I was at home last night on surfing around Facebook when I saw a link to a video called "Asian Girlz" by some bad Day Above Ground. The poster of the link indicated it was one of the most racist things he had ever seen.
After watching, I had to agree that the video was definitely tasteless and borderline racist. I don't want to bore people with details of the video. If you choose to watch it, you will know what I mean.
To me, the issue is how and why this video got made. Firstly, I'll comment on the band Day Above Ground. Seems like a bunch of white dudes with one Asian (Indonesian) member. According to some of their comments, the video was meant to be a satire and not be racist in nature. If we are to give the band a little credit that they weren't "intentionally" racist, that tells us something about how Asian-American women are viewed by some. After all, the video is quite SEXIST in nature.
Indeed, that is the battle Asian-American women have battled for years. There is a perception that Asian-American women are dragon ladies / geishas who just like to please men. In fact, an old documentary from the 1980's addresses this:
Slaying The Dragon
So that leads to the second issue. Why did the Asian woman video participate in something so offensive? The lady in question is Levy Tran who is apparently a well known import model. I did not know this though!
For some who is Asian-American, I am surprised she participated in the video. She issued some comments on the band and indicated "they were sweet and not at all racist". Unfortunately, the video says otherwise.
Levy is an attractive lady and it's a shame she participated. Her Instagram and Facebook fan pages have been deleted and she sent some apologies via Twitter. Unfortunately, the damage has been done. Asian-Americans have very diverse opinions and experiences and not every agrees on things that might be consider racist.
The recent incident with the Asiana pilot names on KTVU illustrates this. Some Asian-Americans thought the names were funny. Some were offended and some took a neutral stance.
However, I've seen a good number of Asian-American women (and even NOT Asian-American women) comment on the video and it's been largely negative due to the sexist nature of the video. Thanks to the power of the Internet, Asian-Americans (men and women) are commenting via videos, blogs and other Social Media sites.
Why is this important to the Asian-American community? Actually, it's important to all minorities when it comes to representation. While some people will disagree, it's pretty well known that the media (news, TV, movies, music) have a great influence on people's thoughts and opinions.
If there are people who had NEVER seen or met an Asian-American woman and they saw the video, this might form some unflattering perceptions of Asian-American women. Forget the commentary if the band was racist or not. The video itself is quite bad in that it PRESENTS someone / something in a negative light.
Why do Asian Americans and other minorities fight for more positive representation in many industries? This is the reason why. Asian-Americans are simply NOT represented in great numbers in movies, music and TV. When they are, they have (in the past) been gangsters or bad guys in general. If they are good guy, they are the martial artist (Jackie Chan) or wise sage (Mr. Miyagi).
Asian-American women have gotten some positive roles but they are off balanced by old perceptions as I stated above.
To conclude, if this video had not come out, I would not have heard about the band. They seem pretty small time. If this is all the band is going to be known for, their career is not going to go very far. However, the band did ignite some passion within the Asian-American community. Maybe Asian-Americans will use this a starting point to ignite some activism and fight for more positive representation.
Showing posts with label Asian American. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asian American. Show all posts
Thursday, August 01, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
KTVU / NTSB Asiana Name Gaffe
By now, If you live in the SF Bay Area, you have already heard the story about a HUGE gaffe that occurred at KTVU Channel 2 (Oakland, CA). If you haven't have a look at the story below (plus video):
KTVU apologizes for racist SF plane crash gaffe
That's been some varying reactions to this. As expected, a lot of Asian Americans have taken offense to this gaffe. Asian Americans have a lot of jokes made at their expense. Sometimes, these jokes are funny. Sometimes they are not. In this case, since this particular gaffe was involving the recent Asiana accident at SFO, it is even more appalling that this occurred.
While I don't particularly feel outraged over the gaffe, I do not find it particularly funny. The gaffe was involving the name of the pilots of the Asiana plane. The pilots are likely not feeling too hot these days. The accident that occurred has taken three lives though we are really lucky that there weren't a lot more.
It is interesting to watch other people's reactions. At my office, where there are a mix of Asians and non-Asians, most of the non-Asians thought it was funny but were surprised this gaffe slipped through. Was it racist? Whoever's idea it was, I don't think it was racist. But it has racial overtones and that's never a good thing in my mind.
Asian-Americans aren't necessarily a loud voice but this was one gaffe no one's going to forget anytime soon.
KTVU apologizes for racist SF plane crash gaffe
That's been some varying reactions to this. As expected, a lot of Asian Americans have taken offense to this gaffe. Asian Americans have a lot of jokes made at their expense. Sometimes, these jokes are funny. Sometimes they are not. In this case, since this particular gaffe was involving the recent Asiana accident at SFO, it is even more appalling that this occurred.
While I don't particularly feel outraged over the gaffe, I do not find it particularly funny. The gaffe was involving the name of the pilots of the Asiana plane. The pilots are likely not feeling too hot these days. The accident that occurred has taken three lives though we are really lucky that there weren't a lot more.
