Jeremy Lin as the New Face of Volvo

Jeremy Lin further serves to function as an icon for Asia through his new partnership with the Scandinavian luxury car brand Volvo, announced on Monday, March 20, 2012. In a two year agreement, Lin will function as the brand ambassador for Volvo in the United States, China, and Chinese-speaking language markets, according to Forbes magazine.

As stated in the agreement, Lin will not only function as the brand ambassador, but also appear in their advertising. The president of Volvo Cars China, Freeman Shen, stated, "Volvo Cars' choice of Jeremy Lin as the company ambassador derives from our shared ethos of passion, dynamism and progressiveness." Volvo hopes to launch its commercial advert campaign this upcoming summer as part of its efforts in a brand rejuvenation.

With Lin becoming the new face of Volvo, his image will be further entered into another avenue of mainstream media in the United States as well as China. The first Taiwanese/Chinese American to play in the National Basketball Association will flash across screens in advertisements unrelated to sports. Lin's presence will no longer be limited to the basketball arena and the New York Knicks. With Lin's appearance in Volvo adverts, the notions of the Asian population in America, China, and Taiwan have the potential to be slowly altered, causing an initial deconstruction of Asian stereotypes and the belief that Asians can succeed in the sport of their desire, specifically basketball in this case.  

This Volvo partnership marks the first major sponsorship deal for Lin, since he came off the bench in February and won a string of spectacularly-performed games for the New York Knicks. That being said, controversy obviously surrounds this deal due to its late timing and the short-lived fervor of "Linsanity." While Lin clearly benefits from this deal, the true question lies in whether Volvo will benefit. A quirky blogger discusses Volvo's decision and creates five potential tag lines for Lin and Volvo, including "Volvo: Drive into traffic with reckless abandon." Regardless of the uncertainty surrounding Lin and his career, this Volvo contract allows Lin's image to continue to survive and influence China and Taiwan extensively, hopefully functioning as an encompassing icon for Asia.

-Katharine James

An Asian-American Breakthrough

Sports fans everywhere are caught up in the mania surrounding New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. But Lin’s impact is most personal, and most satisfying, among a subset of Asian Americans: those who, like Lin, grew up with a true passion for basketball, but are often stereotyped on playgrounds, in pick-up gyms or in recreational leagues as guys who cannot really play the game. Now that one of their own, Lin, has made the NBA – he’s not only Asian-American, but a guard, and not a seven-footer like Yao Ming — these Asian-Americans hope that Lin can change views in a place where race or ethnicity has always affected behavior and mindset: the basketball court.

Asian-American hoopheads hope that Lin’s example will encourage more Asian-American kids to pursue their basketball dreams. “There’s nothing wrong with being engineers, doctors or lawyers,” comicbook artist Bernard Chang told Time Magazine. “I just think we should be represented in balance. Sports like basketball are a huge part of our culture. Success will help us stake our claim as Americans.” 

There have been, in recent years, many Asian American pioneers in the public eye who’ve defied the condescendingly complimentary “model minority” stereotype: actors like Lucy Liu, artists like Maya Lin, moguls like Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh. They are known, often admired. But Lin is something new: an Asian American whom millions of other Americans want to be.

“He’s like our Obama,” one Asian-American, who professionally works in the technology industry but plays recreational basketball on the weekends, told Time, referring to how Lin is beginning to break stereotypes about Asian-Americans. 

Their embrace of Lin has made millions of Asian Americans feel vicariously, thrillingly embraced. Not invisible. Not presumed foreign. Just part of the team, belonging in the game. It is felt like a breakout moment: for Lin, for Asian America and, thus, for all of America.

Identity in America is complicated but it is also simple: it is about whom you identify with and who identifies with you. Lin is the only Asian American in the NBA today and one of the few in any professional U.S. sport. His arrival is surely leading other talented Asian American athletes this week to contemplate a pro career. Just as surely, though, it is leading many non-Asian non-athletes to expand their identities; to redefine, just by their rooting interest, “American.”

