we see these young college basketball players leave early to “try to make it in the NBA”. Some make it, and some don’t. But for those who don’t, it would be better to have an education to fall back on.

Jeremy Lin is not just an Asian-American role model, but an inspiration to other Harvard athletes who may aspire to higher levels of athletic success and also those from his high school. His impact is far and wider than just us in the Asian-American community.
itzagudwun

@coach41 Ivy League isn’t D1-AAA (in football terms), I was measuring conference strength. So it’s intra-conference games and tournaments aren’t as competitive. You want to be the best, you play for the best against the best. That’s why his coming from Harvard makes noise; otherwise it’s a non-factor. He couldn’t leave after 2 years because he wouldn’t have even been an undrafted free agent. He didn’t bloom until his Junior year anyway. You’re comparing Apples and Oranges here. It’s hard for an athlete to leave early if he weren’t a solid first round or early second round pick. People who leave early are typically the ones who can get a sizable first contract in the NBA. Top rookies still make 4-5 million dollars annually.

The fact that he’s the guy “most parents would want their daughters to marry” speaks lot of model minority, class, and socioeconomics. Jeremy Lin (seems) to be more middle class than a lot of college athletes who may or may not have the privilege of going to college for four years and then lowering their earning power by 2 (because basketball careers are limited to age) That’s the Jalen Rose v. Grant Hill argument.

All you’re spouting is why Asian parents shouldn’t be Asian parents (stereotype upon stereotype), and you’re assuming that Asian parents fit one model.
coach41

@itzagudwun – Alright, I see that if Jeremy fails, there COULD be long term impact. But that is the fact of life for a trend setter. The fact is, there have been minimal Asian Americans in the NBA. For better or worse, Jeremy Lin’s story will define how Asian-Americans are viewed in the NBA for the near future (until the next guy comes along, then he will be the next Jeremy Lin).

But let’s take your example and apply it to the Chinese players that have come to the NBA. Remember, Yao was NOT the first. He was preceded by Wang Zhi-Zhi and Bateer. Neither of those two players fared very well in the NBA. Yet, teams were willing to go for Yao (which was a good move). But there were doubters about Yao (“never seen brothers play before, will never score 20 points in a game”). Guess, what Yao did pretty good for himself. That led to Yi Jianlian (not as good as people thought) and Sun Yue (personally thought he would be better but flopped). Jeremy’s story will be a lot like the Chinese born players. The jury is still out as only Yao has really done well. But the difference is that the NBA teams have needed big guys and will look for the next Yao. If a guard from China came into the NBA (long shot as China just doesn’t develop guards that well), he will likely face the same obstacles Jeremy Lin faces (unless Jeremy Lin continues to kick ass).

So what if Jeremy Lin were Black/ white? Blacks have nothing to prove, so their success or failure doesn’t matter. Whites do have more to prove and their success or failure DOES impact a little bit. OK, if Jeremy Lin were black (maybe white), his success wouldn’t be such a big deal. BUT, I think, Jeremy Lin might have gotten an earlier chance if he were Black (maybe white). Coaches know what to expect. So really, I don’t understand the point. If Jeremy Lin were black and failed, there would barely be a ripple (unless he was highly touted like a Kwame Brown, but that reflects on a player rather than all black players as a whole).

Lastly, you mention Stephen Curry and how his success isn’t celebrated as much. Well, Curry’s bum ankle has devalued him and the Warriors are not playing all that well (slightly worse records than the Knicks). However, Curry WAS touted MUCH higher than Jeremy Lin during college. After all Curry’s dad played in the NBA so he had something Jeremy Lin doesn’t have: NBA pedigree. Thus, Curry was a high draft pick and Jeremy Lin was not.

Comparing the here and now is not fair to either player. Jeremy Lin has unified his Knicks team to three wins in a row. If Jeremy Lin had done well but the Knicks were still losing, I doubt he would be celebrated as much. But as an undrafted player he has done well and gotten the team to play well, that is a major part of the reason Jeremy Lin is getting all the attention.

