Jeremy Lin: An Idol to Many Asian American Males (Book 1 Post 2)

An Idol to Many Asian American Males 

Even if I don't keep up with basketball, Lin's story still means a lot to me.

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A picture with my parents

    Family sacrifice. That is the main message that I got from reading Jeremy Lin's story in American Ferrera's American Like Me. Don't get me wrong, I really was invigorated after reading Geena Rocero's journey of finding her true self as a trans-woman. I also felt seen from Auli'i Cravalho's story of being mixed race and not feeling like she fits in. However, as an Asian American male, I would be lying if I said I didn't feel the most represented through Jeremy Lin's story out of everyone's in the book.

    Even if I don't keep up with professional basketball, nowhere near the height of him, or come from a Taiwanese background, Jeremy Lin's story truly hit home. Which Asian American male doesn't know who Jeremy Lin is? Even in an industry where he was the minority, he defied all odds and the expectations of others to generate the fever dream of success known as "Linsanity"! That is a story within itself.

    However, I remember vividly watching an interview where he stated that his mom apparently took out funds from her 401k in order to fund his early basketball classes. This motherly sacrifice is something that I am grateful to have experienced from my mom as well. In his story in Ferrera's book, he stated how his mom attended every single match and meeting for his basketball teams. That was something that my mom did too when I participated in Science Olympiad, a science-based olympic competition. At the time, I thought little of it, but now looking back, I am so grateful for the time she committed out of her already busy schedule to attend every after-school meeting, driving me around to competitions, and much more! I could not be who I am without my mom and that is at least one thing that Jeremy Lin and I have in common.

    Overall, I really enjoyed the book and coming from a child-of-an-American-immigrant background, as many of these celebrities had, I related to many of their stories. This book. in hindsight, was something that I truly needed. It made me felt seen. It made me think deeply about my upbringing and background. It made me realize that my life is beautiful, that there are people around me that love me for who I am, and that I should be proud of who I am and what I identify as.