Homework Assignment for 5th class

Jeremy Lin was the first Chinese (or Taiwanese)-American professional basketball player at NBA. Graduated from HarvardUniversity playing extraordinarily in NCAA Division I, no team accepted him in the 2010 NBA Draft. On June 21, 2013, Lin signed a deal with Golden State Warrior, but unfortunately, he only played as a substitute. He was released from the team on December 9, 2011. Again, he played as a reserve guard at New York Knicks starting at December 27, 2013. After Knicks squandered a fourth quarter lead in a Feb. 3 loss to Boston Celtics, the coach Mike decided to give Lin a chance. He started to gain national attention in the following three games, because he really created legendary career highs. Lin became the first NBA player to score at least 20 points and have seven assists in each of his first five starts. We should acknowledge that Lin was a fabulous professional basketball player. Nevertheless, I would like to point out that his road to success was never easy. Due to his “special” identity as an Asian-American, he was often being stereotyped, and even though some of those stereotypes were positive, the impact may be negative. Therefore, he experienced a harder time to follow his basketball dream than those of others ever since the beginning of his college life.

 

Lin failed to get any sports scholarship despite being a basketball star in his high school, and his state. He captained Palo AltoHigh School to upset nationally ranked Mater Dei. He was named first-team All-state and Northern California Division II player of his senior year. Lin sent his résumé and a DVD that highlights his high-school basketball career to all the Ivy League schools, University of California, Berkeley, and his dream school Stanford and UCLA. However, these schools would only like him to be a substitute instead of actively recruited. It should result from being stereotyped that Asian-Americans were extremely diligent and smart, especially at math and science. People acquiesced in the lack of sports gift for them. He finally chose Harvard, who guaranteed him a spot in its basketball team. In 2009, when Lin eventually got to play in NCAA Division I men’s basketball, opposing players hissed slurs at him, asking if he was missing orchestra practice. This is an example of stereotype that Asian-Americans were versatile, since they typically excelled at a musical instrument, or won a science contest, or even do both of them.

 

After graduating from Harvard, no team chose him at NBA Draft. In spite of getting into Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks, he was rarely given a chance to play. Stereotyping Asians for their skills at academics may automatically turn into denying of their sports ability. "He got lucky because we were playing so bad," said D'Antoni, the coach at New York Knicks, after Lin firstly led a turnaround.

 

On top of Lin’s personal experience, I would like to talk further about Lin’s impact on stereotyping Asians. According to a research by a faculty member of Princeton, Asian-Americans have to score 140 points higher in SAT than white students to get into elite colleges if everything else was equal. In addition, we commonly recognize that for Asians, only being a top student on academics was NOT enough to succeed in getting into a top university. That is to say, on the other hand, Lin’s wonderful basketball skill not only breaked the stereotype that Asians are not good at sports, but also confirmed another stereotype that excelling at school simply isn’t enough for Asians. They have to be more diligent in other areas, for example, art, as I just mentioned before. So, stereotype seemed to be everywhere, ingrained in people’s mind. What’s more important for me is that people who are being stereotyped usually acquiesce with what they “should” be. This was perfectly illustrated in the novel kira-kira.

 

In that novel, Japanese-Americans were all stereotyped after World War II, but they did not react too much. Instead, they chose to live quietly without complain. For example, after Katie and Lynn’s family was regarded as Indian or Mexican only by facial image, they are stereotyped by the women in motel. Their father did get used to the way they were treated. Another instance would be when Katie and Lynn’s mother found that she had to be working in a part of hatchery that was not clean, because their racial group were typically treated hostilely by local people, she simply complied the inferiority of her. In that novel, stereotyping was something that really usual and normal. Interestingly, when small Katie did not know what their racial group “should” be or “should” act, she dared to say out. Consequently, the author DID feel guilty of stereotyping when she described the innocence of children. Nonetheless, at the same time, she must have acknowledged that stereotypes were just so common and she felt helpless with it.   

 

@ Silver Wow, if I could, I would "like" this post twice. I actually did not know a lot of what you said in your post. I only knew that Lin, because he was Asian and from an ivy league school, was consistently overlooked in the early stages of his career. The assumption i.e. stereotype, was that Asians are "brainiacs" and everyone knows (famous last words) that brainy people can't be really great athletes. Added to that was the stereotype that ivy league schools produce smart people, not gifted athletes.

 

I thought it was interesting that even the NBA's (National Basketball Association) commissioner David Stern acknowledged that Lin suffered from a double whammy of stereotypes when he was asked if stereotyping had played a role in Lin's being over-looked.

"I think in the true sense the answer to that is yes," says the NBA's Stern. "In terms of looking at somebody...I don't know whether he was discriminated against because he was at Harvard.," he says with a laugh, "Or because he was Asian." The bottom line, says Stern, he didn't have the usual background common to a vast majority of professional players."

I was also  really impressed with what you said about the danger of complying with stereotypes and your insight into what I think Kadohata reveals through Katie. As a young child, she was innocent of who she was supposed to be or of how others might see her, and thus she defines herself according to her own likes, dislikes, and beliefs about the world. I hadn't thought of that until you mentioned it. But I think you are absolutely correct in your interpretation, which is altogether wonderful, and the smooth way you took the reader from Lin's story into Kadohata's novel was about as good as writing gets, amateur or professional. 