Whereas Lin is enjoying the fruits of having low expectations, Curry is the reverse. That is probably why he isn’t getting much attention. He is doing “ok”, but he has a bad ankle and the team isn’t winning.

I understand what you are trying to say, but comparing Curry (or any other highly touted college player) to Jeremy Lin is an apples to oranges comparison.
itzagudwun

@Reechard Is Jeremy Lin the only Christian in the NBA? I didn’t know that, that’s fascinating!
itzagudwun

@Keith Oh Thanks for the nice comments! I do agree that being on the Knicks is a lot better than the Warriors or Bobcats in terms of exposure, and that it’s helped to bring him into the limelight of the national and international press.
coach41

@itzagudwun@Reechard Jeremy is not the only Christian in the NBA. Curry on the Warriors was one too and that was mentioned in different articles last season.
coach41

@itzagudwun I was going to drop the discussion but let me ask you a question. What exactly am I stereotyping about Asian parents? Is is that they value education to the point that sports (and other stuff) is put on the back burner? If so, then how is it a stereotype when I have direct experience with it?

I served as a volunteer basketball coach at my former grammar school for every 12 years. In many years, I would hear that kids wouldn’t play basketball because “they had to study”. While I respected the decisions (like I had a choice), my feeling was the kids were missing out. After all, you only get to represent your school once in a lifetime.

I’m not saying this is all parents as there are a ton of Asian kids who do play sports AND do well in school. However, none of them are Jeremy Lin. As unfortunate as it sounds, it takes a Jeremy Lin to change perceptions because he has gotten to a point where he is in the public eye.

I understand you are taking a different stance on Jeremy Lin and I personally think it is a little negative. Why be negative when Jeremy Lin has had a ton of negativity thrown his way already? I’ve had a lot of people who told me Jeremy Lin is not that good. He only played in the Ivy league. Now that he’s had some good games, it’s only against “weak teams”. That’s all fine and dandy, but at the end of the day, Jeremy Lin is the one playing and not us. Let’s celebrate a positive representation of an Asian person that dwell on the “What If’s”

Lastly, a good article on Jeremy’s impact:

http://www.ocregister.com/sports/justin-339740-jeremy-lin.html

I’m done with this discussion and won’t be reading any responses if there are any posted.
LH Lawson

Can you just let him ball. Damn. Just enjoy this.
dcj125

@LH Lawson Did you expect 8A, a blog dedicated to APA issues and current events, to NOT talk about the first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, as he inspires “MVP” chants in one of the world’s most famous arenas while making the front and/or back page of every major newspaper in every major city in the US? Riiiiiiight….
Biffer

If jeremy Lin weren’t Asian, that is, if he were Black, as almost all NBA players are, then Jeremy would’ve been drafted quickly with offers of 20 million minimum, not the insulting, less than one million that he’s getting. So and so(forgot his name) was offered 43 million. Does that mean they think he’s 43 times better than Jeremy? Will he score 1200 points per game more than Jeremy? It’s a joke this huge salary differential.

However, I think that balling is an accepted Black domain. Jeremy would just come in and mess things up because he’s not Black. Other teammates would secretly harbor jealousy and resentment at this non Black star.He would be a novelty but not accepted by the Blacks because he simply isn’t. Blacks have their own ”good old boys club’ and skin color makes the difference. The whole team may not play as good and as hard to assist someone who isn’t Black like them. I’m not sure how well Jeremy would fair in this world.

I know Blacks very well, grew up with them. And no matter how much we hang out and how long we’ve known each other, there is that disconnect that only another Black could fill. So I think that despite Jeremy’s skill and talent and team involvement, i don’t think it would work out. Blacks need and want that domain where they are undisputed kings of the court. Jeremy upsets their world because of the color of his skin.

