帶有歧視亞裔的語言

Asian American Journalists Association releases
guidelines on Jeremy Lin media coverage

By Dylan
Stableford | The Cutline

Given the media's "Linsanity" surrounding Jeremy Lin,
perhaps this was inevitable.

Following (justified) outrage over several examples of racially-insensitive
coverage of Lin--including a headline published by ESPN.com which resulted in the firing of one staffer and suspension of another--the
Asian American Journalists Association has issued a set of guidelines for media
outlets salivating over the NBA's Asian-American sensation.

"As NBA player Jeremy Lin's prowess on the court continues to attract
international attention and grab headlines, AAJA would like to remind media
outlets about relevance and context regarding coverage of race," the group
wrote in an advisory. "In the past weeks, as more news outlets report on
Lin, his game and his story, AAJA has noticed factual inaccuracies about Lin's
background as well as an alarming number of references that rely on stereotypes
about Asians or Asian Americans."

Among the "danger zones" identified by AAJA:

"CHINK": Pejorative; do not use in a context
involving an Asian person on someone who is Asian American. Extreme care is
needed if using the well-trod phrase "chink in the armor"; be mindful
that the context does not involve Asia, Asians or Asian Americans.

And:

"ME LOVE YOU LIN TIME": Avoid. This is a lazy pun
on the athlete's name and alludes to the broken English of a Hollywood
caricature from the 1980s.

AAJA urged caution "when discussing Lin's physical characteristics,
particularly those that feminize/emasculate the Asian male (Cinderella-story
angles should not place Lin in a dress). Discussion of genetic differences in
athletic ability among races should be avoided. In referring to Lin's height or
vision, be mindful of the context and avoid invoking stereotypes about
Asians."

The group added: "Stop to think: Would a similar statement be made
about an athlete who is Caucasian, African American or Latino?"

Below are the AAJA's guidelines in full:

THE FACTS

1. Jeremy Lin is Asian American, not Asian (more specifically, Taiwanese
American). It's an important distinction and one that should be considered
before any references to former NBA players such as Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi,
who were Chinese. Lin's experiences were fundamentally different than people
who immigrated to play in the NBA. Lin progressed through the ranks of American
basketball from high school to college to the NBA, and to characterize him as a
foreigner is both inaccurate and insulting.

2. Lin's path to Madison Square Garden: More than 300 division schools
passed on him. Harvard University has had only three other graduates go on to
the NBA, the most recent one being in the 1950s. No NBA team wanted Lin in the
draft after he graduated from Harvard.

3. Journalists don't assume that African American players identify with NBA
players who emigrated from Africa. The same principle applies with Asian
Americans. It's fair to ask Lin whether he looked up to or took pride in the
accomplishments of Asian players. He may have. It's unfair and poor journalism
to assume he did.

4. Lin is not the first Asian American to play in the National Basketball
Association. Raymond Townsend, who's of Filipino descent, was a first-round
choice of the Golden State Warriors in the 1970s. Rex Walters, who is of
Japanese descent, was a first-round draft pick by the New Jersey Nets out of
the University of Kansas in 1993 and played seven seasons in the NBA; Walters
is now the coach at University of San Francisco. Wat Misaka is believed to have
been the first Asian American to play professional basketball in the United
States. Misaka, who's of Japanese descent, appeared in three games for the New
York Knicks in the 1947-48 season when the Knicks were part of the Basketball
Association of America, which merged with the NBA after the 1948-49 season.

DANGER ZONES

"CHINK": Pejorative; do not use in a context
involving an Asian person on someone who is Asian American. Extreme care is
needed if using the well-trod phrase "chink in the armor"; be mindful
that the context does not involve Asia, Asians or Asian Americans. (The appearance
of this phrase with regard to Lin led AAJA MediaWatch to issue statement to
ESPN, which subsequently disciplined its employees.)

DRIVING: This is part of the sport of basketball, but
resist the temptation to refer to an "Asian who knows how to drive."

EYE SHAPE: This is irrelevant. Do not make such references
if discussing Lin's vision.

FOOD: Is there a compelling reason to draw a connection
between Lin and fortune cookies, takeout boxes or similar imagery? In the
majority of news coverage, the answer will be no.

MARTIAL ARTS: You're writing about a basketball player.
Don't conflate his skills with judo, karate, tae kwon do, etc. Do not refer to
Lin as "Grasshopper" or similar names associated with martial-arts
stereotypes.

"ME LOVE YOU LIN TIME": Avoid. This is a lazy pun
on the athlete's name and alludes to the broken English of a Hollywood
caricature from the 1980s.

"YELLOW MAMBA": This nickname that some have used
for Lin plays off the "Black Mamba" nickname used by NBA star Kobe
Bryant. It should be avoided. Asian immigrants in the United States in the 19th
and 20th centuries were subjected to discriminatory treatment resulting from a
fear of a "Yellow Peril" that was touted in the media, which led to
legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act.