With Lin’s rise, there has been a swelling, collective feeling that Asians are no different from the other people they see on national TV, almost exclusively white and black. Jeremy Lin provides a source of potential within us, that we all house the talent and skill to be great, no matter our religious or ethnic background.

The New York Times' Michael Luo wrote about the inspiration Lin provides to young Asian-Americans, who have had a dearth of role models in major American sports. (Stars like Ichiro and Yao Ming are not Asian-American, but rather full Asian.) Consider this: Asian-Americans are now represented at every level of the NBA, from the court (Lin) to the sidelines (Eric Spoelstra, who is Filipino-American) and the front office (Rich Cho, the Bobcats assistant GM and former Blazers GM, who is Burmese-American). The NBA's world-class diversity continues

-Rayna Linowes

Lin Among the Most Influential People of 2012, says Time Magazine

Jeremy Lin, who one year ago was a benchwarmer for the Golden State Warriors and seemingly had no future as a professional basketball, is now a part of a very prominent list of individuals that includes Warren Buffest, Barak Obama, Matt Lauer and who else, Tim Tebow. It is Time’s ninth annual Top 100 Most Influential People in the World list, and Lin has the distinguished honor of being named with such amazing people in the world today.

The people on this list are not just the most widely known individuals in the world, but they are people who can change lives and evoke emotions just with their actions or words, and the fact that Lin is among them is not just a testament to his play as a basketball player, but his ability to influence others to act as he has.

The three-paragraph blurb on Lin’s inclusion in the list begins with the central theme of his greatness. Arne Duncan, who is the U.S. Secretary of Education, says “Jeremy Lin's story is a great lesson for kids everywhere because it debunks and defangs so many of the prejudices and stereotypes that unfairly hold children back.” All this is true. Jeremy Lin has done the unthinkable, and now he has the power (and the ability) to transform not only the NBA but also the misconceptions and stereotypes that surround basketball.

What this list means for Jeremy Lin’s future goes way beyond his marketability and NBA career. He can now do what few have been given the change to do: change the way people think. Schemas have caused society to associate Asian and Asian Americans with good grades and computers, not sports. The fact that Lin has received this honor by his play on the court and not anywhere else also proves that he has a bright future as a humanitarian and life-changer.

Duncan finishes by saying “I don't care whether you are an Asian-American kid, white, black or Hispanic, Jeremy's story tells you that if you show grit, discipline and integrity, you too can get an opportunity to overcome the odds.” Lin can prove to the world that your race does not define you as an athlete, and certainly not as a person. 

-Tyler Greenawalt 

Chinese and Taiwanese Social Identification of Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin's rise to fame within the last couple months has led to both Chinese and Taiwanese fans laying claim to this new star, generating a social debate within the media about who Lin represents in Asia. This media discussion specifically brings to light the various nuances of widely recognized race and gender media theories of ultimate attribution error and social identity theory. While ultimate attribution error pertains to in-group and out-group dynamics, social identity theory surrounds the concept that individuals selectively choose certain social intergroup dynamics. According to Harwood and Roy in "Social Identity Theory and Mass Communication Research," group members constitute crucial elements of the self in that they combine societal intergroup dynamics to influence thoughts and actions. Relating to Jeremy Lin and Asia, media theories apply on a two-fold basis: Lin's identification with a certain Asian in-group and Taiwan and China's claim to Lin himself.