It is interesting to watch other people's reactions. At my office, where there are a mix of Asians and non-Asians, most of the non-Asians thought it was funny but were surprised this gaffe slipped through. Was it racist? Whoever's idea it was, I don't think it was racist. But it has racial overtones and that's never a good thing in my mind.
Asian-Americans aren't necessarily a loud voice but this was one gaffe no one's going to forget anytime soon.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The Grace Lee Project
There is a very popular Asian-American blog (Angry Asian Man) published by a guy in Los Angeles. The blog compiles a lot of news and other happenings in the Asian American community at large.
One day, around July or August of 2004, there was an interesting posting. A lady by the name of "Grace Lee" was filming a documentary called "The Grace Lee Project". The goal of the documentary was to explore many different Grace Lee's around the world. The director felt the name "Grace Lee" was pretty generic but did a name define a person? Of course not. So, she sought out many different Grace Lee's to interview for the documentary. On that quest, the director had heard about a particular Grace Lee in the SF Bay Area and decided to have a note posted on the Angry Asian Man blog.
As it turned out, I knew of the Grace Lee the director was looking for. I made a decision to reach out to the director and tell her what I knew of the person she was looking for. We met up at some point in August 2004 and I was interviewed for about an hour or so.
About six months later, "The Grace Lee Project" made it's debut at the SF Asian American Film Festival in March of 2005. The documentary would go around the film festival circuit, be released on DVD and play on the Sundance Cable channel for a time.
My hour long interview was edited and condensed to about five minutes though my Grace Lee is featured fairly prominently in the film. I understood the editing because my knowledge of Grace Lee was a little broad and not the most specific. I think there were other people that could have made better subjects BUT I was the one who knew and volunteered.
All in all, the experience was interesting. It's a rare thing for a "regular guy" like me to be in a documentary that has played all over the world. In fact, there have been acquaintances (college aged) who have mentioned that they saw the documentary (and me) in one of their Asian-American studies classes.
If you're curious, check out the film trailer here:
The Grace Lee Project Trailer
Website:
The Grace Lee Project
One day, around July or August of 2004, there was an interesting posting. A lady by the name of "Grace Lee" was filming a documentary called "The Grace Lee Project". The goal of the documentary was to explore many different Grace Lee's around the world. The director felt the name "Grace Lee" was pretty generic but did a name define a person? Of course not. So, she sought out many different Grace Lee's to interview for the documentary. On that quest, the director had heard about a particular Grace Lee in the SF Bay Area and decided to have a note posted on the Angry Asian Man blog.
As it turned out, I knew of the Grace Lee the director was looking for. I made a decision to reach out to the director and tell her what I knew of the person she was looking for. We met up at some point in August 2004 and I was interviewed for about an hour or so.
About six months later, "The Grace Lee Project" made it's debut at the SF Asian American Film Festival in March of 2005. The documentary would go around the film festival circuit, be released on DVD and play on the Sundance Cable channel for a time.
My hour long interview was edited and condensed to about five minutes though my Grace Lee is featured fairly prominently in the film. I understood the editing because my knowledge of Grace Lee was a little broad and not the most specific. I think there were other people that could have made better subjects BUT I was the one who knew and volunteered.
All in all, the experience was interesting. It's a rare thing for a "regular guy" like me to be in a documentary that has played all over the world. In fact, there have been acquaintances (college aged) who have mentioned that they saw the documentary (and me) in one of their Asian-American studies classes.
If you're curious, check out the film trailer here:
The Grace Lee Project Trailer
Website:
The Grace Lee Project
Sunday, September 09, 2012
The Influence Of Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee passed away in 1973 but yet his influence is still felt around the world. In fact there were one event and two videos that celebrated Bruce Lee:
- The San Francisco Giants hosted a "Bruce Lee Tribute Night" at AT&T Park. Fans purchasing special event tickets picked up a Bruce Lee bobblehead doll and there were appearances by Bruce Lee's widow Linda Lee Cadwell and Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee sung the national anthem.
- Additionally, to promote the event, the San Francisco Giants created this incredible video: Bruce Lee Bobblehead vs SF Giants
- Lastly, a musician / remixer took part of a 1971 interview Bruce Lee did and made it into a video (song / mp3 also available for free download): Be Water My Friend! Bruce Lee Remix
All of these Bruce Lee events got me thinking of Bruce Lee so much that I watched the 1971 interview with Pierre Berton. By all accounts, this is the only interview Bruce Lee did that was preserved:
In listening to Bruce Lee speak with Berton, I realized that Bruce Lee was not only a positive role model for Asian Americans (then and now) but he was also a spokesperson for Asian Americans.
When Bruce Lee passed away, most people focused on the fact that Asian-Americans lost a visible icon, role model and the best known Asian-American film star. While representation is important, I feel that losing Bruce Lee as a voice and/or spokesperson for Asian-Americans was probably greater than any movies that he may have done if he lived.
