With Jeremy Lin, of course race matters
Editor's note: Rick Quan is the principal at Rick Quan Productionsand a sports anchor at KGO-TV in San Francisco. He has profiled Jeremy Lin previously on his website.
By Rick Quan, Special to CNN
(CNN) - In the frenzy over the sudden phenomenal success of Jeremy Lin - known as "Linsanity" - there's been some talk of race. Floyd Mayweather Jr., the famed boxer, caused controversy when he said the other day, "Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise."
Before you get up in arms about Mayweather's comment, first consider the source. Mayweather is known for causing a stir and pushing people's buttons. He's made homophobic and racist comments about sports figures in the past, including champion boxer Manny Pacquiao.
So anything Mayweather says you might want to ignore. But does he have a valid point? Is Lin getting this much attention only because he's Asian? Absolutely not. Does race play into the equation? Absolutely.
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What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.
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I am a black woman who is LINSANE!!!!!! I don't care if the player is half green half alien, if he's putting up Jeremy Lin points who cares??? And don't forget he's Christian. That sets him apart (for me and the many Christian fans) as well.