Asians in American Sports | Asian American Poll

ASIANS IN AMERICAN SPORTS
(Updated Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:39:09 AM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Which male athlete has done the most to promote the image of Asian American men?
Tennis Player Michael Chang | 39%
Pitcher Chanho Park | 22%
Golfer Tiger Woods | 9%
Linebacker Dat Nguyen | 12%
Rightfielder Ichiro Suzuki | 11%
Left Wing Paul Kariya | 7%

Which female athlete has done the most to promote the image of Asian American women?
Figure Skater Kristi Yamaguchi | 18%
Pool Player Jeanette Lee | 2%
Figure Skater Michele Kwan | 57%
Golfer Se-ri Pak | 23%

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WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

Hey guys (Number Won),

This is an AA sports board, not a racial superiority board. Let's keep it that way. As a Korean-American, I'm glad to see ChanHo and BK doing well for their respective teams. But it also makes me feel good to see players like Ichiro and Shinjo performing well. When any Asian athlete performs well, it presents a positive image to the rest of the country since most Americans don't know the differences between the cultures.

A number of years ago when Hideo Nomo stormed into the majors, a reporter asked the Taiwanese little league champion who was their favorite major leaguer. Every single one of them said Hideo Nomo. It goes to show that we all look up to people we can relate to. I was surprised, but happy to hear this becuz the little leaguers did not make a racial issue out of this. I have to say Ichiro is my favorite plyer becuz he is damn good, plus he's got some flash to his game. Gotta love the Oakleys and his behind the back catches. He's helped open the door for more future position players who might end up being even better whether they come from leagues in Japan, Korea, Taiwan or wherever.

Even in Japan, some of the most popular players in Japanese baseball history were non-Japanese. Sadaharu Oh's father was Chinese, but that didn't stop the Japanese fans from cheering like hell for him. Isao Harimoto is the alltime Hits leader...the only man to break the 3,000 hits mark in Japanese baseball history. He was also a fan favorite even though he was Korean. Some of you shocked to hear that?? It gets better...same goes for Masaichi Kaneda, the greatest pitcher in Japanese baseball history. The fans and media referred to the Korean as the god of pitching. Even now, you see a number of fans wearing Tuffy Rhodes Osaka Buffaloes jerseys in the stands. Those fans didn't discriminate, so why should we??

My point here is that we should applaud excellence by any Asian athletes becuz we are still a minority in this great country. Asian-American males still carry a negative impression on most Americans....negative in the sense that we are nerdy or gangsters or kung-fu guys. Players like Ichiro and ChanHo definitely help break down these negative myths. Once players like Lee Seung-Yup and Hideki Matsui (Tokyo Giants outfielder) start slugging homers in the majors, I'll be cheering like hell. Hope all of you guys join me. Peace out.
LA AA sports fanatic Wednesday, October 24, 2001 at 17:34:24 (PDT)

BYUNG KIM has got to destroy the YANKEES!!

"2-2 pitch to Soriano, Strike three!!
d-backs win!!"

Byung hyung kim = sasaki's avenger!!

the last azn hope!!! haha

ASNSLGR Wednesday, October 24, 2001 at 13:42:54 (PDT)

Ichiro will roll over....??

When I see this lee seung yup guy hit .350, steal over 50 bases, and get over 200 hits in the MLB, I'll take your word for it. As of now, he couldn't even touch Shinjo.

I hope this lee guy is what you saw he is. I want to see all kinds of asians excel here. But why do you dismiss Ichiro like that? He still got AT LEAST five more good years in him.
ASNSLGR Wednesday, October 24, 2001 at 13:33:11 (PDT)

CONGRATS to Byung Kim for being the first Asian player to play in the World Series! Go Diamondbacks!
Go Diamondbacks Tuesday, October 23, 2001 at 21:33:39 (PDT)

sports sucks....???

if you don't like it, don't post here. you hater. we're not over doing anything. we're talking positive about the first asian position player in mlb history. i don't even care about ruth, robinson, mantle, mays or jackson as much as I do Ichiro. what positive stereotypes have any of these players done for AAs? go post somewhere else. I will continue to post positive on the Asian Athletes on THIS POLL.
ASNSLGR Tuesday, October 23, 2001 at 20:40:39 (PDT)

chanho park is the best asian pitcher in the world. suzuki is the best asian position player in the major leagues. for now anyway. once lee seung yup comes to the majors, suzuki will roll over like one of them cheap suzuki motorcycles. and by luck of timing, chanho will be the highest paid pitcher in the major leagues. i don't see nomo ever getting near that. and what ever happened to irabu? and yoshii? the difference between japanese pitchers in the majors and korean pitchers in the majors is japanese pitchers in the majors are past their prime when they come here. korean pitchers go through the minor league systems before coming to the majors. that's why they are better than them.
number WON shinthoburi@hotmail.com Tuesday, October 23, 2001 at 19:40:32 (PDT)

