According to a report from CNN, former NBA star player Jeremy Lin said that he experienced racism on the court and called as ‘coronavirus’ while playing basketball. The number of violent attacks against Asian Americans escalated in the last few years. Communities and advocates across the US have been on high alert in recent weeks following a string of recent attacks against Asian Americans.
Jeremy Lin experienced his anger and shared his experience through a Facebook post on Thursday. Lin currently plays for Santa Cruz Warriors, which is the G League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors.
“Something is changing in this generation of Asian Americans. We are tired of being told that we don’t experience racism, we are tired of being told to keep our heads down and not make trouble. We are tired of Asian American kids growing up and being asked where they’re REALLY from, of having our eyes mocked, of being objectified as exotic, or being told we’re inherently unattractive. We are tired of the stereotypes in Hollywood affecting our psyche and limiting who we think we can be. We are tired of being invisible, of being mistaken for our colleague, or told our struggles aren’t as real.
I want better for my elders who worked so hard and sacrificed so much to make a life for themselves here. I want better for my niece and nephew and future kids. I want better for the next generation of Asian American athletes than to have to work so hard to just be “deceptively athletic.”
Being an Asian American doesn’t mean we don’t experience poverty and racism.
Being a 9 year NBA veteran doesn’t protect me from being called “coronavirus” on the court.
Being a man of faith doesn’t mean I don’t fight for justice, for myself and for others.” he wrote in his Facebook post.
