It is a frequent scene in a group of Asians to avoid using names because a single name seems applicable to all the same faces. Imagine how hard it can be for foreigners to distinguish the various squinting eyes with similar black hairstyle. I mean, if it is hard for us, what can we expect from others?

The quotidian life of an Asian consists of racist slurs that are “funny.” It is true that we look similar, behave similar, and have many things in common that are queer to the western perspective. However, everything is done in the name of jokes and fun. For instance, I remember once in the bus, a group of students talking and laughing aloud in Spanish trying to extend their eyes sideways. I was able to understand a few words; they were mostly curious as to why we looked the same. Since it was a joke, I showed them what a true coin slot looks like.

It seems to me that such similar type of situation happened in a grand scale when Jeremy Lin flabbergasted the media. With Lin’s continuous amazing performances, he fostered a new feeling, a feeling that we Asians were capable to compete in an area(professional basketball) dominated by the Westerners. We were able to digress from our karate, chess, and violin potentials, and prove that we can also play ball. This unified sentiment is why headlines like ESPN’s “Chink in the armor” and Jason Whitlock’s tweet about “couple inches of pain”(reference to the stereotype that Asians have small genitals) bite us with more impact.

Racism is, of course, nothing new in sports. The journalist probably thought-- similar to the boys in the bus-- that it was “okay” since many people often don’t hesitate to talk about that Asian as if he is a karate master, or plays League of Legends, or knows every other Asians. After all, Asians are too busy with reading textbooks instead of actually standing up to these jokes, right?

Research has shown that Asian Americans suffer from bullying far more than white or black Americans: 54% of Asian Americans are reported to be bullied. How could people bully studious, docile, karate-fighting, small Asians? It was also astonishing that Ivy league schools are under investigation for denying admission for Asian Americans. Why would top schools reject students who memorize textbook and lack a social life? Another article that Asians push themselves harder to acquire higher SAT and AP because of the limited number of spots was bewildering.  In  a country that prides itself on “equal opportunity,” wouldn’t it be a fair opportunity for Asians to compete in such way since they were born with cognitive privileges?

A country most racially aware continues to ignore what Chinaman feels when people go about Ching-Chongin in the street. But, who cares? Everything is a funny and facetious joke for a group of squinting eyes, dark hair, karate masters, math geniuses, Chinese descent, and bad “engrish speeke.”