In this article, the author talks about Jeremy Lin’s
influence on the NBA, how people perceive Asian American basketball players, and
how Asian stereotypes are amplified in today’s society. Lin stormed onto the basketball
scene abruptly. People didn’t know how to talk about him and his success. Their
first instinct was to resort to Asian stereotypes. The NBA is used to being the
starting point for racial discussions. However, Asian fans are trying to set
their own rules.
What most people don’t understand is that even though one
might view a stereotype as positive, might not be positive to that race. Lin is
making advances in his field but he is still a novelty. While he is working
hard to achieve his dream, there will always be people who are making
insensitive comments because they are insecure with themselves. That shouldn’t
reflect Jeremy Lin’s ability though.
While Jeremy Lin’s skill has been compared to Allen Iverson,
it is still difficult to compare Lin to others because of the irregularity of
the situation. It’s also hard to use certain phrases one would use to describe
any other player. The reason for this might be because it may be interpreted in
a racially insensitive way, for instance a comment about one player may be
interpreted differently if said about another.
While I wish we lived in a world that didn’t
judge anyone by the color of their skin, I know that that’s not the world we
live in right now. I believe that people’s talent should speak for themselves.
Jeremy Lin worked hard to get where he is today and I don’t believe it’s fair
that he was plagued by these insensitive comments and doubts about his skill. I
don’t think athletes should always have to be compared to those that came
before them. They should be able to succeed on their own accord without
comparisons to other athletes.
I think that we will always live in a world were people are judging on the color of your skin and what your race is. Watching sports with friends people still makes comments about certain races like African American and Asian. I think this not only occurs in sport but on a day to day basis. Jeremy Lin should not have been judge or made fun of by anyone, but its just the way the world works. I think this should give him enough drive to prove people wrong on stereotypes. Jeremy Lin is an inspiration to other Asian American athletes out there who want to turn professional. Jeremy Lin is a great player in the NBA but unfortunately gets ridiculed by many people. We live in world where this will never change. There will always be stereotypes for every race and gender.
ReplyDelete-Gina Costanzo
I think it is unfortunate that no matter what someone accomplishes, they are typically judged in some way by the color of their skin. Jeremy Lin definitely became an inspiration to Asian Americans but why couldn’t he just become an inspiration to basketball or sports fans in general? There is always someone out there who has to link a story to race. Also, I agree that athletes should not always be compared to those before them. For instance, the whole LeBron vs. Jordan thing is just irrelevant because they are two completely different players in two completely different eras of basketball. However, people still attempt to compare the two just because they are the best players of their time. In reality, the only distinct similarity between the two is that they are tremendous athletes in general. Other than that, LeBron is a completely different person than Jordan. There is no need to compare athletes to those that came before them. Why can’t they just be cherished for their skills rather than try to rank them against another player?
ReplyDelete-Kaleb Kuzma
The United States is a country that is made up of immigrants. Jeremy Lin is a perfect example. Lin was born and raised in America, and barely speaks Chinese. However, the judgments toward Jeremy Lin are unfair because Lin puts his effort for his success on the court, and the stereotypes really hurt him and the Asian race. When I watched the video in class, most students thought the jokes were ignorant but okay, but for me it was uncomfortable and unfair because not every Asian falls into that category. There are a lot of international players in the NBA, but most of them are from Europe and they are white. For example, Dirk Nowitzki, who is from Germany, doesn’t get the same criticism and stereotypes that are given to Jeremy Lin. I think people should ignore a player’s race and focus on their achievements and ability.
ReplyDeleteHaoyan Gu
I really think the NBA missed out on a big opportunity to once again tap into the asian market. They had there first major chance when Yao Ming was drafted but when his career was cut short unexpectedly they lost there market. Once Lin hoped onto the scene jerseys were flying off the shelf. I remember ESPN showing pictures and videos from Asia with many kids wherein his jerseys and cheering for him. The NBA had finally made it back to the asian market. But then he only lasted about 2 weeks and his numbers started to decline, and the buzz started to decline. The NBA is in big need of an Asian star to keep that part of the market interested in basketball.
ReplyDeleteI had never noticed how much race plays in with sports. It is something that I had never thought about until brought to my attention. I was on a team with a girl who was Asian and I remember on the first day thinking I had never played with an Asian before and that it was strange. It was almost as if I thought she had to prove herself for me to be able to think that she was a good player, while everyone else I kind of assumed was talented. At the time I thought nothing of it, but now I see that my thoughts on her were wrong. I think that the United States as a whole needs to become more educated on race so that we do not make assumptions like this.
ReplyDelete