Nowt throw in the Asian connection, that is China, Taiwan, the Asian viewership. Jeremy can open all that up whereas Black players cannot. So this should be interesting to watch. Asia has always been there. An untapped market of billions. Did the suits somehow not see the 20 ton elephant sitting in their laps?
LH Lawson

@dcj125 Riiiiiiiiight…. cuz that’s exactly what I meant with my comment.
whereisthelove

@Biffer I find it interesting how you’ve managed to transform this great story into launching an attack against african- americans. It’s quite offensive for you,as a fellow minority, to be applying the old divide and conquer tactic.

Come on, people choosing to “truly connect” with their people isn’t only a black thing. I’m a Black Phd in an Ivy league institution and I face the same issue with Asian/Asian Americans. My program is totally dominated with Asians and deservedly so, they’ve worked hard over the years and made it their domain. No matter how much we all hang out as a group, or how much of an effort I make to reach out,I know they don’t really accept me as part of the group. All these student’s come from different countries and states and the only thing they have in common is their Asian heritage and yet neither me nor any of the white students are invited to their Asian only trips,parties and dinners.

As far as I see, all of Jeremy’s teammates seem very supportive and to be basking in his success as a team. There are other stories about Lin actually passing some time on teammate Landry Fields’ couch.

This is a great blog/website and I enjoy reading the material on here but please lets not turn this into something else.

All minorities have their issues and negative history they’re trying to escape, using this occasion to separate instead of accept won’t help.
Biffer

@whereisthelove @Biffer It’s not that I’m turning it into a tirade against Blacks but folks seem to be on a lovely Kumbaya trip thinking that Jeremy will be accepted by his largely Black teammates. Then with Melo returning( he’s a known ball hogger) we’ll just have to take a wait and see approach.

BTW, It really hurt me that Blacks would not accept me as one of their true friends but I’ve seen and witnessed too much already. I have to accept it for what it is. So I’m under no illusions as to what Jeremy Lin will face. His toughest fights won’t be on the court but rather off of it.
JCnolongerballin

Biffer,

Here is one thing to notice though. Whites tell us they dont see color. Blacks tell us we as minority are in some ways in the struggle, all one color.

But the reality of America is that 97% of all media images in Hollywood movies and American mainstream TV have either Black or White images or actors portraying, unless of course, it is a specific Asian themed episode.

Then Federal hiring, 55% of the jobs to white 35-37% to African Americans. Black and white dominate all media representation and resources issues/disussions in this country.

The country moved from a racism of one to a racism of two. Now individually I do not blame you in any way shape or form. You are an academic who is trying desperately to bring us all together. But then to many of us, it will just be under the form of B W hegemony, which is what our country forms right now. Every context for any discussions of race have to forumulated in terms of B and White first. Watch the Asian American studies professors, they do that obsequiously.

So please don’t take this as racism or something anti Black, but are you going to sit there and tell me 97% of all media images in the foreground with speaking lines or simply print media in the foreground, they are not of Black and White. This gives out the mistaken message that the “natives” of America are only B and W.

People are cheering for Jeremy Lin mostly for his representation value in the context of a racist America which every single does shows 97% of its images as only B and W. Walk around in NYC, Los Angeles, SF or Seattle, you see some Black, an equal amount of Asian, more Latinos and then Whites. Yet when you watch TV shows in America set in LA, NYC or SF, you see just Black and White.

How about Oprah, the last 400 of her guests on her show, I would argue 99%have been either Black or White. Eddie Murphy, he clamored for more 2diversity” (Blacks) in Hollywood, yet when he made Dr. Doolittle, shot on the Ucla campus, only actors in it were Black and White.

This is the context of the America we live in is very different than the utopian academic setting which still privileges B and W. Asians now are telling the two native groups, we want changes, we want real democracy and representation.

Notice your voice is representing the establishment and at the very least, the establshment of how previously minorities politics were conduct and spoken as well as their hierarchies.