It is evident from his interview with Berton that Bruce Lee was a thoughtful and well spoken man. He knew there was some stereotyping or racism in Hollywood. Bruce Lee knew some projects might not happen because of his "Asian" (or "Oriental") face. Bruce Lee didn't openly argue against it but he was going to try and break through those barriers regardless.
Had Bruce Lee lived, he may have been able to change Hollywood for the better for Asian-Americans. Even nearly 30 years since his passing, there has been no Asian-American film star that has completely replaced Bruce Lee. Asian stars like Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-Fat came to the United States and did some films but they were foreign born. No Asian-American actor has fully replace Lee.
But beyond movies, the Asian-American community has also lacked a visible spokesperson like Jesse Jackson and others for the African-American community. If Bruce Lee had lived, I could see him BEING that type of spokesperson for Asian-Americans. Bruce Lee spoke his mind and I would be curious to hear his thoughts on the current state of affairs for Asian-Americans.
There is a small glimmer of hope. Jeremy Lin of the Houston Rockets suddenly became a household name this past year. While Jeremy Lin is dramatically different than Bruce Lee in personality and temperament, Jeremy Lin has given Asian-Americans a VOICE like Bruce Lee did so many years ago.
Friday, April 20, 2012
The Importance Of Role Players In Basketball
In basketball, star players are usually admired and idolized (if you're an NBA player). However, what most people forget is that role players also contribute to the success of basketball teams well.
While Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and other stars get the lion's share of the credit for their team's success, role players make a big difference between a good team and a great team. If you think of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, he had a Scottie Pippen as the second star, Luc Longley and others at center, Dennis Bodman to get rebounds and John Paxson and + other guys were the spot up shooters. Without all of these guys, Jordan couldn't have won his six NBA championships.
The problem is some players don't know their roles or don't want to play their roles. For me, when I was younger, I was purely a spot up shooter. I was just put up a ton of shots. As I got into my mid 20's, I turned into a rebounder. As I have gotten older, I am going back to shooting but hitting my 12 to 15 foot mid range jump shot. When I was younger, I didn't focus on defense or rebounding. I just thought shooting equaled to playing basketball. It took me years to realize that there was more to basketball.
To be fair, just having role players doesn't guarantee success. If you have five shooters / scorers but no one plays defense or rebounds, that will prove to be bit of a problem. Even if flip it around and have five defenders with no offense, that will also be a problem.
The solution is to have a good mix of stars and role players that complement each other. Each team will have a different mix and it's up to the team / coaches to determine which mix works the best.
I found this out when I was coaching youth basketball in my younger days. I never had superstar players with my teams. However, I had some good players with differing skill sets. For whatever reason, I naturally knew how to find the best mixes for my teams. Due to participating rules, I couldn't keep my best mixes in the game all the time. However, whenever I could, I would put the best mix in there to give my teams a competitive chance.
It's a little harder with adult leagues, but I've had some success in putting solid teams together. The reason some of my teams were successful was that people were playing to their strengths and didn't try to do too much. If players are forced to play outside of their strengths, the team sometimes will not do as well.
As a player, identify your strengths and play to them. Identify your weaknesses as well and work to improve them OR minimize them. As a coach, your job is put the best team out there. Not necessarily the best five shooters, best five defenders, or even your five "best players". The job is put together the "best team" out there that knows how to work and play well with each other.
While Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and other stars get the lion's share of the credit for their team's success, role players make a big difference between a good team and a great team. If you think of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, he had a Scottie Pippen as the second star, Luc Longley and others at center, Dennis Bodman to get rebounds and John Paxson and + other guys were the spot up shooters. Without all of these guys, Jordan couldn't have won his six NBA championships.
The problem is some players don't know their roles or don't want to play their roles. For me, when I was younger, I was purely a spot up shooter. I was just put up a ton of shots. As I got into my mid 20's, I turned into a rebounder. As I have gotten older, I am going back to shooting but hitting my 12 to 15 foot mid range jump shot. When I was younger, I didn't focus on defense or rebounding. I just thought shooting equaled to playing basketball. It took me years to realize that there was more to basketball.
To be fair, just having role players doesn't guarantee success. If you have five shooters / scorers but no one plays defense or rebounds, that will prove to be bit of a problem. Even if flip it around and have five defenders with no offense, that will also be a problem.
The solution is to have a good mix of stars and role players that complement each other. Each team will have a different mix and it's up to the team / coaches to determine which mix works the best.
I found this out when I was coaching youth basketball in my younger days. I never had superstar players with my teams. However, I had some good players with differing skill sets. For whatever reason, I naturally knew how to find the best mixes for my teams. Due to participating rules, I couldn't keep my best mixes in the game all the time. However, whenever I could, I would put the best mix in there to give my teams a competitive chance.