Throughout his recent career success, Lin has remained diplomatic in an attempt to avoid controversy by emphasizing both his Taiwanese and Chinese heritage. China and Taiwan are extremely interwoven cultures with the majority of the Taiwanese population ethnically Chinese and China's political claim over Taiwan. This intimate relationship leads to a confusing and complex creation of various in-groups and out-groups throughout both Taiwan and the mainland of China. While Lin was born in the U.S., his father's family has been in Taiwan for several generations and his great grandmother emigrated to the U.S. from Zhejiang, China during the Chinese civil war from 1927-1950. As one could argue, Lin through his direct and continuous lineage in Taiwan belongs solely to the Taiwanese ethnic in-group. In a Wall Street Journal interview in February Lin stated, "I love going to Taiwan and I'm going to be there every summer, so to all the Taiwanese fans I can't wait to them all again this summer."  From this statement and others, it is clear that Lin closely identifies with Taiwan. However, an individual's social identification is usually not limited to one group, and more commonly consists of multiple groups spanning across ethnic, cultural, and social genres. Therefore, placing Lin in either the Taiwanese or Chinese in-group is ultimately naive. This new basketball superstar has the ability to identify and support multiple groups nationally and internationally. One cannot obviously forget his strong, and probably most dominant, identification with America (being American-born, a childhood resident of San Francisco Bay Area, a graduate of Massachusetts's Harvard, a former California Golden State Warrior, a New York Knick's basketball player, and so one and so forth).

The true issue, however, arises in China and Taiwan's individual claims of Lin as solely their own. Since Lin's quick success in February, every major newspaper in Taiwan has placed Lin on the front page and the local malls have taken to broadcasting Knicks games in public spaces. Lin has become quickly ingrained within Taiwanese society, causing the creation of new Taiwanese terms to support the Lin frenzy as well as various industries equating Lin's game-winning shot to industry trends. Additionally, the mainland of China has jumped on the bandwagon, assimilating Lin as one of their own. Gaining over a million fans on the Chinese social network site Weibo, Lin has also been extensively covered on Chinese television stations (although, the occasional censorships referencing Lin's religious preferences should not be forgotten). These claims of Lin belonging to both Taiwan and China groups should ideally function advantageously with the potential of Lin to become an encompassing icon for Asia, which could ultimately eliminate the geopolitical tensions between countries, specifically the island of Taiwan and the mainland of China. However, this potential has yet to develop. Angry debates just rally back and forth between Taiwan and China of who Lin represents. Lin's injury and any other possible downfalls of this extraordinary athlete could cause a strong ultimate attribution error with each cultural group blaming the other and its characteristics for Lin's demise, serving to only create further fissures within the tenuous relationship of China and Taiwan.

Jeremy Lin provides a real-world example of two prevalent media theories discussed throughout the semester. Lin and the Asian debates surrounding him enhance the relevance of these theories, highlighting specific factors that pertain to each element of social identity instances and ultimate attribution error. Lin, like many others, associates and assimilates into various social identity groups that uniquely pertain to his ancestry and cultural upbringing.

-Katharine James

The Uncertain Future of Jeremy Lin

The future of Jeremy Lin after his potentially season-ending surgery was explored in a recent blog post on Grantland. While the article dealt mostly with where in the NBA Lin could go if when he hits free agency this offseason, it did touch on some notable points with the future of the February sensation.

Jay Caspian Kang wrote about possible destinations for Jeremy Lin if he didn’t return to the Knicks, but eventually settled on the fact that “most likely, Lin will understand that his best endorsement and career potential lies in New York.” The bright lights and celebrity status that has been adorned on such athletes as Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, Mark Sanchez, and now Tim Tebow have only been attained as easily and as quickly because of the fact that they play in quite possibly the most-watched city in the world. It is certainly the most covered by the media.

But how will the city that never sleeps deal with a superstar of Asian decent? The future of Lin goes way beyond his offseason destination and more into his acceptance as a celebrity in New York, if he stays.

ESPN and other media has given the Jeremy Lin story so much coverage that it is beyond any concession ever heard of in the history of white news. No matter if you are a fan of basketball, the media, Asian news, or all three, you know Jeremy Lin’s name, his background, and what’s happening to him. But is that only because he has stayed in New York? What if he went to teams with smaller media coverage such as Toronto or Indiana or New Orleans?

The future of Jeremy Lin not as a basketball player but as a symbol for breaking Asian stereotypes in sports lies in where he lands as a basketball player. It’s interesting that his professional career will dictate how his presence affects the basketball community. Either he can fade into the background like the few Asian basketball players have done in the past years, or he can shoot ahead and become a symbol for other players of Asian decent to come out of the woodwork.

