Jeremy Lin had a sudden celebrity rise as the newest point guard and NBA star for the NY Knicks. He has been the subject of NY Times coverage, including an op-ed by David Brooks, a moderate Conservative. Among the focus of interest of his media coverage is the intact Chinese family he comes from, and his Christian faith.
Along with others concerned about his almost meteoric media ascent, we sensed he needs to be schooled in how other Asian American athletes who preceded him, their fame, not as celebrities but at being top in their game, and the relative impact they have had in sports in the USA.
Before we, the collective body of sport’s fans, crown him to be the next big thing or the “it” of Asian American athletes, presage of younger Asian boys and girls to pick up a basketball and aspire to play professional sports, we need to remember other Asian American and Pacific Islander world class athletes.
Competed as Olympians
Apolo Anton Ohno, short track speed skater. Raised by a single parent, his father. He is an eight-time Olympic medalist (2002, 2006, & 2010); three-time World Cup overall champion (2001, 2003, 2005); seven-time World Cup event champion, and seven-time U.S. short track overall champion (1997, 1999, 2001-2005).
Michele Kwan has won nine U.S. championships, five world championships, and two Olympic medals in figure skating. Her parents are Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong.
Greg Louganis, whose legacy as an Olympic diver earned him a place as the most recognizable Pacific Islander athlete today and perhaps in history. He was born to parents of Samoan and Swedish ancestry, later adopted at nine months by Peter and Frances Louganis.
Tai Babilonia, skating partner of Randy Garner, the pair were five-time gold medalists at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and won the gold medal at the 1979 World Figure Skating Championships. Thai’s father is Filipino and mother is
African American with Hopi ancestry.
Other Sports
Tim Lincecum, World Champion SF Giants pitcher and Cy Young Award winner, is still on the mound with his unorthodox delivery and long hair. He is the son of a great-granddaughter of a Filipino immigrant, a fourth generation Filipino American. His father is Caucasian, his mother’s family dates back to being among the first generation of farm laborers brought to Hawaii.
At 17 years, 3 months old, Michael Chang became the youngest male Grand Slam champion in history by outlasting Stefan Edberg in a five-set thriller and snapped a 34-year-old drought by American men on the red clay of Roland Garros. He won the French Open in 1989. His parents both grew up in Taiwan, and immigrated first to Hoboken, NJ.
Tiger Woods achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfer of all time, winning 14 major professional golf championships, second to Jack Nicklaus with 18. His father is African American, Chinese, and Native American ancestry. His mother is (née Punsawad) originally from Thailand is of mixed Thai, Chinese, and Dutch ancestry.
There is little doubt of the aforementioned athlete’s feats and accomplishments. Clearly they are recognized as “world class,” Mr. Lin, has a long way to go till he can stand shoulder to shoulder on the podium with them.
The subject of the intact family and Lin’s athletic ability rings of “American Tokenism.” He is the first to break into the media ranks of professional basketball. Why is that the case?
He comes from a Christian and an intact family, could this be a perpetuation of the “idealized nuclear family” value of American conservatives and the venerable “model minority” mold. Mr. Lin and his supporters a cautionary note, be wary of this subtext.
Americans of the “dominant culture” uses wedge issues, including, the “successful immigrant family” such as the Chang’s, Kwan’s, and the Lin’s, versus other immigrant communities who have lesser mention in the discourse of American life. To be clear, immigrants are often the scapegoats of for high unemployment, higher cost of education and healthcare, and increasing taxes.
A lesson about America’s unresolved tension and conflicts about race, continuous to play out in the Asian American athlete's story. How does the American Corporate media cover communities of color? Let’s have a cursory look at the shelf life of these Asian American athletes, and what we were told about them in their coverage.
How long was the media limelight focused on these world class athletes? For many, they are nearly forgotten. Further, how much did we see or hear of the multi-ethnic perspective: Ms. Babylonia’s racial admixture is Afro-Asiatic. Her father is of Filipino ethnicity and her mother's is African-American and includes Hopi Indian ancestry. Tiger Woods would belong to the same category, father identified as African American, and his mother Asian, yet they were both of mix ancestry. Linsecum is the son of a third generation Filipina immigrant and a Caucasian father. Is he white or how Filipino does he need to be? Was it omission when the media did not discuss multi-race parents and subsequent multi race children and siblings and the influences it may have had in shaping their progeny.
The athleticism is what counts and matters to the press. We are a race-neutral society, right? Somehow in the narrative of pulling up your boot straps, your ethnic and cultural heritage has no place. Even more so, if you want to be an ongoing story or a bi-line in the media.
Ah, Mr. Ohno is a special case, from the other athletes -being raised by a single parent, his Dad. Mr. Ohno, the father, was the model of stoicism, when seeing him at every race. Moreover, Apolo has cross-over appeal -the cover of Cosmopolitan, being featured on Vanity Fair, and amongst the featured athletes on ESPN body issue. American lore also likes the exception.
For
other Asian Athletes worthy of mention and ongoing coverage, and not necessarily media stars or starlet, follow the link below.
http://www.examiner.com/asian-american-sports-in-national/10-best-asian-american-athletes
