Lin Adidas Shirt
Last weekend, ESPN posted a headline on their mobile site referring to basketball phenomenon Jeremy Lin as “The Chink in the Armour” of the New York Knicks. The headline was online for half an hour, before being pulled. Shortly after, Max Bretos, the host of ESPN’s “MMA Live” show, asked a guest if Lin was his team’s “chink in the armour”. ESPN promptly fired the writer of the headline and suspended Bretos, but not before facing negative feedback from fans, media commentators and civil rights groups alike.
It’s amazing how much trouble a misused phrase can cause.
The word “chink” has been used as a slur against Asian communities and individuals for generations. To use that word in reference to a person of Asian descent is offensive and unacceptable, even if it isn’t intended as an insult. That the ESPN writer and host did not intend to debase Lin, or any Asian communities or individuals, is clear; this was not an intentional act of racism. It was, however, ignorant and insensitive to the bigotry Asian communities have faced. It shows an amazing lack of awareness about the culture we live in and the people we live with. People are justified in feeling deeply offended by the headline and comments, which betray an almost willful ignorance on the part of “mainstream” media about the painful legacy racism faced by Asian communities.
Blog and Twitter commentary have raised a number of points about this situation: that this is just the latest example of the many subtle forms of bias toward Lin, including the seemingly endless puns on his heritage (honestly, how many times can the word “dynasty” be used about him?) and worry that his popularity is based in part on the novelty of an NBA star of Asian descent; that Asian communities have not done enough to blacklist offensive terms the way black, women and GLBT communities have; and that perhaps we’re all overreacting, or at least reacting to the wrong things. There is merit to all of these points, but they don’t let ESPN’s staffers off the hook. Ignorance is not an excuse.
We are part of a multicultural society in which we get along most of the time, and for this we are justifiably proud. This didn’t just happen, though, and to pretend that our past and present are not affected by racism and bigotry is naïve at best. At worst, it’s dismissive of the oppression and struggles people face. As members of this wonderfully diverse society, we have the opportunity to learn from others. This opportunity comes with a responsibility to educate ourselves and to behave in a way that builds community and bonds us to one another. It’s very easy to enjoy elements of a community’s culture (especially cuisine — who doesn’t love dim sum, jerk chicken and pizza?) but not go beyond the surface, where the truth of our experience, perspective and history live. Not only does this lead to unnecessary situations, it undermines our attempts to live in a united, respectful and empathetic society.
ESPN’s blunder offers all of us a chance to think about the lives and experiences of people from different cultures. It reminds us to be thoughtful. It challenges us to ask questions and try to understand the history of our cultures and our neighbours, colleagues and friends.
