Jeremy Lin: The Ugly Truth
With Jeremy Lin hooping it up for the New York Knicks this past week, he went from obscurity to front page news. But as an Asian-American playing professional basketball, he also exposed the ugly truth about racism against Asian-Americans. While people don’t spit out racial epithets at the workplace (think HR Dept.), somehow a basketball court seems perfectly fine to taunt someone because they’re Asian.
When he played at Harvard he is quoted as having heard everything: “Go back to China. Orchestra is on the other side of campus. Open up your eyes, Wonton soup, Sweet and sour pork”, or Chinese-mocking gibberish. An opponent even went so far as to call him a “chink”.
Bless Jeremy Lin for his humility for not taking the taunts personally. Because of his Christian faith he is able to “turn the other cheek”. Yet, shouldn’t we as a collective (i.e. universities, coaches, referees, fans, etc.) establish a policy where these types of racial jeers are seen for what they are-jokes that aren’t funny but hurtful, spiteful, racist, and has no place in society.
Am I being overly sensitive? Well, in my own lifetime playing pickup basketball I’ve been called “Bruce Lee, chopsticks, Ching-chong chong, Jap, Nip, Chink, etc.” There’s nothing I can do but to play basketball when it’s coming from an ignorant member at the local YMCA or 24 hour Fitness. But when we talk about fans and players using this language at the collegiate level shouldn’t someone intercede?
There’s a double standard when it comes to racism here in America. Asians can get picked on publicly but everyone else is untouchable. Can you imagine the outrage if white fans or white players used race to single out blacks on the court? Can white America tell black or African players to “Go back to Africa?” Can they use the N word? Would stereotypes of African-Americans go unnoticed? Of course not, the NAACP and every other black organization would be demonstrating, picketing, and asking for apologies, retractions, and policy change.
But in the Asian-American world, we remain quiet. We politely take the insults and try to let our actions speak for themselves. But I think we need to speak up against racism, even these slights aimed at our culture need to be deemed out-of-bounds. It’s unacceptable to say derogatory remarks against blacks, homosexuals, women, Mormons, Jews, etc. Yet when it comes to Asians, why are we still fair game? This unconscionable. Whatever becomes of Jeremy Lin’s future in the NBA is still anyone’s guess, but I’m grateful he is talking openly about racism in sports. Not the blatant black and white racism that we’re accustomed to, but the crafty slights, insults, and jabs that Asians-Americans have had to endure for far too long.
His popularity and meteoric rise has been dubbed “Linsanity”. But I’m hoping Lin’s impact is that his sense of decorum and decency will be followed by White America.
Love the insight, Sam! We should all be outraged. Racism and prejudice are never okay. More power to Jeremy Lin.
Thanks for addressing this important topic. Since the 1882 Chinese Discrimination Act, Chinese is the only largest civilization that has been openly and politically discriminated against., and up to this so called modern time ,there has never been a platform of apologizes and restitutions . Other races, have got that for at least 50 years… In the path way of emotional healing, that are still families, that are wounded and crippled x3 generations ,because of this uncivilized Act in 1882. Families have been torn away,become dysfunction ,all kinds of oppressed lives are living in silence, because it is just too painful to even to go there and talk about.
This also ties to the Asian shame, the imposition of this Act and the America Politic never take time to openly process this grieve and take step to amend…’sigh’! This Act represents the permission for everybody to dismiss a 5000 year old civilizations. For an personal formation and growth, this factor does a big number to ones’ soul…the “imposed shame”., does drive a lot of America Chinese insane, no matter how hard one tries, it is never good enough! Frustration ,anguish that are internalized :become a lot of self-doubt, insecurity ,depressed soul,irrational silence because nobody cares to admit and address…as long as you are Chinese in decent, no matter who you are, you will be dismissed and it is OK! There is a long road to carry this grief, until the American politic could look into the history book and correct this “mistreatment”, for all American Chinese…
well said, sam.
Thank you. As a cauc->asion (note “asian,”/we have a commonality of blood and flesh), I have experienced and witnessed racial slurs and prejudice in the schools, military, and work place all my life. This testimony/article is a breath of fresh air. I am Christian, and I long to see unity of among all racial and ethnic groups under the umbrella of the Truth, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “Go among all nations…” is what our Lord Jesus has called us to do :O).