It's a little harder with adult leagues, but I've had some success in putting solid teams together. The reason some of my teams were successful was that people were playing to their strengths and didn't try to do too much. If players are forced to play outside of their strengths, the team sometimes will not do as well.
As a player, identify your strengths and play to them. Identify your weaknesses as well and work to improve them OR minimize them. As a coach, your job is put the best team out there. Not necessarily the best five shooters, best five defenders, or even your five "best players". The job is put together the "best team" out there that knows how to work and play well with each other.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
There is such a thing as playing too much basketball.......
As I blogged previously, my 2012 spring basketball season with my two teams has been an exercise in frustration in one sense. However, to be more positive, I have unexpectedly played a LOT more basketball than I would have reasonably expected.
For some reason, both my Monday and Thursday basketball teams have been playing short handed the past three weeks. In the past three Mondays, we have had 5, 5, and 6 players. In the past three Thursdays, we have had 5, 4, and 5 players (yes, we played 4-on-5). As our leagues playing a running 12 minutes / 4 quarters system, I've played a full 48 minutes quite a bit recently.
I actually don't have any issue playing so many minutes. I'm in pretty good shape and find ways to get some breaths or rest in to conserve energy. But what I am realizing is that our league season is long (9 regular season games then playoffs).
Physically, I am doing alright but I am a little mentally tired. It's tough to get yourself up every week to put a 100% effort in when you're short handed. Fortunately, the season is almost done and I'm going to put it all out there.
However, playing all these minutes shows me how tough NBA players are. In most normal circumstances, NBA players play 4 games in 5 nights. This season, there are 3 games in 3 nights. Yes, they are professionals and they are paid to perform well. However, these NBA players are elite athletes while the rest of us are just mere mortals.
All in all, if you ever thought to yourself that you could play HUGE minutes night after night, try it out. You might change your tune.....
For some reason, both my Monday and Thursday basketball teams have been playing short handed the past three weeks. In the past three Mondays, we have had 5, 5, and 6 players. In the past three Thursdays, we have had 5, 4, and 5 players (yes, we played 4-on-5). As our leagues playing a running 12 minutes / 4 quarters system, I've played a full 48 minutes quite a bit recently.
I actually don't have any issue playing so many minutes. I'm in pretty good shape and find ways to get some breaths or rest in to conserve energy. But what I am realizing is that our league season is long (9 regular season games then playoffs).
Physically, I am doing alright but I am a little mentally tired. It's tough to get yourself up every week to put a 100% effort in when you're short handed. Fortunately, the season is almost done and I'm going to put it all out there.
However, playing all these minutes shows me how tough NBA players are. In most normal circumstances, NBA players play 4 games in 5 nights. This season, there are 3 games in 3 nights. Yes, they are professionals and they are paid to perform well. However, these NBA players are elite athletes while the rest of us are just mere mortals.
All in all, if you ever thought to yourself that you could play HUGE minutes night after night, try it out. You might change your tune.....
Friday, March 09, 2012
Guard / Forward / Center
For those who are familiar with basketball, the three positions in a game of basketball are guard, forward and center. The guard and forward positions had sub positions (point guard, shooting guard, small forward and power forward). If you're playing high level basketball (NBA, college, top high school teams) your position generally reflects the skill set you bring to the game of basketball.
However, in most adult basketball leagues, your position if sometimes determined by height / weight as much as skill. If you're a big and tall guy, you're usually going to be a center or power forward. If you're a decent shooter / ball handler / reasonably tall, you'll probably be a shooting guard / small forward. If you're a guy who can dribble and pretty short, you'll be the point guard.
Drilling down even further, Asian adult basketball leagues are a little more different. There aren't any Yao Ming's running around though you'll get a few 6'3" or taller guys ever now and then. But the reality is that most player fall between 5'6" and 6'1".
For me, I happen to stand around 5'10" and generally an shooting guard / small forward on offense. I usually defend point guards, shooting guards and small forwards on defense. For our Thursday night basketball league this sping, I am probably the tallest guy on my team. With the other teams having tough post players, I end up guarding the perimeter AND the post players.
Last night, my team played my friend's team in our league. My friend is 6'1" 180 pounds. He can post and has some guard skills. Seeing I was guarding him, my friend tried to post me and I had to battle just to keep him away from the basket. Alas, I got into foul trouble and later switched to guarding the point guard.
It was definitely a rough night on the court as my team lost 78-72. I scored 14 points but was somewhat beat up banging with the big boys inside and chasing the guards outside. I don't mind the challenge but being an older guy, I can't bang like I used to.
However, in most adult basketball leagues, your position if sometimes determined by height / weight as much as skill. If you're a big and tall guy, you're usually going to be a center or power forward. If you're a decent shooter / ball handler / reasonably tall, you'll probably be a shooting guard / small forward. If you're a guy who can dribble and pretty short, you'll be the point guard.