Before African American players became the more dominant race in basketball, it was almost unheard of for black athlete to play in professional sports, let alone basketball. Now, as players have become more and more accepting of this fact and have seen a more frequent showing of this fact, it is more of a normality for black athletes to perform at a higher level then most races because they have been doing so for a longer time. Athletes of Asian decent, however, have not seen an acceptance of greatest at a professional level, except for a few exceptions such as Yao Ming in basketball and a few players in baseball. But Jeremy Lin’s incredible fast rise to stardom due to his unique style of play, his spot on a New York City team’s roster, and of course his Asian decent has given hope for yet another break in a social stereotype that has developed over the years.

Unfortunately, the recent injury to Lin has derailed that rise, for now. He can still make a difference off the court to help break the norm as well as prove he is still a great player next season when he returns from injury. However, if he is not in a city or on a team with a large media following, it is entirely possible he drops out of the spotlight again.

-Tyler Greenawalt 

Hegemony in the Jeremy Lin Saga

We have discussed in class the generic stereotypes that stigmatize Asian men throughout American media.  They are not "manly", they are not smooth around women, they are not well-endowed, if you will, down below, and they tend to always be the smartest man in the room.  Granted, these stereotypes do not get brought into the sports realm all too often, but that is because Asians have found little to no success in American sports (save baseball, in which Asians excel).  Which is why Jeremy Lin's emergence over this NBA season has been a culture shock to the American media.  They've never had to cover a figure such as Lin, with Yao Ming having the only relatedness.  But even Yao carried typical Asian stigmas in the eyes of sports fans that may have affected the way he was covered.  Sure, he was talented, but he barely could speak English and he was freakishly tall and goofy.

Now America has been exposed to an Asian that was born in the States, is not a physical anomaly, and seems to carry himself with extreme poise in front of the camera.  And his popularity and aura have created a "Jackie Robinson-like" experience for sports fans.

The question I pose is this - Has Jeremy Lin been an example of American media conceding hegemonic control  to Asians in American sports, or has Lin (like Jackie Robinson) blazed a trail that has seemingly broken typical stereotypes?

When our class read White News, one of the main theories discussed in the book was that when media portrays minorities for their customs or cultural beliefs, it can reinforce stereotypes of that minority.  Coverage of Lin's 2011-2012 season with the New York Knicks has been all over front page headlines, but has it reinforced stereotypes?  We have shown you examples throughout this blog of racist remarks regarding Lin, such as the highly-criticized ESPN headline, and you have also seen video coverage from SNL of how Asian jokes that could be seen as insensitive are seemingly being taken as a joke, when compared to racist remarks geared towards other minorities.

But why is a racist remark aimed at Kobe Bryant 'outdated', while remarks about Lin are being used daily?  Is it because Asians are newer and more of an anomaly on a basketball court than African-Americans?  If Jeremy Lin were to usher in an influx of Asian basketball players, would jokes about him become outdated as well?

These are the questions that I pose, and it seems to me that, for the most part, many of the stereotypical remarks have come in satire.  Everyday reporting on Jeremy Lin has spoke highly about his talent on the court and his character off the court.  Remarks about his Asian descent, unless being the main topic of the article, have been mentioned very little.  However, I find that this lack of pointing out Lin's descent is a concession in itself.  News reporters know that being an Asian-American is arguably the first thing that comes to mind in their readers, and thus, continue to churn out stories about him, all the while claiming that 'race is not the issue'.  If stories regarding Lin subside while his talent on the court remains at a high level, then Jeremy Lin has found his place in basketball without his race being the first thought.  But until then, his popularity will stand on the platform that he is a mere anomaly in the NBA and his mystique is fueled by his race rather than his ability to make a sweet, no-look pass or hit the game-winning 3-pointer.

- Shaun Loughlin

Creation of New Words in Both English and Chinese

Jeremy Lin's "enrichment" of language through the development of terms, such as "Linsanity" and "Linterest," is not limited to English. Five new Chinese puns have evolved as well!

