The Race Card Project
By Michele Norris
Ricky Vang,
Saint Paul, MN.
Being Asian, you were never really praised by others in sports unless you’re really good at it. It just sucked growing up nobody to help keep you motivated because everyone always bashed on “Asians can’t ball” but now its okay. I got to a point where I don’t care, I just gotta play my game.
Elizabeth S,
USA.
Is he on the basketball team? Does he play football?
I’m white and in an interracial relationship. Whenever someone new sees a picture of us together that’s usually the first thing they ask. No, I’m sorry just because he is tall and black doesn’t mean he can dunk or played sports in college. Yea, he’s athletic but he just played intramurals in college. Why do people automatically assume that or more importantly why do I feel the need to say “no he ran track”. He ran track in high school.
Sean Ji,
Ann Arbor, MI.
The reason I said these 6 words is because ever since I came to the U.S at the age of 2 years old, I never really grew up around other Asian people. My hometown is Ypsilanti, Mi, which is really close to Ann Arbor, but much derided by those in Ann Arbor for being “ghetto” or not the best place. Growing up, I was surrounded by white or black people, and younger children I’d say are more accepting of diversity, but once you grow up more, it comes more into play that you are different from everyone else. I almost think I benefited in a sense because I ended up going to Charter school for middle school, and as the only Asian male, I was more so accepted because they only had to deal with one Asian kid. But I would definitely say I’ve always fought to break stereotypes to prevent from being picked on for being “too Asian”, from being the captain of the basketball team, to being President of Student Council. I’ve never wanted to be cornered into some character, and my upbringing has forced me to always fight to defend myself. Now in college, I’ve felt like I’ve made a lot of accomplishments, I’ve made some huge mistakes, but I’ve learned and I’ve always pushed myself with an inner confidence that I can do whatever I want, and no one can stop me. After graduation I’ll be moving out to Seattle to work, and I hope that I keep fighting to maintain my sense of identity, and that I sustain this attitude that no one can stop me so that I can achieve great things.
Alexander Hileman
Commerce City, CO
People are afraid in parts of the USA to be seen with white people. I was down in Texas, and a couple of black kids asked us if we wanted to play some basketball. We said yes and we played for about an hour and a half until they said something. “we need to go before 7 because the cops come around and they will be concerned if they see us with you.” at that point I didn’t know what to say. We were just having a good time.
Roy Yuan,
Mountain View, CA
Is there something peculiar about this image? Well, whether you’re racist or not, you probably guessed it. Out of the four players sitting down, I’m the only Asian kid. Hi, I’m Roy, and as you can probably tell, I’m Asian (Chinese in particular). Being of Asian descent is a part of my identity, something I cannot change as it is genetically impossible. Being Chinese to me, however, isn’t such a bad thing; unless you happen to play a sport where at the highest professional level, there is one Asian dude who just happens to be injured right now (Jeremy Lin). Since I started playing basketball at a young age, many people doubted that I actually did. Growing up, when I told people that I played basketball, many did not actually believe me. My frustration surrounded the fact that I often was stereotyped into sports that Asians were seen playing: ping pong, badminton, applied mathematics, and the list continues. Many people thought it was rare for Asian kids to play basketball and they still do. In fact, at most of the tournaments I go to, I usually compensate for one-hundred percent of the Asian population in the whole entire tournament. Although I hated to admit it, some of my critics were correct. As I progressively aged, I began to notice a correlation with the increasing level of competition with the decreasing number of Asian hoopers. My perspective on this was based on the belief that Asian kids quit because they’re parents had switched their sport to computer science or such; however, a few of my Asian friends told me that they quit because they just couldn’t keep up with black and white people and often received racist remarks on the court from the other team primarily for being Asian. Similarly, I have experienced that as well. Although playing a sport and receiving criticism for it primarily based on your gender is indeed frustrating, I have come to terms with being an Asian basketball player. First off all, I literally cannot change my ethnicity. I would legitimately need to implant some genetic mutations or something but I honestly don’t think that the risk it worth it. Secondly, in terms of basketball, I honestly don’t think being Asian is a bad trait at all. After watching several inspirational sports movies about underdogs, I have developed that sense where I, the Asian, am the underdog when I step on the court. According to the plot in these movies, the underdog always prevails in the end so I think I’m on the right road for now. Not only this, but I have realized that whether I was Asian, Mexican, Black, or whatever ethnicity, my goal in basketball was ultimately to have fun. Once I realized this and came to term with my frustrations, I began to have a lot more fun playing basketball and even more fun being Asian. Being Asian is part of my identity and coming to terms with it was a big step in my life as it benefited me both on and off the court.
