Former NBA star Jeremy Lin says he’s been called ‘coronavirus’ in the field

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“Being a 9-year NBA veteran doesn’t protect me from being called ‘coronavirus’ on the court,” the former New York Knicks star wrote on Facebook.

Lin, who currently plays for the Santa Cruz Warriors, which is the G-League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors, expressed anguish over racism and violence targeting Asian Americans on Thursday.

In his article, Lin recounted the different ways Asian Americans experience racism, prejudice, and bigotry.

“Something is changing in this generation of Asian Americans. We are tired of learning that we are not racist, we are tired of being told to keep our heads down and not create of problems, ”he wrote.

“We are tired of Asian American children growing up and being asked where they REALLY come from, making fun of our eyes, being objectified as exotic or being told that we are inherently unattractive. . We are tired of the stereotypes in Hollywood that affect us. We are tired of being invisible, of being taken for our colleague or of telling ourselves that our struggles are not so real.

In 2019, Lin became the first Asian American to win an NBA title while playing for the Toronto Raptors. Lin became a household name in 2012, when he became the star of the New York Knicks. Its success has been dubbed “Linsanity”.

Lin, who has helped other Asian-American athletes challenge racist stereotypes, is the latest high profile figure to speak out to end violence against the AAPI community.

Earlier this month, actress Olivia Munn joined the effort to help find a man who attacked an Asian American woman on the streets of New York City, while actors Daniel Wu and Daniel Dae Kim have teamed up to offer a $ 25,000 reward for information leading to arrest in attacks. which took place in Oakland Chinatown.

A ‘very scary moment’ for AAPIs

Communities and activists across the United States have been on high alert in recent weeks following a series of recent attacks on Asian Americans.

While it’s unclear what is fueling the most recent incidents, advocates and authorities have witnessed a pattern of targeted hatred since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

California allocates $ 1.4 million to track and stop attacks on Asian Americans
Cynthia Choi, China’s co-executive director for affirmative action, said anti-Asian sentiment is linked to the misconception that Asians could be blamed for the pandemic.
Choi is also one of the co-founders of Stop APPI Hate, a coalition that has documented anti-Asian hatred and discrimination since March of last year. Almost a year since its inception, the coalition has received more than 3,000 first-hand accounts of anti-Asian incidents, Choi said.

“It is a very scary time, a very anguished and riddled time because Asian Americans feel like they are going through so much racism and bigotry. Some are rightfully afraid to leave their homes,” Choi told CNN Friday.

CNN’s David Close contributed to this report.

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