 

I will send you a more academic analysis of this work. But first I will work on your previous piece of writing, which--I apologize--has been delayed due to other more pressing, but definitely not more important, tasks. LMF

 

   Jeremy Lin is a Taiwanese- America NBA player. There are so many stereotypes; NBA games always rule by Americans, Asian can’t get chance to stand on the NBA, Asian just good at study. However, Lin is a great example for refuting the stereotypes.

 

   In the 2010 NBA draft, no team would like to choose Jeremy Lin; of course, one of the reasons must be a stereotype. Fortunately, Lin got a chance to play in the Summer League, after the Summer League, Lin joined the Golden State Warrior. But later, Lin got fired from the Warrior. In the 2011, NBA lockout, Lin worked very hard at his jump shot.

 

   Later, Lin got fired from the Houston Rocket. Then Lin Joined the New York Knicks. When Carmelo Anthony injured (who was the starting of the team), Lin got an opportunity to tell everybody, he can play basketball, everyone can play basketball if they work hard.

 

    It also has connection to the Kira-Kira, there also has stereotype in it, in the motel and the plant, I think the author does felt guilty about it, because in the book, it always show how she felt resentful to the stereotype.

   

Jeremy Lin is a famous basketball player in NBA. Actually, he looks like an oriental, because he is an ABC. In this way,he has a lot of Chinese fans and even many Asian fans.

 

In fact, in Lin’s family, Lin has two brother. Lin’s father is a basketball fan, he wants to cultivate one of his sons to become a basketball player. At first, Lin’s father wanted to train elder son,because he had good physical quality, strong and tall. But finally he didn’t make his father’s dream come true. Wheras, Lin showed his own basketball understanding. Although Lin didn’t have a good physical quality, he used his own way to play basketall. He had a agile sence to basketball and he knew how to handle the ball would be best. He also knew clearly that practice can make perfect, so he practiced so hard after school.So he showed a good expression on his rookie-season, say, he played a comprehensive performance.

 

When he graduated from the senior school, he got the basketball scholarship by Harvard. And in his rookie-season, his coach remembered that he was the weakest player in basketball team. And there were many people jeer at him and said he were not able to play basketball well, even his teammates. But Lin proved it by his action. He made a comprehensive season again,  and even till his junior year,he was the only player can ranke in the top ten in every statistic.

 

When he graduated from Harvard,he joined that year’s NBA Draft, but no one would like to chose him. And when he transfered to several different clubs, finally, he was traded to New York. And from there he would creative a pile of crazy moments. However, on the night which day was on day before his famous battle, he slept on a sofa of his teammate’s apartment. We can see Lin led a dog’s life before he was known as a star. Because of there were many injuries in Knicks, also, the coach saw Lin’s hard working, so Lin got a chance to play games. And he caught it. He played crazy performances continuously. In his initial 12 starts, Lin averaged 22.5 points and 8.7 assists. Especially, Lin’s clutch 3 helped Knicks to get a victor when they competed with Raptor. He was the best rookie through out the NBA, even Jordan or Lebron were not able to make this kind of achievement. So Linsanity was born, and he had lots of cult following at once,Jemery Lin shot to fame.

 

Now, he is playing for Houston Rocket, on of my basketball team. And they just compete against Portland Trail Blaizer In the playoffs, and Rocket trails by one game in the series. I hope they can dump trail. Also I hope Lin can open the mode of Linsanity.

 

In a word I think Lin’s success depends on his hard working, he brokes the stereotyping Asians in American angle of vision. I can clearly remember when Lin practiced hard in the center, the staff just jeered at him and said he was so weak. Also, Lin’s partners didn’t think he was able to play basketball well. Because Asians were stereotyped usually visualize a fock of bookworms and don’t have sports cell. So I noticed Lin always gives himself some nods of yes. He tells himself he that he got it, he is able to got it.

 

Similarly, the American locals stereotyped the Japanese American after WW2. They treated Japanese unequally, or say, the locals didn’t “treat” Japanese, they just ignored these people. But actually, Japanese American were not that bad. Athough they were treated bias, they decided to recieve it and live peacefully. So they hardly quarreled with the locals about this topic. For an instant, in the Motel, the “trouble” woman ignored Katie and her father. she regarded them as two Indians and other kinds of people, but Katie’s father calmed as usual. Because in oriental views, we think we had better not stir up troubles. So in this way, I believe the auther would feel guilty of stereotyping any one group. Because actually, she experienced this kind of treating, she knew what’s her feeling about it. It was hard to take. So I think even she would not stereotype others delibrately.

 

In addition, I’ve thought about one question, why these Japanese American can recieved this kind of stereotyping and prejudice calmly? I think that they wanted to change the locals’ mind about their negative figure. So they chose to try to recieve these unpleasant words. They believed it would make negative figures disappear gradually, they wanted to make a good expression for themselves and for their descendants. Now, I think it does work, so I really think it’s a clever way to face the stereotyping.