See below–

“The quota of Ivy League schools on Asian Americans is real, anyone should be able to see it because the Asian Am enrollment rates at the major Ivies always remains at or slightly below 20% despite the Asian Am population growing exponentially and the percentage of ASian poor below the poverty line always growing as well (but not exponentially). That cap, it is ironic that the same Ivy administrators all decry the informal racism and quota on Jews in the past but now there is a cap on Asian Americans and it is done subtly, sneakily and no Asian American studies profs are talking about it.

And this is done by mostly people who are democrats and liberals. Contrast this with Affirm action, which is approved by the same people while at the same time, they employ the cap or in other words, an illegal quota worthy of South Africa or Malaysia on Asian Americans, then you understand that our society has quote, unquote “natives” and “foreigners.” I mean Americans of different ethnicities that are assigned to be native or perpetual foreigners, immigrants.

I assume that you have read the Espenshade and Chang Y. Chung, “Admission Preferences for MinorityStudents, Athletes, and Legacies atElite Universities.” The regression analysis model and data is impeccable. Well you have your damn diversity because if you did not lump together all Asians as Asian American, you would find out that Thai, Indian, Burmese, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese (do I get a Blue sticker for mentioning this ), Vietnamese– the importance of all these different cultures, languages and connections to states, government families in those countries is completely erased when we simply lump them all together as ASian Americans.”
JCnolongerballin

My reply is actually to “Where is the love?”
JCnolongerballin

Where is the Love?

What if you were to accept what Biffer has to say as a minority talking to the Establisment of Black and White America, our natives, not that we believe so, but because they (B and W) through their distribution of representation and all the resources in America, these two groups have designated themselves as the new “natives.”
JCnolongerballin

Coach41,

Stop idealizing the Ivy Leagues, they all offer scholarships to their athletes in basketball and football, track, soccer, hockey. ONLY DIFFERENCE, IS THEY ARE SMARTER ABOUT, they call what they give to the athletes “academic scholarships” but for most of the athletes who are in the bottom of the SAT scores, in terms of outside extra curric activities–achievements, groups for humanitarian, pro bono, etc., GPA, number of college prep courses taken– many of the Ivy athletes would not be accepted into the Ivies much less even get a scholarship had they not been athletes.

Let’s call it what it is. No one is quite admitting to this and revealing it, but that is what it is. That is your American media, no one wants to ruin a feel good story. Especially for B ball and football the major fundraisers. All the letterman get “academic scholarships” as long as they have a 2.0 or higher.
nomargins

“That becomes dangerous because if he does fail, Asians are then perceived as weak and emasculated; physically inferior to a game dominated by African and Euro-Americans.”

Lin is already being perceived as week and emasculated even when he succeeds! Just take a look at that controversial tweet from Jason Whitlock that was *supposed* to be celebrating the Knicks win. Whether he fails or succeeds, Lin will always be subjected to racial insensitivity and discussions about race being a factor for his failures or successes. In any scenario which lacks diversity, the underrepresented person is nearly always set up to be the Model Minority, whether they like it or not. That’s just an unfortunate fact.

The Asian American community is so excited about Lin because there hasn’t been someone so exciting in sports for us for a while. In a TMZ video, Apolo Ohno was asked to name “The Greatest Asian American Athlete” and the video points out how hard it was for the TMZ staff to answer that question, as well as shows Apolo Ohno naming an Asian athlete rather than an American one. http://www.tmz.com/2012/01/24/apolo-ohno-video-tmz-on-tv/

The fact is that people like Tiger Woods and Hines Ward “don’t count” because they’re Black as well as Asian. And for some reason, for people it doesn’t seem like the “Asian” part counts at all. I say, just let Lin–and all the Asian Americans kids who play sports in this country–have his moment. We succeed and fail with him because we are a community.

I’m not so worried about failure. There will always be another Kristy Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, Yao Ming, Jeremy Lin coming up. And all we can do is believe they’ll succeed.

8 Asians