Jeremy Lin - Lin-sanity - Stereotypes of Asian Americans

With the Lin-sanity or recent notoriety of Jeremy Lin, the starting Asian American, Point Guard for the New York Knicks, I have seen more negative stereotypes of Asian Americans both online and in the media. As an Asian American, these annoy me just as much as when I am asked the question: "Are you Oriental?" (No, I'm Asian American). For example, on Jeremy Lin's Wikipedia, it says that he was called the following at NCAA basketball games: "Wonton soup", "Sweet and sour pork", "Open your eyes!", "Go back to China", "Orchestra is on the other side of campus", or pseudo-Chinese gibberish. I can't believe this is the year 2012 and we're still hearing these types of horrible stereo types again Asian Americans.

So the first stereotype would be why a 6' 3" point guard from a high school team in California that went 32-1 and scored 1,480 points at a NCAA Division I school be an underdog to make a starting lineup in the NBA. Sure, the NBA traditionally likes point guards that are not like Steve Nash, Jose Barea or Muggsy Bouges but Jeremy Lin in 6' 3" and has a proven Basketball IQ. The stereotype that he is considered an underdog is probably the biggest stereotype, he is not expected to be a basketball player because of how he looks.

Jeremy is not the first Asian American to play in the NBA. Rex Walters, the 6' 4" Shooting Guard from Kansas 1993 Final Four Team was a 16th pick in the NBA Draft. He is biracial or half Japanese. Walters played basketball for Piedmont Hills, California, not to far from Palo Alto where Jeremy Lin played. Walters played 10 years in the NBA.

So we are now seeing the preponderance of stories about an Asian Athlete with the Jeremy Lin stories in the media. Despite Michael Chang (tennis), Kristi Yamaguchi (Figure Skating), Apolo Ohno (Speed Skating), Tiger Woods (Golf), Greg Louganis (Swimming) and Michele Wei (Golf) that have preceded him, Jeremy is finally getting his in the NBA. I imagine it will be some time before NBA fans will look at him as the starting point guard rather than the starting Asian American point guard.

Sources:
Wikipedia