Blasian Americans at the 2012 Olympics

As we celebrate the beginning of the Games of the XXX Olympiad, let us recognize the blasians representing Team USA in London this summer. 

CONGRATS TO LIA, KYLA, & PAIGE – Blasian Olympic medalists for Team USA!

Lia Neal

Swimming 

Lia with her parents, Siu & Rome

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Lia’s father, Jerome, is African American, and her mother, Siu, is from Hong Kong.  At age 17, she is the 2nd woman of African descent to make the US Olympic swim team.

 

Lia competed in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics.  She won the bronze medal on Saturday, July 28, with Missy Franklin, Jessica Hardy, and Allison Schmitt, behind Australia and the Netherlands.  The team finished with a total time of 3:34:24, an American record.

To learn more about Olympic medalist, Lia Neal, go to her official website. 

Kyla Ross
Gymnastics

Kyla with her parents, Kiana & Jason

 












Kyla was born in Honolulu, Hawai'i and currently lives in Aliso Viejo, California.  Her father, Jason, is Japanese and Black, and her mother, Kiana, is of Filipino and Puerto Rican descent.  Her look reflects the multi-racialism of Hawaii.  "We call it the quadruple effect," says her father.

Kyla earned the 2nd-highest score on the uneven bars at the 2012 Olympic trials.  Nicknamed “Mighty Mouse,” Ross, 15, is the youngest person on Team USA’s gymnastics roster.  According to the Olympic format, each team selects 3 gymnasts for each of the 4 apparatuses in the final – balance beam, uneven bars, vault, and floor.  Kyla performed on the beam and the uneven bars.  On Tuesday, July 31, the US women captured the gold medal with an overall score of 183.596.

To learn more about Olympic medalist, Kyla Ross, go to her official website.

UPDATED
Tuesday, July 31, 2012 

Paige McPherson
Taekwondo

A native of Sturgis, South Dakota, Paige currently resides in Miami, Florida.  Born in Abilene, Texas, she was adopted when she was just 4 days old.  Her parents also adopted children from South Korea and Saint Lucia.  Paige is half Filipino and half African American (with a little Spanish and Japanese on her Asian side), and she likes to call herself "Blasian".

Paige is looking forward to her first Olympics after defeating 2004 silver medalist Nia Abdallah to earn a spot on the 2012 roster.  Nicknamed "McFierce", she is the youngest member of the US national team, having just graduated high school in January 2009.

Since turning 18, Paige has sought to connect with her biological roots.  She has an older brother, who she has already met.  She also has a half-brother and a half-sister, and she has spoken to her biological mother.  Paige plans to meet all of them after the Olympics. 

Paige represented the USA in the 67 kg women's taekwondo event. In the preliminary round, Paige secured a surprise defeat over Sarah Stevenson of Team Great Britain, 5-1.  She went on to win a bronze medal by defeating Franka Anić of Slovenia 8-3.

UPDATED
Saturday, August 11, 2012 

Selected Sources:
* New America Media, "Asian American Athletes Represent U.S. at 2012 Olympics", July 25, 2012.
* Mas TaeKwonDo, "Paige McPherson hopes to bring home a gold medal", July 25, 2012.
* The Epoch Times, "Lia Neal, Olympic Star Rising from Brooklyn", July 5, 2012.
* The Madeleine Brand Show, "SoCal gymnast Kyla Ross brings poise, nerves of steel to London Olympics", July 11, 2012.

Blasian Olympic Medalists

Bryan Clay 
Track & Field

Bryan Ezra Tsumoru Clay - often referred to as the "World's Greatest Athlete" - was born to a Japanese mother (Michele Ishimoto) and African American father (Greg Clay) and raised in Hawaii. He won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and went on to win the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Bryan is among the very few decathletes to hold 2 Olympic medals.

Bryan had his eyes set on a third. He had hoped to become the only decathlete to win 3 Olympic medals.  Bryan Clay - the reigning Olympic decathlon gold medalist - was eliminated from the London Games after stumbling in the 110-meter hurdles at the U.S. track trials on Saturday, June 23, 2012. 

To see him in action, check out this Olympic highlights video of Bryan Clay.

Peter Westbrook
Fencing

The 1st Blasian American Olympian was Peter Westbrook.  The child of an African American father (Ulysses) and a Japanese mother (Mariko), Peter was harassed by other children because of his mixed race.  His mother paid him $5 to attend local fencing classes.  She wanted to divert his attention to a sport that was similar to the style of Samurai fighting that she was familiar with in Japan. 

