From Rebounds to Three-Pointers: Linsanity, Racial Insults, and Stereotypes in Flux

In February 2012, a Taiwanese American point guard player for the New York Knicks, Jeremy Lin, bounded into the imagination of the nation and was embraced by basketball fans who have long rooted for the underdog. His presence in the National Basketball Association has sparked an invaluable discussion involving insider/outsider folklore, cultural politics, and stereotypes. Using Lin’s "Linderella" story and accompanying deluge of Lin-generated folk speech and behavior, this paper investigates how "Linsanity" is a pivotal event from which one can examine the continuing prevalence of racist folklore about Asian Americans while exploring the cultural shifts that are occurring.