Here is Brian Choi's Bio:

MSU Bobcat Football

#67 - Brian Choi
Football

Position: Guard - Offensive Line
Year: Junior
Height: 6-5
Weight: 285
Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO
JC/HS: New Mexico/Mitchell
JC: New Mexico: Played for the Lobos as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to MSU during fall camp ‘01... was an All-Mountain West academic choice as a sophmore... played in two games as a redshirt freshman... redshirted in ‘98
HS: Mitchell: Earned all-conference and second team all-state kudos at Mitchell in ‘97... finished second in the state in the shot put as a junior (49-11.75).
Personal: Personal: Born Brian Chang Hwan Choi on May 22, 1980 in Seoul, South Korea... one of three children of Tae and Kyung Choi... his father ran track at Seoul University... teamed at New Mexico with current MSU teammate Justin Mobley.

Holy shit... this guy is a fucken monster -- 6'5" and 285lb??? Wow...

Korean Sports Fan Tuesday, October 23, 2001 at 11:12:35 (PDT)

I thought the Korean slugger in MLB was Choi Hee Seop. He's 6'5" and 235 pounds (no kidding!!), and he is in the minors honing his skills. The Chicago Cubs have the rights to him once he comes out of the minors.
Korean Sports Fan Tuesday, October 23, 2001 at 11:05:20 (PDT)

Asnslgr,

I need to provide a correction. The player from Samsung, Lee Seung-Yup is actually a first baseman, but might play a different position in the majors. He is 6', about 175 pounds and just turned 26. He led the Korean Baseball league in hitting this year. Just recently, it was announced the Mets, Tigers, and Braves are interested in acquiring him. In 1999, he just missed Sadaharu Oh's Asian homerun record of 55, but set the Korean record of 54. After the Korean league series, there will be more announcements regarding Lee. Hope he does well.

LA AA sports fanatic Monday, October 22, 2001 at 11:28:29 (PDT)

Whoa whoa, all Ichiro fans must calm down. I'm sure you all made just as noisy an uproar after Hideo Nomo's first season, and now I hardly hear any fan talking about him. Even sadder I don't hear any Japanese talking about him. It's all Ichiro, Ichiro, Ichiro. Just another sorry example of Asians wanting badly to impress non-asians, but that topic belongs in another forum. Ichiro had an amazing year. He's worked his butt off and has paid his dues. He deserves the uproar and kudos but you guys are overdoing it. You guys practically have him rated above Ruth, Robinson, Mantle, Mayes, Jackson, and so on.
sports sucks Monday, October 22, 2001 at 00:32:48 (PDT)

Ichiro suzuki is the best. He is the first japanese to play in the big league and succeed. His batting avarage in the series(560) wow.. no one in major league has that avarege. He bring the asian plpz proud and show them that asian plpz can play baseball.
tommy thanhlong19@hotmail.com Saturday, October 20, 2001 at 11:16:21 (PDT)

Chan-ho couldn't hold Ichiro's jock and BH Kim is too lazy.
gammons Friday, October 19, 2001 at 21:59:17 (PDT)

There is a Chinese 6'11
balla Thursday, October 18, 2001 at 16:42:22 (PDT)

LA AA sports fanatic,

The majors is gonna be off the hook next year with all kind of new asians.
Imagine, 6-2, 6-3 "power hitting" Ichiros!! Who's this Lee guy from Samsung? What kind of player is he?

ASNSLGR Thursday, October 18, 2001 at 10:38:17 (PDT)

Ichiro Suzuki and T. Shinjo no doubt are the 2 hottest and most popular baseball players in the Major League.
Credit also Dorothy Delasin and D. Nguyen of the Dallas Cowboys.
P.S. Congrats to Wang Zhizhi for being the first Asian in the NBA.
Mabuhay ang Pinoy zygg2000@yahoo.com Wednesday, October 17, 2001 at 08:46:43 (PDT)

Why is Michael Chang receiving the most votes? Must be the Chinese bias votes.
ChanHo is the man, 6'2" 200 pounder, Ichiro is good but too small.
Hey whatever happened to the Taiwanese little leaugers? they used to kick ass!

Strike Tuesday, October 16, 2001 at 18:23:28 (PDT)

Brian Choi is the name of that lineman.
D.C. Monday, October 15, 2001 at 20:45:58 (PDT)

Does anyone know Byung-Hyun Kim of the Arizona Diamondbacks?
Scooby Doo bboymaul@aol.com Monday, October 15, 2001 at 14:07:51 (PDT)

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