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?

By Joni

This past Sunday, women (and some men, I suppose) all over the nation put their big game strategies in motion. Noooo, I’m not talking about football. Football is a walk in the park compared to what some people went through in order to score pieces from Jason Wu’s highly anticipated collection for Target stores. Wu, a high end fashion designer, created a 53 piece collection for Target which consists of fun dresses, skirts, tops and to complete the look, handbags and scarves!

Jason Wu’s designs can cost thousands of dollars! Sure, $3,000 is pocket change to the rich and famous and the First Lady, but for me, how about no. Not just no, but WTH?! Fortunately, for the average Joe, Wu’s collection of separates and bags for Target ranges in price from $19.99 to $59.99. Touchdown!

The early bird gets the worm, or the Wu in this case. This not-so-early-bird suffered the consequences of sleeping in. Little did I know that by 10:30AM, everything I wanted would be sold out at the Van Nuys store in Southern California. First down. I advanced to the Culver City store where there were literally less than 10 pieces on the display. The colors and patterns of the various blouses and skirts available were lovely and perfect for Spring and Summer. The rayon material of the shirts seemed a little flimsy, but for $19.99, one can get past it. Alas, none of the pieces were in my size. Second down and I keep fighting. The Redondo Beach was the worst of the three. The only trace of Wu’s collection was an empty rack. One of the employees said that there were ladies lined before the store opened. That’s just crazy! (But I considered it.) Third down and Uncle, I give. Like the Patriots, I walked away with shattered dreams.

My online experience later that afternoon was much of the same; very few pieces were available, none in my size, nor on my wish list. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and information all over the internet advises that Target will restock their online inventory. The stores however, will not be replenished.

The day was not a complete dud. It was Super Bowl Sunday after all and it was a gorgeous day for party in Eagle Rock. To be honest, everything after half time was a blur. Stupid beer. I do remember one fellow at the party lost a bet and had to change into an evening gown for the second half. He looked beautiful as he descended down the stairs to Abba’s “Dancing Queen.” Congrats to Eli Manning and the Giants for giving the Patriots a winning dose of déjà vu.

ABOUT JONI: Just an average Chinese-Filipino gal who loves the beach, good wine and pancit!

It seems like the new Super Bowl tradition of late is airing commercials which are racist, offensive, or at least racially insensitive toward Asians. In 2008, it was a set of offensive SalesGenie.com ads (written by an Asian, no less). 2010 gave us the Doritos Samurai Guy (who didn’t know the ways of the Samurai). Last year, Timothy Hutton using the plight of Tibet as a punchline for Groupon’s deals on fish curry, not even a dish that Tibetans are known for.

So what fun anti-Asian ads aired during the 2012 Super Bowl? Seeing as it’s an election year, a political ad is making waves: Michigan Republican Pete Hoekstra aired an ad accusing the policies of incumbent Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow (or Debbie “SpendItNow” as seen in the ad) as being helpful to China, to the detriment of the United States.

From 8Asians reader Peter L:

If you haven’t seen it already, this advertisement went up during the super bowl in place of a local ad spot. It accuses a political opponent of giving political power to Asian countries in a way that marginalizes Asians as a whole… I’m sort of wondering what that chick was thinking when she signed-up to be in this ad. Her way of speaking sounds like she’s a fluent American English speaker, but mid-way through her schtick it looks like she remembers she’s supposed to sound like a stereotypical fob with missing prepositions. Maybe she liked the size of the cheque.

Luckily, this spot did not air nationwide. But thanks to the power of social media, it is being widely shared and condemned– including by a coalition of black ministers, civil rights folks, and even GOP advisers.

Hoekstra’s campaign says that the ad is “satirical,” but I’d argue that there needs to be a bit of wit behind it if you call it satire.

Jeremy Lin’s moment is here. On Saturday, he led the Knicks to victory against the Nets by scoring 25 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists. Lin, who hasn’t received much playing time in the NBA, scored 12 points in the fourth quarter alone and catapulted the Knicks to victory.

This is especially exciting news for Lin fans. I’ve been following him ever since his senior year at Harvard, when he put up thirty points against UConn. Lin is a savvy point guard who is a great playmaker. Certainly, he’s not the first Asian NBA player, nor is he the most accomplished. Yao Ming, the seven-foot tall former Houston Rockets center has done far more in the league than Lin.