Drilling down even further, Asian adult basketball leagues are a little more different. There aren't any Yao Ming's running around though you'll get a few 6'3" or taller guys ever now and then. But the reality is that most player fall between 5'6" and 6'1".
For me, I happen to stand around 5'10" and generally an shooting guard / small forward on offense. I usually defend point guards, shooting guards and small forwards on defense. For our Thursday night basketball league this sping, I am probably the tallest guy on my team. With the other teams having tough post players, I end up guarding the perimeter AND the post players.
Last night, my team played my friend's team in our league. My friend is 6'1" 180 pounds. He can post and has some guard skills. Seeing I was guarding him, my friend tried to post me and I had to battle just to keep him away from the basket. Alas, I got into foul trouble and later switched to guarding the point guard.
It was definitely a rough night on the court as my team lost 78-72. I scored 14 points but was somewhat beat up banging with the big boys inside and chasing the guards outside. I don't mind the challenge but being an older guy, I can't bang like I used to.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Good Learning Lesson For Jeremy Lin
By now, everyone knows that the Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks 102-88 tonight. Jeremy Lin was harassed the whole night and played his worst game since became a starter two weeks ago.
As I write this though, I am not particularly disappointed or upset by this performance. Like many fans, I have been glad that Jeremy Lin has shown Asian-Americans can compete at the NBA level. It would have been good to do well against a championship contender such as the Heat.
However, I think this bodes well for Jeremy Lin's future. As it's well documented, he was a small guy entering high school and grew to 6'3". I'm pretty sure it took a little while for Jeremy to adjust to this. At Harvard, he didn't start until his sophomore year and he didn't really break out until his junior year.
Jeremy Lin has shown that he is able to adjust and adapt his game over time. Tonight will be a blip and he will be much better off the next time the Heat and Knicks meet. Not many players (even highly drafted ones) can simply get on the court and do well. Jeremy Lin has done pretty good over two weeks.
After playing in the rookie-sophomore game tomorrow, Jeremy Lin will get a break from playing and prepare for the second half of the season. He'll have a chance to practice with his teammates, work on improving his game and be ready to help the Knicks for their playoff run.
As I write this though, I am not particularly disappointed or upset by this performance. Like many fans, I have been glad that Jeremy Lin has shown Asian-Americans can compete at the NBA level. It would have been good to do well against a championship contender such as the Heat.
However, I think this bodes well for Jeremy Lin's future. As it's well documented, he was a small guy entering high school and grew to 6'3". I'm pretty sure it took a little while for Jeremy to adjust to this. At Harvard, he didn't start until his sophomore year and he didn't really break out until his junior year.
Jeremy Lin has shown that he is able to adjust and adapt his game over time. Tonight will be a blip and he will be much better off the next time the Heat and Knicks meet. Not many players (even highly drafted ones) can simply get on the court and do well. Jeremy Lin has done pretty good over two weeks.
After playing in the rookie-sophomore game tomorrow, Jeremy Lin will get a break from playing and prepare for the second half of the season. He'll have a chance to practice with his teammates, work on improving his game and be ready to help the Knicks for their playoff run.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Asian-Americans Love Jeremy Lin because........
Asian Americans are loving Jeremy Lin / Linsanity as evidenced by the tweets, Facebook posts, blogs and memorabilia being purchased at huge rates.
While the major media outlets are taking the angle that Asians love Jeremy Lin because he is breaking stereotypes (true), there is another angle that hasn't been covered as much. Asian-Americans also LOVE basketball just as much as other people. In fact, China and the Philippines love basketball just as much as any other country so there are probably more Asian basketball fans than any other ethnicity around the world. Having Jeremy Lin be Asian and playing basketball is a dream come true for many Asian-Americans.
Focusing on Asian-Americans though, the love of basketball is evidenced by the various leagues, tournaments and Asian-American teams that exist up and down throughout California (and also in some other states).
Up in Northern California, there are at least a dozen organizations that host upwards of 8 to 12 youth basketball teams for boys and girls from 2nd to 12th grade. These organizations host a tournament circuit year round that sometime include teams from Southern California. The Southern California teams also do the same thing.
For adults, there are various leagues that have been around for years and years. The longest standing leagues is the Nisei Athletic Union (NAU) that originated back in 1931. Originally catering to Japanese-Americans, the league is now open to both Chinese and Japanese Americans. Another long standing league in the Chinese Christian Union (CCU) Summer Basketball League. The CCU Summer League has been around since the 60's or 70's and had it's start in Chinatown. The league featured primarily Chinatown churches but began to expand in the 1990's. This past summer, the league had over 70 teams from churches around SF and the Peninsula. These are the long standing examples but other leagues such as the Dream League (SF Bay Area - 10 years) and others give Asian-Americans opportunities to play in a competitive basketball environment.
Beyond leagues, there are various tournaments catering to Asian-Americans. Rather than playing a 2 to 3 month "season", organizers host weekend tournaments in various locations around California and other cities. WHile most of the SF Bay Area / Northern California tournaments usually feature local teams, there are some tournaments involving teams from other states.
