Well yep, it certainly would be a big deal if in fact there was widespread diversity in figure skating for all ethnic backgrounds.
So, it's not a big deal at all then? I disagree wholeheartedly with that statement, and let me explain my perspective as an Asian-American.
It's a big deal for many of us to see Asian-Americans excel in sports generally speaking. It was thanks to the likes of Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan who made many Asian-American parents feel figure skating was a viable option. Yamaguchi herself said she was inspired by Tiffany Chin. It may seem like a lot of Asian-Americans are participating in the sport, but many of them haven't necessarily been the top player since Michelle Kwan.
As for Asian-American men, that is a very recent phenomenon thanks to the likes of Nathan Chen and Vincent Zhou. In fact, the 2018 Olympic team was notable for the amount of Asian-Americans on it and it was the first time there were so many. Just from memory, there was: Nathan Chen, Vincent Zhou, Mirai Nagasu, Karen Chen, Maia Shibutani, Alex Shibutani, and Madison Chock.
It was so notable that mainstream press covered it, not just in figure skating but overall.
Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Mirai Nagasu, Maia and Alex Shibutani and Vincent Zhou, reflect a growing trend of representation in figure skating.
www.cnn.com
As for ice dance not being a discipline for as long, as if that was something to make less notable, well, it was part of the World Championships since 1952, and I don't think that in of itself means it would take longer for Asian-Americans to succeed as it joined the Olympics at around the same time more Asian-American immigrant communities were moving away from being isolated as their children and their children's children were brought up American as opposed to their immigrant parents/grandparents (some Asians not all).
The moderator could have mentioned that Alex Shibutani was the first Asian-American male to medal at Worlds ever in 2011 in
any discipline and was the first Asian-American male to win an Olympic medal in figure skating in any discipline. Maia was probably the youngest World medalist in ice dance in decades.
@aftershocks, I know what you are saying and what you are getting at. It's true, figure skating is a privileged sport and thus the fact that Asian-Americans can participate in it makes it seem like Asian-Americans have it better and are more privileged than other POC. It's the same discussion I've been hearing my whole life, that our representation and our issues are less-than. I get it.
But at the same time, that line of thinking always ignores very unique issues facing our community, which is not this huge monolith but is very diverse with different histories and some of the poorest, unemployed, incarcerated members of the population who often live in places with concentrated poverty and violence are from communities of Southeast Asians among many others. There's a huge divide within the community of those who immigrated to escape violence and war and those who came in through working visas due to their educated status, and I think it's important to distinguish that.
And though it does seem Asian-Americans as a group seem to have it easier than other POC, we still face issues once we "get there" as with the bamboo ceiling and how we're treated and seen and thus prevented from attaining higher forms of success due to perceptions of us as quiet working robots without creative or managerial skills.
Check out our blog post The Bamboo Ceiling: Asian Americans and the Myth of the Model Minority from Alliant International University. Read more now!
www.alliant.edu
Also, Asian-Americans often face barriers as we're often seen as "unAmerican" or "others" due to our immigration status, language barriers (read about the killing of Yoshihiro Hattori...they got away with murdering him), cultural/custom barriers, bearing faces of the enemies of three wars in that the United States participated in the 20th Century, and have been accused of stealing jobs from others, including undesirable ones. In fact, one of the most famous cases of hate crimes against Asians in the U.S. was the murder of Vincent Chin:
en.wikipedia.org
They thought he was Japanese (he wasn't, not even Japanese-descent), so two white men beat him to death due to anger regarding then-recent layoffs facing the automotive industry and blaming it on Japanese automotive imports.
Also, Michelle Kwan came from a less-privileged background and her family sacrificed a lot for her and Karen's skating. However, they were very lucky they were able to "afford" to do that. Many others who are even less well off than them have it more difficult and probably would not even get started in this sport.
However, there are always exceptions:
Dinh Tran:
Dinh Tran, 16, lives in a studio apartment with his mom and three brothers in the rough-edged Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco while becoming a budding figure skating star.
www.mercurynews.com
Dinh Tran’s path to ice skating stardom takes him past drug addicts, prostitutes and the homeless along the pungent streets of the Tenderloin.
Mimi Hoang has reared her four boys in a tiny apartment in the crime-ridden Tenderloin neighborhood where she has lived for years. She and her youngest son sleep in a bed crammed into a large closet. Her oldest boys sleep in a bunk bed while Dinh uses a mattress on the floor of the living room.
“It’s like the curfew of the house: When someone goes to sleep, everyone needs to be home and everyone needs to be quiet,” said Hao Tran, the second oldest son.
Dinh takes it in stride.
“It’s nice to be around my brothers and my mom because that’s how we build a strong relationship,” he said.
Hao Tran said they feel safe though people have tried to steal from his mother. He and his brothers have learned to go about their day without interacting with the sketchy element outside the flat.
“I’m not afraid of where I live,” Dinh said. “If you focus on yourself no one will bother you. You can’t do anything dumb or you will get in trouble.”
I do appreciate that you brought this conversation up because I do feel it is relevant to Maia and Alex. They themselves have made connections, business partnerships, and friendships with other prolific Asian-Americans looking to change the face of Asian-America and to force better and more meaningful representation of Asian-Americans. The things said about how it's easier for Asian-Americans that was said in this thread is probably relevant to the perceptions of Asian-Americans and what they would like to change.
www.instagram.com
When I shared this feeling with them, they reminded me that love isn’t about gifts and material things. Love and appreciation isn’t just about certain days of the year. Of course, they’re right. I feel so much love for my family. They’ve supported me through this challenging time and they always provide a thoughtful and balanced perspective. Tell the people you care about today, and on any other days, that you love and appreciate them - it’s important! Wishing everyone a peaceful day.
("... please share your favorite must-see movies from this year or any other year - I’ll check them out.")
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