Well, I loved reading this. You obviously know about a trillion times more than I do about Lin and you conveyed the information in a lively way that kept me reading through statistics I barely understand. As in the past, some of your phrasing was very original and fun to read.  I like  that phrase "American angle of vision" and I never knew what the acronym ABC meant until your post made me look it up.  Good too were those specific details that made me visualize what you were talking about, like your reference to Lin telling himself "yes" and your linking it to his own personal form of self-motivation.

 

As before, I'll send you a more academic analysis via e-mail. Nice work. LMF

@Jason

 

I think you are spot on when you say that Lin refuted the stereotypes. And from everything I have read, you are absolutely right to say that Lin was, initially limited by the stereotype that as an Asian, he must be a good student but not an especially good athlete. I think, too, that kira-kira does show the author's contempt for and resentment of stereotypes. I would have liked you to explain that in a little more detail. 

 

 I will write you a more academic analysis in an e-mail. I think you did a better job in this assignment than your prior e-mail suggested, but we can talk more about that via my next e-mail to you. 

Sorry Lariane. I thought I have put it on the web and was waiting for reply. But when I check it out today I find out I didn’ sent it. Here is my assignment.


Jeremy Shu-Hao Lin (born August 23, 1988) is a Chinese-American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He didn’t get much credit from others people at first and was waived by the Warriors and the Rockets the following preseason before joining the New York Knicks early in the 2011–12 season. He came into people’s eyes in the game against all star D-Williams on February 4. Lin had 25 points, five rebounds, and seven assists—all career highs—in the 99–92 Knicks victory.[1]After the unexpectedly show, he was being promoted to the starting lineup, which generated a global following known as "Linsanity."[2] This was the turning point of he’s career and later on he signed a three-year contract with the Rockets.

This is probably what most people kwon about Lin. BUT actually, his way was much harder. Even Lin played very well in the primary school, there was only one particular AAU team, Metro Mirage want him. Before his high school team played against Mater Dei in the state championship, most people didn't think they can win. Although Lin had got 15.4 points, 6.2 assists 4.2 steals for average in the high school career and got the "Northern California Division 2 PLAYER OF THE YERA" and also was in the "First team all state", he failed to receive any athletic scholarship offers instead of HARVERD's, even if he sent DVDs of highlights of his high-school basketball career to all the Ivy League schools, University of California, Berkeley, and his dream schools Stanford and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).[3] No team chose Lin in the 2010 NBA Draft. He was sent down by the Worriors' management to the D-league, for many times.

Why he can not get enough credit though the way he grew up? ＂He just didn't fit the mold.＂According to Peter Diepenbrock, the coach of Palo Alto High School during 1997-2008. I really agree. This is the stereotype of basketball player, which should be strong, tall and usually be white and black people. Asian people are only good at math and not likely to do well in sports. Maybe people are not racism, but they have not seen an Asian people can play basketball so well. Yao Ming was a perfect example. He was from China and was in huge size. People were not used to see a basketball star like this. "Every time Jeremy play against somebody who people say is good, if Jeremy played better, then they start thinking, 'that person is not good.' They don't give Jeremy credit." Said by his mom in the film Linsanity. This was also the expression of people when they stereotyped Lin as a "brainiac" Asian instead of a talent athlete, so they got the conclusion that the person who defeated by a "brainiac Asian" couldn't be good. I was hopeful, but to be completely honest, I was like,'let's just wait and see what happens.' The thing that I always interest in is race. And the way discrimination, and you know, rears its ugly headed. I was really interested in seeing that if any team would take the plunge. "

Plus, when people meet a man who good at something that he should not good at in most people's view, they would usually try to ignore the fact and convince themselves that that was just a coincidence. "I would be good in this league, and then people would say, 'but he can't play well in that league.' "Said Lin. Because people do not want to believe it inside their mind. They can not imagine how things can be going on next. The better you perform, the more they want to persuade themselves until you keep doing it and proof you can do the things that they do not think you can. And until then, most people would not take the risk to believe in you.

This is my analysis about the effect Lin had got from the stereotype.

[1][2][3]:comes from Wikipedia

@Ewan, You used some really sophisticated  writing techniques in fulfilling this assignment. Your smooth transition from paragraph 1-2 is perfect in the way it says to the reader. O.K. This is what you know. Now be prepared for me to tell you what you don't know: "This is probably what most people know about Lin. BUT actually, his way was much harder"

 

Equally good was your use of a question and answer method to transition into Paragraph 3. And I liked the way you backed up your claims about stereotyping with the specific example of Yao Ming, whom I had never heard about before. (But  now that you've mentioned him, I'm going to get the documentary, The Year of the Yao.) What you don't say and what would interest me is if Yao Ming had to struggle as much as Lin did to win acceptance.

 

I think you also used quotes effectively as support for what you say.

 

I very much enjoyed reading what you wrote and will send you a more academic analysis in a day or two. 

@Jason, I still have to respond via e-mail to your Jeremy Lin assignment. I will do that by tomorrow. I am sorry for being so late with it. I'm just over-scheduled right now and not moving fast enough, but I will get my comments back to you. Laraine