Two of the longer standing tournaments are the Las Vegas Invitational which is primarily a Chinese/Japanese tournament which features some 15 divisions of 6 to 8 teams each. Most of the teams are California based though some of state teams join the fun every now and then.
One large tournament (32nd year in 2012) that is organized in the East Coast is the North American Chinese Invitational Basketball tournament. Held every Memorial Day Weekend, the tournament shifts locations every year. In 2012, the tournament will be held in Canada. The most interesting aspect of the tournament? It features teams from all over North America, Canada and even from China. The majority of the teams for this tournament come from the East Coast (Boston, New York, Philly) and Canada but West Coast teams (LA, SF, Arizona) have also made treks to compete in the tournament.
The point in all of this history is that Asian-Americans not only like Jeremy Lin but they like basketball. Yes, there will be the bandwagon fans who only follow basketball because of Jeremy Lin. But there are also basketball fans who liked basketball before Jeremy Lin and will continue to like it after the Jeremy Lin noise has died down.
While the major media outlets are taking the angle that Asians love Jeremy Lin because he is breaking stereotypes (true), there is another angle that hasn't been covered as much. Asian-Americans also LOVE basketball just as much as other people. In fact, China and the Philippines love basketball just as much as any other country so there are probably more Asian basketball fans than any other ethnicity around the world. Having Jeremy Lin be Asian and playing basketball is a dream come true for many Asian-Americans.
Focusing on Asian-Americans though, the love of basketball is evidenced by the various leagues, tournaments and Asian-American teams that exist up and down throughout California (and also in some other states).
Up in Northern California, there are at least a dozen organizations that host upwards of 8 to 12 youth basketball teams for boys and girls from 2nd to 12th grade. These organizations host a tournament circuit year round that sometime include teams from Southern California. The Southern California teams also do the same thing.
For adults, there are various leagues that have been around for years and years. The longest standing leagues is the Nisei Athletic Union (NAU) that originated back in 1931. Originally catering to Japanese-Americans, the league is now open to both Chinese and Japanese Americans. Another long standing league in the Chinese Christian Union (CCU) Summer Basketball League. The CCU Summer League has been around since the 60's or 70's and had it's start in Chinatown. The league featured primarily Chinatown churches but began to expand in the 1990's. This past summer, the league had over 70 teams from churches around SF and the Peninsula. These are the long standing examples but other leagues such as the Dream League (SF Bay Area - 10 years) and others give Asian-Americans opportunities to play in a competitive basketball environment.
Beyond leagues, there are various tournaments catering to Asian-Americans. Rather than playing a 2 to 3 month "season", organizers host weekend tournaments in various locations around California and other cities. WHile most of the SF Bay Area / Northern California tournaments usually feature local teams, there are some tournaments involving teams from other states.
Two of the longer standing tournaments are the Las Vegas Invitational which is primarily a Chinese/Japanese tournament which features some 15 divisions of 6 to 8 teams each. Most of the teams are California based though some of state teams join the fun every now and then.
One large tournament (32nd year in 2012) that is organized in the East Coast is the North American Chinese Invitational Basketball tournament. Held every Memorial Day Weekend, the tournament shifts locations every year. In 2012, the tournament will be held in Canada. The most interesting aspect of the tournament? It features teams from all over North America, Canada and even from China. The majority of the teams for this tournament come from the East Coast (Boston, New York, Philly) and Canada but West Coast teams (LA, SF, Arizona) have also made treks to compete in the tournament.
The point in all of this history is that Asian-Americans not only like Jeremy Lin but they like basketball. Yes, there will be the bandwagon fans who only follow basketball because of Jeremy Lin. But there are also basketball fans who liked basketball before Jeremy Lin and will continue to like it after the Jeremy Lin noise has died down.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Racial Awareness Thanks to Jeremy Lin
At the moment, there is a quite a bit of discussion of ESPN's decision to use the headline "Chink In The Armor" on their website. The headline was describing the New York Knicks loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night and likely a reference to a big weakness in Jeremy Lin's basketball game: Turnovers.
However, the term "Chink" has some negative connotations in the Chinese American community and that caused a minor uproar. ESPN removed the headline and apologized for it today.
Personally, as a Chinese-American, I don't think the headline "Chink In The Armor" was meant to be offensive. The headline (or phrase) is generally used to indicate weakness. However, it just so happened to be describing Jeremy Lin and so I see why people would be offended.
Regardless of what you think of the ESPN uproar, I think that Jeremy Lin's sudden rise has sudden given Americans (and the entire world) to an inside look of what Asian-Americans have to deal with. There have been quite a few national newspapers which have discussed this.
While Asian-Americans are a large part of the American culture and society, many non-Asian Americans do not know the history of Asian-Americans and the stereotyping and racism that was faced by Asian-Americans over the years.