Grady Barrens,
Twitter: @realGinsanta
@michele_norris #sixwordstory #theracecardproject
Alexis Fink,
Altoona, PA.
I’m a 6′ female and the most frequent question I’m asked is if I play basketball.
Ehsanullah,
Ashburn, VA.
Family of four
From Afghanistan
Love Basketball
Michael Erike
Los Angeles, CA
Black….if I’m still in school at this age I must be an athlete right…wrong. There’s more to any race than what meets the eyes. I don’t go around judging others by simply how they look so do I deserve that treatment? Life is a colorful depth of inspiring beauty, strength, but also pain; so why contribute to the pain (racism) when you can help be a part of the healing solution.
Dianna
Hamden, CT
I realize that height isn’t necessarily race, but it’s a preconception that I’ve dealt with my entire life. Yes, I’m over 6 feet tall. No, I don’t play basketball. After years of the same answer, I finally learned to respond: “No, I play piano–there’s less running involved.”
Ryan Muldoon,
Severna Park, MD.
I like playing basketball but no one picks me.
Patrick Battle
Forest Park, IL
I grew up in mixed environments and have had always had friends of different and mixed races. Still, I find that our culture encourages the notion that, no matter what your background is, if you live America – being Black is some sort of cause for unwarranted attention. Whether that attention be seemingly positive (Nearly everyone you meet as an adolescent asking if you play basketball) or obviously negative (Don’t even ask me about “Racist Joke Day” at Glenbard South High School in Glen Ellyn, IL), I’ve noticed that my contemporary issues concerning race only exist because they have been made to. Like any normal person, I consider myself a human being who deserves to be considered as so. It is only with an individual’s inexplicable need to say something about Black people or Black culture in my presence that I begin to wonder why it is, ever since the great kidnapping from Africa, that White people are so obsessed with Black people in the first place. I have a name, a history and a future. I only have race when you bring it to my attention.
Sandra Morris
Armuchee, GA
I grew up in Vidalia, Ga. in the 60’s. I was babysat by women of color who also cleaned house for my mother. I couldn’t understand why they ate lunch after we did. My parents let me eat lunch with the maid after they had their lunch. When I got my driver’s license I refused to let the maid sit in the back seat. She always sat up front with me. As our last maid grew older I would stop at her house on the way to visit my parents and see her first. I loved her very much. She was always happy to see me and my children.I had many arguments with my father about why he wouldn’t pay for improvements to her house. I don’t know why I never felt prejudiced. When our school was integrated, through basketball I made friends with the black boys and would let them touch my very long hair on the way to out of town games. There was a cheerleader with long blonde hair who refused them. I never understood what the big deal was. I have to hand it to my parents. They tolerated my opinions. In college when a group of girls came to spend the night at my house, they never gave any sign that the black girl was the first to eat with them and spend the night at our house.
Curt Lyons
Fort Collins, CO
My father lost two children to violent deaths, when I was young, and it wasn’t until I was older that I appreciated that he didn’t seem to hold any racial grudges. His racism was the relatively benign type of his generation, which assumptions that all black people liked watermelon and were good at basketball. Having survived the loss of two of his children the way he did, I think a lot of men could have lived out their days with racial hatred. He didn’t, and he didn’t raise his kids that way either.
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