But Lin represents something more. Lin is American-born, unlike the Yao Ming, who was born in China. And Lin plays point guard – a position that requires playmaking skills. Guards are always more exciting to watch than slow moving centers. Lin’s game is definitely exciting: he was a Youtube sensation when he outplayed number one draft pick John Wall in a development league game.

Despite his formidable basketball skills, Lin has been struggling in the NBA. He seemed to hit rock bottom when he was cut from the Warriors and from the Rockets in a two week span. There were few signs that things would be different when he was picked up by the New York Knicks back in late December. As a Knick, Lin struggled to get playing time, and when he did, he failed to impress.  His woes were compounded by the fact that the Knicks simply have too many guards. Why play this unproved, seemingly unimpressive Asian kid? Lin, along with the rest of us, waited for his moment. He continued to practiced hard as he continued to warm the bench.

Unbeknownst to him, an opportunity would soon appear.

The Knicks were struggling. Mightily. Going into Saturday’s game against the Nets, the Knicks had lost eleven out of their last thirteen games. Commentators pointed to multiple causes for the Knicks’ woes, but the most prominent argument was that the Knicks are missing a strong point guard.

That set the stage for one Jeremy Lin.

On Saturday, Lin did more than merely score a game high 25 points; he also made the players around him better. He threw alley-oops and laser-sharp passes to his teammates as they cut to the basket. Other Knicks guards tended to try to score on their own. Lin showed that he was better because he could do something they could not: he made his team a stronger overall team.

Hopefully his outstanding performance is a sign of things to come. Lin has strong fundamentals and hold lots of promise. He’s a true point guard who makes smart plays and passes the ball.   I have no doubt that he could make big contributions to the Knicks this season. But even if he ends up on another team, the NBA now on notice.

Jeremy Lin got game.

Michelle Kwan honored at the U.S. Championships during a break in the women’s competition Saturday, January 28th evening.

Last week to no one’s surprise, figure skater Michelle Kwan was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in San Jose, California:

“Kwan was the face of figure skating for a decade, beloved as much for her grace and humility in defeat as her long list of triumphs. Though she won five world and nine U.S. titles, she is best remembered for her heartbreaking finishes at the Nagano and Salt Lake City games. The favorite at each, she settled instead for a silver (1998) and a bronze (2002). Indeed, the image of her sobbing as she stood below a beaming Tara Lipinski on the Nagano medals podium is as enduring as her majestic performance at the national championships a month earlier.”

I was at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games and saw Kwan perform live in the women’s figure skating finals, short program, where she came in first. Unfortunately, a few days later, she fell short in the long program. But I think it is safe to say, Kwan is probably the most well known and beloved American figure skating icon since Peggy Flemming, if not ever, in the United States. For a recent interesting interview with Kwan, a Chicago Tribune sports writer who has covered her entire career interviews her reflecting on her legacy as a skater.

After graduating from the Fletcher School of Diplomacy at Tufts University, she moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue a career involved in public policy – but no details to date have emerged as to what her actual next steps are. Personally, I do hope she helps inspire a new generation of Americans to become more civically involved in one way or another by example as what she has done for young figure skaters across America. Kwan has truly lived an amazing and inspiring life and I continue to look forward to what she does in her next career.

In a press release, Brown insisted that the decision was personal and wouldn’t say if the policy forced him to decline, but most sources say it was the policy. At the very least, Brown gets the chance to re-open his recruitment and hopefully still be able to play football, just elsewhere. And his family and others are continuing to see if there’s a way he can take the Georgia scholarship. Hopefully despite this setback, someday he’ll get to join the increasing ranks of American Samoan NFL players.

[Photo Courtesy Of Rivals.com]

A TMZ cameraman stalked Apolo Ohno while he was leaving the gym and asked, “Who is the best Asian-American[sic] athlete?” The TMZ staff tries to answer this question, as well. Not surprisingly, the TMZ staff was stumped by the question, but who did Apolo give as his answer?

What are your thoughts on the question or this video?

I was watching the New England Patriots pummel the Denver Broncos this past Saturday and saw this commercial. I’m a fair weather Patriots fan, having grown up in Western Massachusetts. I remember as a teen when the Patriots lost to the Chicago Bears as well as the Boston Red Sox lose to the New York Mets in the World Series. So it’s a quite the juxtapose how Massachusetts teams are doing so well in this century.

I thought this commercial was really funny and portraying an Asian American in a lighter fashion. Nice to see Asian Americans being included in sports related commercials that could be portrayed by any sports fan.