From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the Japanese Interment Camps to Vincent Chin, there is a history of Americans viewing Asian-Americans as foreigners or a threat to their society. Yet, when racial politics are discussed in America, it is usually a Black or White affair. Asians (and even Latinos) are not part of the discussion.
Jeremy Lin is bringing an awareness of the Asian-American community that should benefit everyone in the future.
However, the term "Chink" has some negative connotations in the Chinese American community and that caused a minor uproar. ESPN removed the headline and apologized for it today.
Personally, as a Chinese-American, I don't think the headline "Chink In The Armor" was meant to be offensive. The headline (or phrase) is generally used to indicate weakness. However, it just so happened to be describing Jeremy Lin and so I see why people would be offended.
Regardless of what you think of the ESPN uproar, I think that Jeremy Lin's sudden rise has sudden given Americans (and the entire world) to an inside look of what Asian-Americans have to deal with. There have been quite a few national newspapers which have discussed this.
While Asian-Americans are a large part of the American culture and society, many non-Asian Americans do not know the history of Asian-Americans and the stereotyping and racism that was faced by Asian-Americans over the years.
From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the Japanese Interment Camps to Vincent Chin, there is a history of Americans viewing Asian-Americans as foreigners or a threat to their society. Yet, when racial politics are discussed in America, it is usually a Black or White affair. Asians (and even Latinos) are not part of the discussion.
Jeremy Lin is bringing an awareness of the Asian-American community that should benefit everyone in the future.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
What Jeremy Lin means to Asian-Americans
As a long time Jeremy Lin fan since his senior year (2006) in high school, I am extremely happy that the outbreak of "Linsanity". Even though I thought he could be a "decent" player in the NBA, I never thought he would do as well as he has. Jeremy's break out has also galvanized the Asian-American community and I would like to talk about some of the reasons why.
JEREMY LIN IS THE FIRST TRUE ASIAN-AMERICAN MALE ICON SINCE BRUCE LEE
Even though Bruce Lee has been dead since 1973, he is still one of the mostly widely recognized Asian-American celebrities in the world. No Asian-American (or even Asian born) celebrity (actor / athlete) has completed filled Bruce Lee's shoes. Well known Asian-American actors such as John Cho and Daniel Dae Kim currently have good followings but don't have Lee's star power. Asian-born actors such as Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-Fat and Jet Li also have their own following but their Asian life experiences don't resonate with the Asian-American population in the States.
The last Asian celebrity that rivaled Bruce Lee was Yao Ming. The 7'6" giant was born in China but spoke solid English and showed a different side of Chinese cultural. Despite Yao's ability to shift between the Chinese and American lifestyles, he was still an Asian born athlete who's life experience didn't reflect what Asian-Americans go through.
Enter Jeremy Lin. The Palo Alto raised kid had to fight through many years of coaches and teams not recognizing his talent and ability. He had to fight through racial taunts and stereotypes of what Asian-Americans males should be. Lin is not as angry outwardly as Lee was, but you can see the fire in his eyes when things go well.
Jeremy Lin is not quite on the level of Bruce Lee just yet. However, the impact in the past couple of weeks is similar and this impact could GROW as the months and years go by.
PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS ARE SUPPORTING JEREMY LIN
When the Golden State Warriors signed Jeremy Lin, it was thought to be a marketing ploy to cater to the large Asian-American population in the Bay Area. When he didn't do well (and eventually got cut by the Warriors and the Rockets this year), the assertions seemed to be correct.
It is now Week 2 of "Linsanity" and we've got people from all walks of life following and supporting Jeremy Lin. Is it NOT JUST an Asian-American fan base. It includes Blacks, Whites, Latinos, other professional athletes and even some actors / actresses.
Jeremy Lin's rising star should be a sign to the American business and entertainment worlds that Americans will support of other ethnicities besides White / Caucasian. In the music industry, it was only recently that an Asian-American group, Far East Movement broke through with their #1 Billboard hit "Like A G6". However, while their other songs received some attention, none have duplicated their success. Prior to the Far East Movement, there have not been many mainstream Asian-American musicians. There are a lot of underground singers and groups but not many are known to the general American public.
In the movie and TV industry, there are quite a few well known actors including the aforementioned Daniel Dae Kim and John Cho. While Cho has had some lead roles with Harold and Kumar, none of the movies were huge multi-million dollar hits. Kim and other American born actors have solid roles but are still not considered as the main lead actors.
However, Jeremy Lin's sudden emergence and the fan response shows the world that people will support anyone IF they have the talent. I believe that Jeremy Lin's sudden rise to fame will open the eyes of other industries to consider looking at people's talent beyond the color of their skin. It may take some time but Asian-American lead actors and mainstream musicians should eventually appear and became as normal as an Asian-American NBA player.