Click here to see the five new Chinese words...

-Katharine James

Taiwanese "Linterns": Second Consecutive Summer

Jeremy Lin is scheduled to coach a basketball camp in Taiwan upon the conclusion of the NBA season, according to the China Times. Similar to his coaching last summer in Taiwan, Lin will personally design the program, which will be tailored to fit the needs of young players.

This summer camp could possibly lead to a development of a similar social identity amongst the kids who participate in the program...

-Katharine James

China's Reaction to "Linsanity"

Widespread criticism on China's reaction to the overnight popularity of the Asian American basketball player from Taiwanese descendant, Jeremy Lin, has cropped up throughout various news organizations in the United States. Debate surrounding Chinese censorship of Lin's religion and Lin's ability to act as an encompassing emblem for all Asians continue to be heatedly discussed.

With his almost instantaneous stardom, Lin has taken over social media, with his official Twitter page having just under 700,000 followers and his page on the Chinese social network, Sina Weibo, gaining over a million followers. Through his raw talent and aid from social media, Lin has become an international symbol amongst America and Asia, reigniting the passion for basketball amongst Chinese fans that faded with the retirement of Yao Ming.

However, with a serge of popularity in Asia, China has purposefully framed their media coverage surrounding Jeremy Lin. "Linsanity" has spread to Lin's ancestral homeland of Taiwan where dozens of fans gathered around a TV at 8a.m. in a Taipei bar on February 15, 2012 to watch the New York Knicks play the Toronto Raptors. Fans claimed Lin as one of their own, as reported by The Christian Science Monitor. While this game was broadcast live in Taiwan, fans on the Chinese mainland could not catch Lin playing on the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) sports channel. Instead, the government aired a taped European soccer game. The Financial Times attributes this apparent censorship of Lin by the Chinese government to Lin's outspoken Christianity or the tendency of fans to waive Taiwanese flags in a crowd of Lin fans. Since 1949, China and Taiwan have had a tenuous relationship with Taiwan considering itself an independent nation and the Chinese Republic considering Taiwan a province of their nation, which could possibly be attributed to China's reluctance to air Knicks games. Further, CCTV did air a segment of Lin on February 13, 2012 that featured brief comments of a New Yorker applauding Lin for his faith. However, the line was quickly censored later, as reported by the Financial Times. For a government officially atheist, this action by the Chinese government seems slightly odd. Since the 1970s, the government has tolerated open displays of Christianity. Perhaps, due to Lin's enormous popularity, the government does not want the entire nation to mimic their new icon through the adoption of the Christian faith. It seems the apparent openness of the Chinese government does not truly exist. Regardless of their reasoning, these instances of censorship highlight the Chinese government's engagement in gatekeeping, limiting access of the Chinese population to Jeremy Lin.

The true question lies in Jeremy Lin's ability to bring China and the island of Taiwan together. Can Lin function as an encompassing icon for all of Asia? Regardless of his current injury removing him from playing for at least the next six weeks, I believe Jeremy Lin still has a strong potential to bring cultures together. Within the month of February, the English-language news outlet China Daily has extensively covered Lin, celebrating him as an icon for all of Asia. All sports athletes, specifically basketball ones, have the ability to unite people under an umbrella of support and nationalism, especially for a country lacking a plethora of them. Through the effects of the cultivation theory, people immersed in social media will all develop a unifying support for Jeremy Lin and basketball, regardless of their nationalities or countries of origin. Further, Lin, a 6'2'' Harvard economics graduate, has starkly demonstrated that athletes of Chinese descent can succeed without the aid from the rigorous state-sponsored sport system, which Yao Ming was previously a member. This statistic could serve as an incentive for Chinese's sports officials to renovate their antiquated sports system more rapidly. With the implementation of a similar sports system to that of other countries, Asia could unite under a common goal of producing successful basketball athletes, potentially forgetting their governmental divides.

-Katharine James