Peter Westbrook was a member of 6 American Olympic teams – 1976 in Montreal, 1980 (US boycott of Moscow games), 1984 in Los Angeles, 1988 in Seoul, 1992 in Barcelona, and 1996 in Atlanta.  He won the bronze medal in Individual Sabre at the 1984 Olympics.  In 1992, he was selected to serve as flag bearer for the closing ceremonies, an honor conferred by a vote of that year’s Olympians.  He was the oldest member of the fencing team at the 1996 Olympics.

One of the first prominent biracial fencers and the first African American to medal in fencing, Peter began the Peter Westbrook Foundation in 1991.  The Foundation provides inner city children with access to fencing and works to guide them away from gang activity.  It is hailed as one of the most successful inner city sports programs in the country.

To learn about Peter Westbrook and his not-for-profit organization, visit www.PeterWestbrook.org.

UPDATED
Sunday, July 29, 2012 

Blasians in the Congo

In the 1970s, the Japanese had operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) to invest in mining projects in the mineral rich region of Katanga.  This area is known for its abundant deposits of copper and cobalt.  According to the US Geological Survey, the Katanga province in the south of Congo contains 4% of the world's copper and 1/3 of its cobalt reserves. 

Over a 10-year period, more than 1,000 Japanese miners worked in Zaire.  The Japanese businessmen had relationships with native Congolese women.  Some of these relationships resulted in children.  Most of the mixed race progeny died soon after birth.  It is said that Japanese taboos led to the children being poisoned in the local mining hospital or sometimes even killed by the fathers themselves.  This practice forced many native Katangan women to hide their half-Japanese children.  To protect their children, they did not give birth in the hospital and raised their children in rural, remote areas.  Thus, many of the surviving children of these Japanese/Congolese relationships do not have birth certificates.  The survivors have formed an association and are now seeking compensation and closure from both the Congolese and Japanese governments.  

 

Today, the Chinese run the furnaces where minerals are processed.  The Congolese government granted mineral concessions in Katanga province to a consortium of Chinese companies in 2008.  Six billion US dollars was invested in the construction and rehabilitation of roads and the construction of two hospitals and universities.  An additional three billion US dollars was invested in mining operations.  Approximately 90% of Katanga's processing plants are owned by Chinese nationals. 

As another Asian country capitalizes on the wealth and riches of this small African nation, there exists the possibility of mixed race relationships and the potential of another generation of blasians in the Congo.  Hopefully, they will have a happier story to share.

For more about mixed race people in the Congo, check out the FRANCE 24 story on "Katanga's forgotten people".

Blasian Reality TV Stars

Lou Jing – who gained fame as a reality show contestant in China – got me thinking about Blasians on reality TV.  There haven't been that many.  While Asians are rare, half Asians are few and far between.  Half-African American, half Asian reality stars are even more infrequent.  There have been 3 blasian reality stars – Melissa Howard, Lisa Wu, and Kimora Lee.

Melissa on Real World (2000) and with her daughter (2011)

Melissa Howard (Filipino-African American) became the 1st blasian reality star in 2000 on MTV's Real World: New Orleans.  She went on to appear in other reality TV shows, including Real World / Road Rules Challenge and Battle of the Network Reality Stars.  Now Melissa Beck, she is married to Glassjaw guitarist, Justin Beck, and has a daughter, Shalom Mazie.

Melissa's parents – Maurice "Shorty" & Narcisa "Mercy" – at the MTV Studios

Lisa Wu appeared in the first two seasons (2008-2009) of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.  Her mother is of Afro-Caribbean descent, and her father is Chinese.  

Lisa Wu's parents

Previously married to R&B singer Keith Sweat, she was married to NFL linebacker Ed Hartwell, while on the show.  They divorced in 2011.

Lisa Wu and her sons Jordan, Justin, & EJ

Kimora Lee – better known as a model and former wife of Russell Simmons – has starred in the reality television series, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane, since 2007.  The most famous blasian reality star, she details her daily life with her three children and her husband, model/actor Djimon Hounsou.  

Kimora and her mother, Kyoko Perkins

With a Korean-born Japanese mother and an African American father, Kimora was often a target of bullying and teasing as a child because of her height (5'10" by age 10) and her mixed heritage.  Her mom enrolled her in modeling classes when she was 11 years old, and Kimora was discovered at the age of 13.  

