New York Times attacked for Asian American figure skaters comment
Angry internet users have lashed out at the New York Times after the outlet posted a tweet saying Asian Americans are "vividly overrepresented" in US figure skating.
"Figure skating in the US is now plainly an Asian American sport," began the post, before noting how for the second consecutive Winter Olympics, four of the six figure skaters in singles events on Team USA are Asian American.
"Asians make up around 7% of the US population but have become vividly overrepresented in ice rinks and competitions at every level, from coast to coast," it continued.
"Gradually, they have transformed a sport that, until the 1990s, was almost uniformly white."
Figure skating in the U.S. is now plainly an Asian American sport.For the second consecutive Winter Games, four of the six figure skaters representing the U.S. in the singles events are Asian American: Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Alysa Liu and Vincent Zhou. https://t.co/XxU7wkUxMppic.twitter.com/aoIznhBw2v
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 10, 2022
Asians make up around 7% of the U.S. population but have become vividly overrepresented in ice rinks and competitions at every level, from coast to coast. Gradually, they have transformed a sport that, until the 1990s, was almost uniformly white. https://t.co/XxU7wkUxMppic.twitter.com/AUyCPWZAhL
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 10, 2022
In the comments section, Twitter users displayed their disapproval.
"Why is Asian-American exceptionalism in a sport presented as a problem by the NYT?" someone asked.
"They are not overrepresented; these competitors represent the best of America and worked hard to get where they are."
"So what?" began another user. "They are American citizens. Articles like this emphasize how some Americans (like NYT writers) divide Americans by race and color. I’m a white immigrant from the UK – what does that make me? European American??!"
Why is Asian-American exceptionalism in a sport presented as a problem by the NYT? They are not over represented; these competitors represent the best of America and worked hard to get where they are.
— VegasYAK (@vegasyak) February 11, 2022
So what? They are American citizens. Articles like this emphasize how some Americans (like NYT writers) divide Americans by race and color. I’m a white immigrant from the UK - what does that make me? European American??!
— flamingo (@nickymca_nicky) February 10, 2022
"overrepresented" just say you have a problem with asian americans and go, you sure weren't posting news when it was white-dominated why tf is it important that it's asian-american-dominated when everyone's american
— cam 🐍 IS TIRED BUT EXCITED (@camiscribbles) February 11, 2022
When a separate party highlighted that the New York Times "didn’t point out the race representation on the USA basketball team," one person replied: "This is what they do, bro."
"They don’t like it when they get outshone at anything. They don’t like that they lost basketball and they’re upset they lost ice skating [to the Russian Olympic Committee in the figure skating Team event]. When you put them on an equal playing field with others they get exposed and you see why they need the racism."
This is what they do bro. They don’t like it when they get outshined at anything. They don’t like that they lost basketball and they’re upset they lost ice skating. When you put them on a equal playing field with others they get exposed and you see why they need the racism
— Will (@ObiWillKenobiii) February 10, 2022
US viewers: The US team is great!NY Times: Yes, the [fill in race/color here] is vividly overrepresented.
— TK Nor (@tkguy) February 10, 2022
Shame on you. The members of the United States Olympic Skating Team are ALL Americans. Our best made it. Period.
— Yodi (@AkaYodi) February 10, 2022
The New York Times was ordered to "delete this headline" elsewhere, and "do better" by not "casually spreading anti-Asian propaganda".
In response to the backlash, the author of the piece, Andrew Keh, said he used the term to describe the skaters after hearing it "in conversation with multiple Asian American sociologists."
"It literally just means that participation is clearly disproportionate to the population stat cited in the same sentence. There's no judgment baked into it," Keh claimed.
Hi Tony. I'm happy to chime in. I used the word after hearing in conversation with multiple Asian American sociologists. It literally just means that participation is clearly disproportionate to the population stat cited in the same sentence. There's no judgment baked into it.
— Andrew Keh (@andrewkeh) February 11, 2022
This is the second criticism that the New York Times has received for its Beijing 2022 coverage in the past few days.
On Instagram, ROC cross-country skier Veronika Stepanova challenged the publication while reading an article from a tablet with a passage that commented on fellow competitor in Jessica Diggins, who beat her during the sprint semi-finals and went on to achieve bronze in the final.
"In a sport that has so many women with massive shoulders and thighs, Diggins looks like a sprite in her racing suit," Stepanova read.
Raising her eyebrows and turning to the camera, the 21-year-old then asked: "Seriously?"
On Saturday, 2021 FIS World Cup relay and World Junior Champion Stepanova helped win gold for the ROC in the Women's 4x5km cross-country skiing relay event.
