My Two Cents

I've always been a fan of Spike Lee movies. He explores themes that I think other film-makers shy away from or try to avoid-- like racial tension, hatred and violence, or stereotypes in America. But those are subjects I think are relevant and important, especially for cities like New York (most of his films are set in Brooklyn) where so many different cultures co-exist (or clash) together. 

So I can't tell you how happy I am about this photo. I don't want to make this about race or the fact that Jeremy Lin is Asian-American. But honestly, when was the last time anyone ever supported someone because they were Asian-American?? I don't particularly like basketball but since ESPN is continually on in my home year-round (and my husband has a monopoly over the television), I can't help but notice all the attention this story has gotten in the last couple of weeks. (And to think about how many other people who don't even like basketball are suddenly excited about Knicks games is kinda amazing.) I'd like to think that this is more about his skills than about his ethnicity, but then I also have to wonder why he was overlooked for so long. Kobe said after the game he lost to the Knicks last week that when someone plays that well, he doesn't just come out of nowhere.

I am always acutely aware of how others perceive me and extremely analytical when it comes to observing interactions among people, especially within New York City, so I am really happy to hear that people-- and not just Asians-- are rooting him on. As a young child, I never thought much about race because I really felt like an American (or Canadian). It's not until the last few years (out of sheltered schools and into the workforce) that I have noticed people really do treat each other differently based on how they look. Living in NYC the last 6 years, I have heard people yell out things like "ni hao!" or some other similar thing to me as I walk down the street. It's not like I'm from China and can't understand. I understand what people say-- or don't say-- loud and clear. Similarly, I've heard that when Lin played ball games when he was younger, people would yell out things like "wonton soup" while he was playing. I'm sure that was one of the nicer things people would yell out. Seriously, people say things to Asians (or people that look Asian) that they wouldn't dare say to people of other ethnicities. 

So maybe I've joined everyone else and made this post about Lin's ethnic background. It can't be ignored. But what I am really hoping is that people will recognize him simply as a really talented basketball player and focus on that instead. He is the first undrafted player to score over 20 points in each of his first five games in over 40 years! After all the hype dies down, I hope people will just appreciate the fact that he is a really good athlete-- and one who is an American who happens to be of Taiwanese descent.