#StopAsianHate: Jeremy Lin Called “Coronavirus” on Court

Recently in the United States, the rise in Asian-targeted hate crimes has rapidly increased. Late last month, an 84-year old Thai man was killed after footage showed him being knocked to the ground by a random assailant. Just a week later, a Filipino-American man was slashed in the face during a subway ride in New York.

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Photo from VOA

All these attacks were unprovoked and just a handful of a series of violence against Asian-Americans.

Former NBA star Jeremy Lin was not, however, exempt from such treatment.

Jeremy Lin at the basketball court.
Photo from Inquirer

In an Instagram post meant to raise awareness on hate crimes against Asians, Lin briefly mentioned that his position and longevity in the NBA did not prevent him from being on the receiving end of hurtful and racist comments.

He wrote, “Being a 9 year NBA veteran doesn’t protect me from being called “coronavirus” on court.” He further called others to action by saying, “IS ANYONE LISTENING??”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLu9Qq0J9jA/?igshid=wrmpqr80n574

The post has received over 100,000 likes and thousands of comments, many of them in support of Lin’s statement.

Singer AJ Rafael commented, “Much love bro thanks for speaking up,” while popular Youtuber Philip Wang of Wongfu Productions said, “It changes with US!!”

In most recent news, Lin refused to reveal the name of the perpetrator, saying that naming and shaming is not the way to go. For Lin, doing so would not “make [the] community safer” or “solve any of [the] long-term problems with racism.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLzHUnFpIwd/?igshid=1oqa59w517bi1

Instead, he encouraged others to reach out to Asians that normally get bullied or overlooked, and to support Asian American film and TV to understand stories from different angles.

His parting words emphasized that “empathy and solidarity” is needed to make a change in the status quo.

Currently, the G League has launched an investigation into the matter. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr backed the investigation and commended Lin for his stand on the growing hate crimes towards Asian-Americans.

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