Kimora married mogul, Russell Simmons, in 1998.  They officially separated in 2006.  She has been with Djimon Hounsou, a Benin-born Oscar-nominated actor, since 2007.

Kimora and her children, Kenzo, Ming, & Aoki

While there are many who view reality TV as a less-esteemed genre of television, it can be an excellent platform to share varying perspectives and provides exposure to different types of people and ethnicities.  Reality television is a unique opportunity to potentially see and connect with people who have similar stories.

Selected Sources:
* Melissa Beck, tumblr.
* The Real Housewives of Atlanta, "Lisa Wu Hartwell".
* Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane, "Kimora Lee Simmons".

Blasian Singers in Asia

I was recently reflecting on a trip to Shanghai and remembered the story of Lou Jing, the black-Chinese young woman who appeared on a talent show in China in 2009. Her appearance on a popular Chinese television show was a subject of much debate. Jing appeared on "Go! Oriental Angel" for 2 months, and though the show nicknamed her "Chocolate Angel" and "Black Pearl", she and her mother received constant negative criticism.

Jing's Chinese mother had a relationship with an African American man, to whom she was not married. Lou Jing has never met her father. Raised in Shanghai, she is fluent in Mandarin and Shanghainese and identifies as Shanghainese. After receiving hurtful comments online following her television appearances, she questions her place in China. One post read, "Ugh. Yellow people and black people mixed together is very gross."

Lou Jing and her mother

This situation shows how far behind China is in moving beyond its monocultural ideal image of itself. As China emerges as a world power, it is vital that its people open up their minds to the multicultural contexts that exist in other countries and that is also slowly becoming a reality in China. The lack of awareness in the comments directed toward Lou Jing clearly demonstrates the long way that China has to go to better interact and understand the diversity beyond its borders.

While China is struggling to deal with this mixed race person in their midst, neighboring countries, Japan and Korea, have already been coping with public figures with black ancestry for some time now. A very popular singer in Japan right now, who happens to be blasian, is Crystal Kay. She's actually black and Korean, like Yoon Mirae (Tasha Reid), who is successful in Korea. While it's not easy being biracial - especially half black - in Asia, it used to be a lot more difficult. In Korea, Insooni helped pave the way.

Yoon Mirae

Crystal Kay

Born to an African American father and Korean mother in 1957, Kim Insoon was born soon after the Korean War. In the 1960s, multiracial Koreans were an extremely new phenomenon and suffered extreme discrimination. Insooni began performing in the late 1970s, receiving more attention for her appearance than her talent. She has now been making music for over 30 years.

Insooni is a musical legend in Korea, and the difficult situations she experienced as a biracial person in a monoracial country served her well. Mixed race Koreans have become much more common, but Insooni's childhood must have been indescribably tough. Compared to being black in Korea, the trying times and insensitive criticism of the entertainment world surely seemed simple to endure.

Kim Insoon at 15 years old (1972)

Insooni's success has made the possibility of a career in the public sphere a realistic goal in Korea and serves as an excellent example across East Asia. She's a hero for blasians across the ocean too.

INSOONI

  
Selected Sources: 
* NPR, "Mixed-Race TV Contestant Ignites Debate in China", November 11, 2009.
* CNN World, "TV talent show exposes China's race issue", December 21, 2009. 
* Connections (Pearl S. Buck International newsletter), "Coming Full Circle With Korean Singer Insooni and Daughter Jasmine", Fall/Winter 2011.

Blasian Chart Toppers in the US

For the longest time, as far as I knew, there had never been a blasian American singer – until Amerie came out in the early 2000s.  When I found out she was Korean-African American, I decided to support her before I even heard her music.  It was such a novelty to purchase the music of someone who had the same parentage as me.

Amerie & her mother

Amerie's name tattoo in Korean

Born to an African American father (Charles Rogers) and a Korean mother (Mi Suk), Amerie's first language was Korean, and she lived in South Korea for 3 years as a child.

Amerie's debut album was released in 2002, and her debut single, "Why Don't We Fall in Love" peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

There have been a few other blasian singers since Amerie, but had there been incognito blasians recording in the US before Amerie hit the music scene wearing her ethnicity on her sleeve?  Then I discovered Sugar Pie DeSanto – the 1st blasian chart topper.

