The Implicit and Accepted Racism Behind ‘Linsanity’

Whether you’re a sports fan or not, you’ve almost certainly heard about the lincredible Linderella story of the Harvard graduate who has linspired sports fans across the world with his meteoric NBA rise and late game heroics in recent weeks.

You’re also probably annoyed with one of the most agonizing onslaughts of pathetic puns we’ve seen in quite a while. (And for that, we apologize for the previous paragraph.)

Unfortunately, this explosion of unbearable witticisms about New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin has been accompanied by racial stereotypes that have been largely endorsed by the mainstream media and accepted by many fans.

Take, for example, the back page of last Wednesday’s New York Post, no beacon of journalism ethics to begin, which read “AMASIAN.” Or take the scores of fan-made signs—which inexplicably continue to bypass arena security—that have followed Jeremy Lin throughout the country. “Me Love You Lin Time,” says one. Another, shown prominently on ESPN, reads, “The Yellow Mamba,” a twisted play on superstar forward Kobe Bryant’s nickname, “The Black Mamba.” (Bryant’s nickname is self-selected and not a reference to his skin color; the black mamba snake is one of the longest, fastest, and most aggressive snakes in the world.)

In what is perhaps the most blatant example, ESPN ran a headline over the weekend that read, “Chink in the Armor,” published after Jeremy Lin lost his first game as a starter. ESPN later fired the staffer responsible.

There are instances, too, of intrinsic racism that have been less overt.

Less noticeable are the ways in which stereotypes are used in attempts to decipher Lin’s playing ability. NBA scouts have frequently described Lin as having a “deceptive quickness and assertiveness.” Former Knicks coach and part-time ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy asserted that Lin was “deceptively athletic.” Among analysts, “deceptive” has quickly become a buzzword for explaining the Lin phenomenon and their own inability to anticipate it.

But why? At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Lin has the same build as the NBA’s other top point guards, including last year’s Most Valuable Player, Derrick Rose.

What about Lin’s appearance would lead anyone to believe he’s less athletic than his peers, and therefore “deceptively” good, other than the fact that he’s Asian?

Simply put, these embedded racial stereotypes cloud the judgment of those who watch Lin on the basketball court.

(Race and Beyond: What Linsanity Reveals About Our Nation)

Interestingly enough, the one man who predicted Jeremy Lin’s fame several years ago never even saw him play. Ed Weiland, a truck driver and sports blogger from Oregon, routinely scouts the best college players in the country in advance of the NBA draft. Basing his analysis purely on statistics, Weiland wrote that Jeremy Lin was the best available point guard in the draft.

The “experts” disagreed at the time, and Lin went undrafted.

While we’ve confronted some of the most blatant offenses, the more subtle racial stereotypes that are equally offensive continue to be validated and proliferated by the mainstream media and by fans throughout the country.

That has to change. 

Graham White is a journalism intern for Campus Progress. You can follow him on Twitter @GrahamWhiteNY.

Related Stories

• HBO’s ‘Girls’—More Progressive Than Carrie Bradshaw, But Still White-Only
• British TV Ad Asks: Watching Yourself, ‘Would You See Rape?’
• Fashion Line Refuses to Reveal Aboriginal Artist Behind Newest Collection
• Transgender Miss Universe Contestant Cleared for Competition [UPDATED]
• Why A Diverse ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Cast Isn’t Making Progress