ITS OK TO BE SMART AND ATHLETIC
I've blogged about this before. Jeremy Lin was a good student in high school and college. Now he's playing in the NBA. In many ways, he is living many Asian-American male's dreams. There are certain parents who rather their kids focus on their studies instead of sports. I am the believer that both things can co-exist. Now I have an example I can point to in Jeremy Lin. If I ever have kids, I can say "if Jeremy Lin can do it, so can you".
There's probably more things I can write about, but I'll leave it for now. Enjoy the Linsanity.
JEREMY LIN IS THE FIRST TRUE ASIAN-AMERICAN MALE ICON SINCE BRUCE LEE
Even though Bruce Lee has been dead since 1973, he is still one of the mostly widely recognized Asian-American celebrities in the world. No Asian-American (or even Asian born) celebrity (actor / athlete) has completed filled Bruce Lee's shoes. Well known Asian-American actors such as John Cho and Daniel Dae Kim currently have good followings but don't have Lee's star power. Asian-born actors such as Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-Fat and Jet Li also have their own following but their Asian life experiences don't resonate with the Asian-American population in the States.
The last Asian celebrity that rivaled Bruce Lee was Yao Ming. The 7'6" giant was born in China but spoke solid English and showed a different side of Chinese cultural. Despite Yao's ability to shift between the Chinese and American lifestyles, he was still an Asian born athlete who's life experience didn't reflect what Asian-Americans go through.
Enter Jeremy Lin. The Palo Alto raised kid had to fight through many years of coaches and teams not recognizing his talent and ability. He had to fight through racial taunts and stereotypes of what Asian-Americans males should be. Lin is not as angry outwardly as Lee was, but you can see the fire in his eyes when things go well.
Jeremy Lin is not quite on the level of Bruce Lee just yet. However, the impact in the past couple of weeks is similar and this impact could GROW as the months and years go by.
PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS ARE SUPPORTING JEREMY LIN
When the Golden State Warriors signed Jeremy Lin, it was thought to be a marketing ploy to cater to the large Asian-American population in the Bay Area. When he didn't do well (and eventually got cut by the Warriors and the Rockets this year), the assertions seemed to be correct.
It is now Week 2 of "Linsanity" and we've got people from all walks of life following and supporting Jeremy Lin. Is it NOT JUST an Asian-American fan base. It includes Blacks, Whites, Latinos, other professional athletes and even some actors / actresses.
Jeremy Lin's rising star should be a sign to the American business and entertainment worlds that Americans will support of other ethnicities besides White / Caucasian. In the music industry, it was only recently that an Asian-American group, Far East Movement broke through with their #1 Billboard hit "Like A G6". However, while their other songs received some attention, none have duplicated their success. Prior to the Far East Movement, there have not been many mainstream Asian-American musicians. There are a lot of underground singers and groups but not many are known to the general American public.
In the movie and TV industry, there are quite a few well known actors including the aforementioned Daniel Dae Kim and John Cho. While Cho has had some lead roles with Harold and Kumar, none of the movies were huge multi-million dollar hits. Kim and other American born actors have solid roles but are still not considered as the main lead actors.
However, Jeremy Lin's sudden emergence and the fan response shows the world that people will support anyone IF they have the talent. I believe that Jeremy Lin's sudden rise to fame will open the eyes of other industries to consider looking at people's talent beyond the color of their skin. It may take some time but Asian-American lead actors and mainstream musicians should eventually appear and became as normal as an Asian-American NBA player.
ITS OK TO BE SMART AND ATHLETIC
I've blogged about this before. Jeremy Lin was a good student in high school and college. Now he's playing in the NBA. In many ways, he is living many Asian-American male's dreams. There are certain parents who rather their kids focus on their studies instead of sports. I am the believer that both things can co-exist. Now I have an example I can point to in Jeremy Lin. If I ever have kids, I can say "if Jeremy Lin can do it, so can you".
There's probably more things I can write about, but I'll leave it for now. Enjoy the Linsanity.
Monday, February 06, 2012
Jeremy Lin: WOW!
As I have blogged about Jeremy Lin before, it should come as no surprise that I am a fan of his career. I remember reading about him during his high school days, followed him throughout his college career and was thrilled when the hometown Golden State Warriors signed him to a contract. Alas, Jeremy's NBA career hadn't taken off as anyone expected and many people wondered if he would ever get a chance to show his skills.
However, even the most die-hard of Jeremy Lin fans would have never expected Jeremy Lin to do what he did in the last two games. He led his team to victories over the Nets and the Jazz. He had career highs in points in both games (25 / 28), assists (7 / 8) and minutes (36 / 45).
I don't think it's completely sunken in for Jeremy Lin OR his fans. I think most of us fans would have been happy if he played 15 to 20 minutes and became a consistent bench player. Instead, in two games, he has been the star, outshining his more heralded teammates.
However, if you look at Jeremy's career in high school, college and even D-League, Jeremy has always been a leader of men (or teams). In many ways, we shouldn't be surprised at what he did the last two nights. He has done it before after all.
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