Dear Yao Ming, I am a 32-year-old American whose parents are from Taiwan. I've always been a huge sports fan, but when I was a kid, there were basically no Asians in the major sports leagues. I actually didn't think about it at the time, and it didn't make me like the Dallas Cowboys or New York Yankees any less, but it's pretty cool to look around now and see Asians starting to break through. I root for Chinese players especially, like Chen Chin-Feng (Dodgers), Tsao Chin-Hui (Rockies), and you. When I was a kid, the thought of an Asian star in the NBA never crossed my mind. Now it's a reality. I've been following your career closely ever since Houston drafted you. Your skills on the court help to shatter stereotypes of Asians as athletically inferior, and your graciousness off the court is commendable. Thanks for the class you displayed throughout your rookie year and for the way you continue to conduct yourself. If you were a jerk, it wouldn't just make it difficult for people to root for you, it would negatively affect how people perceive Asians, however unfair that would be. The way you handled the Shaq incident was especially classy, although I think if you had grown up in the United States, you would better understand why so many Asians here were bothered by it. Kids make fun of Asians in schools here in the same way that Shaq directed those comments toward you. I think some went overboard by calling Shaq a racist, but his behavior was still wrong. This is a new year, though. New uniforms, new arena, new coach. Your new uniforms are ten times better than the pajamas you guys had. I don't expect you guys to win it all this year, but hopefully you can make the playoffs and knock out the Lakers in the first round. I'd also like to see you dunk on Amare Stoudemire a few times. Somewhere down the line I hope you and Steve can lead the Rockets to at least one NBA championship. I will be one of many fans rooting for you. Good luck this year! Sincerely, Jason
I feel exactly the same way, Jason. I'm from Shanghai and came to US to attend graduate school 5 years ago. Although I didn't grow up here, I still feel the attitude and prejudice of mainstream society towards Chinese and Chinese Americans. Or you may say the stereotype of Chinese and Chinese American. Last year Shaq’s comment and earlier this year Steve Kerr’s infamous comment epitomized those stereotypes. Yao has been a high profile player not only because his size and potential, but also the country where he’s from. I know many people would like to see Yao fail miserably in the League. Yet with Yao’s amazing talent, not only he made those so-called experts eat their words, but also he has the potential to become one of the greatest player ever played in the NBA. He’s already a marquee player only in his second year. Off court he carries himself with confidence, dignity and humbleness, characters that are so rare in current professional athletes. More importantly he transcends the culture boundary and breaks all the stereotypes about Chinese and Chinese Americans. Yao has become an icon, a role model not just for people in China but also basketball fans all over the world. I think this is true spirit of sports: unite people together, not divide them. Go, Yao!
<i> I don't expect you guys to win it all this year, ... </i> I have a feelding it was written a long time ago
even the heart-felt, touchy-feely messages have to editorialize about the old unis ... will the Rox EVER live those ridiculous things down !?!?!
Its a good letter and sums up a lot of my feelings about Yao Ming. Even though I'm a Chinese American born and raised in Houston it took me awhile to warm up to Yao. I kinda resented all the newbie Chinese and Asian fans that jumped on the Rox bandwagon. I was particularly annoyed the first time I saw Yao live and some Chinese I were sitting next to started yelling at the court in Mandarin. Since then I've warmed up to Yao as a player, a representative of Chinese, a person and most importantly a Rocket. Yao's attitude and humbleness fit in perfectly with the Rockets tradition of great players who let their play do the talking and remind me of Hakeem's gentle giant reputation. At the same time watching Yao grow in skill and confidence is a privelage and I can imagine years from now I will be telling my kids how I got to watch two of the greatest centers of all time, Hakeem and Yao, grow from raw talents into NBA legends.
Is the negativity because: 1) You can't relate? 2) You think people that choose role models based on race (among other things) are wrong? 3) Been there done that with the Asian pride thing re: Yao? 4) You don't know why the OP posted a letter to Yao here? I suppose it could be all of the above. The answers to #1-3 aren't as foreign to every single person on here as you may think. The feeling of inclusion you get when: As an American, you sang (and felt) the national anthem after 9/11. As an African-American, you watched Tiger Woods manhandle the old (white) boys golf establishment. As an Asian-American, you realized "Hey, I've got half of Tiger, too!" As a Mexican-American, you get embarassed watching Najera flop and practice martial arts on Yao. Or pride in how Najera took a knockout blow in the NCAA's, got sewn up and came back to play with a concussion anyway. (Sorry, Rocket pride > National pride ) As a woman, you watch "Sex and the City." (Sorry, your inclusion has been revoked) Anyway, people feel what they feel. Right or wrong, how much you live your life based on skin color is probably a component of how much prejudice you've seen and experienced. But there is nothing wrong with feeling grateful that a public/sports figure can change people's perceptions of a certain group of people, especially if you've been excluded for belonging to that same group of people.
You forgot: As a Native American, you realized "Hey, I've got some Tiger too!" As a Caucasion American, you realized "So do I!"
Dear Jason: Thank you so much for your letter. I appreciate it a lot. What I do not appreciate is you climbing a tree outside my house and taking pictures of my room with a telephoto lense. It's a little disconcerting. Also, please stop calling my house and hanging up. It bothers my mother. Finally, I don't know how or why you got them, but please take down the pair of my underwear that you are trying to sell on ebay. That's just kind of strange. Thanks a bunch, Yao Ming.