Sugar Pie DeSanto was born Umpeylia Marsema Balinton.  She is the daughter of an African American mother and a Filipino father.  As a child, she spoke English and Tagalog and still speaks a little Tagalog with family.

In 1960, DeSanto's single "I Want to Know" reached #4 on Billboard's R&B chart.  This was her biggest hit and her highest charting hit.

A blasian hit singer over 50 years ago.  Who knew?

Selected Sources:
* Intermix.org.uk: A website for the benefit of mixed-race families and individuals, "Amerie's Happy to Talk About Ethnicity", September 1, 2008.
* San Francisco Bay Guardian, "Gimme a Little Sugar", March 12, 2003.

Korean Basketball League Ethnic Draft

As we experience the excitement of Jeremy Lin and his meteoric rise in the NBA, I reflected on the limitations of racial diversity in Korea, my mother's homeland.  It's always been a reality to me that my opportunities in Korea would be limited due to my biracial status.  Koreans revere the idea of their country being monoethnic.  However, the Korean War (1950-1953) threatened the country's homogenous status.  Since then, there have been mixed race Koreans in Korea and around the world.

Three years ago, a professional sports association in Korea initiated an action to incorporate biracial Koreans for the first time.  The Korean Basketball League held an "Ethnic" draft.  The 10 professional basketball teams in Korea agreed to allow foreign players with a Korean parent to play in the Korean Basketball Leagues as signed players.  What's more, the draft allowed these foreign players with Korean ties to not be considered "foreign players".  (There is a limit of 1 foreign player per team.)  While it was not without controversy, the draft was a huge step toward the acceptance of diversity in Korea.

The inaugural KBL draft for "ethnic Korean players" was held in February of 2009.  To be defined as "ethnic Korean", the player had to verify that his biological father or mother had previously held Korean citizenship and had since gained foreign citizenship.  A copy of the Korean parent's family register document or Korean passport had to be presented.  

Players selected in the 1st "ethnic Korean" draft

In the 2009 “Ethnic” draft, 5 players were selected ― Tony Akins (전태풍 / KCC Egis), Eric Sandrin (이승준 / Samsung Thunders), Greg Stevenson (문태영 / LG Sakers), Kevin Mitchell (원하준 / KT&G Kites), and Chris Vann (박태양 / KT Sonic Boom) ― and 4 of them were blasian.  The draft was held again in 2010 and 2011.  In 2010, only 1 player was selected ― Jarod Stevenson (문태종 / ET Land Elephants), Greg Stevenson's older brother.  No players were selected in 2011.

Here's the rub.  The KBL implemented a limit of 3 years on 1 team for ethnic Koreans.  So, the players that were signed in the 2009 "ethnic Korean" draft are now required to participate in the 2012 draft.  The native Korean players are not subject to this rule.  Different signing rules apply to ethnic versus native Korean players.  The rule was designed to balance the teams and prevent a monopoly on ethnic Koreans, who are often better than the Korean players.  The idea is that having the ethnic Korean players continue on long-term with a single team could give too much of an advantage to one club.  

Greg & Jarod Stevenson

Note that, when an ethnic Korean player is drafted, he has to become a Korean citizen.  To sweeten the pot, the Nationality Act was revised in January of 2011 to allow foreigners with "outstanding talents" wishing to acquire Korean citizenship to maintain dual citizenship.  Subsequently, the Korean Basketball League and the Korean Olympic committee have recommended that the government allow ethnic Koreans to play for the Korean national team.

While the KBL benefits from the skills of ethnic Koreans, the association has also been accused of discriminating against ethnic Koreans.  The status of ethnic Koreans has been a point of contention since the initiation of the ethnic draft.  If ethnic Koreans are also Korean citizens and are not considered "foreign players", why do different rules apply?  Such regulations single out ethnic Koreans and defeat the concept of equal access to the League.

The 2012 KBL Pre-Draft Tryout and draft for "Ethnic Korean Players" will be held on May 7, 2012 in South Korea.  Basketball players who are interested in becoming eligible to play in the KBL must apply by April 25, 2012 (Korea Time).  More information is available on the Korean Basketball League website.

Selected Sources:
* Korean Basketball League, "Rules & Procedures".
* The Korea Times, "KBL Accused of Discrimination", January 9, 2012.
* The Korea Herald, "Half Korean Brothers Get Citizenship", July 21, 2011.
* HalfKorean.com: An online community for mixed-race Koreans, "KBL Ethnic Draft Feature".