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Roundball Asian Gals and the Census

And now for what the census really means. But first ... We begin this week by lamenting my favorite basketball players no longer in the NCAAs, that ritual known as “March Madness.” I’m talking about the women, of course. The men’s game is good. But the Asian American studs are in the women’s game.

Unfortunately, Lindsay Yamasaki of Stanford had a terrible game against Oklahoma and her Cardinals were sent home. But my big favorite was freshman Corrie Mizusawa and the Lady Gaels of St. Mary’s of California (not Mount St. Mary’s, as sportscasters were saying; not even Miss Mount St. Mary’s). They went up against Tennessee, the perennial queens of basketball, and nearly rocked “Old Rocky Top.”

Going into it, the match-up was seen as akin to the Battan Death March (where the Gaels would be the Filipinos). It was anything but. The 5’8” Mizusawa at point guard was absolutely amazing, slashing and dishing several times on the floor after a surgical drive to the basket.

For the Gaels, it was an incredible 30 minutes of play. Unfortunately, the game lasts 40. On the sidelines, was their generalissima, head coach Michelle Jacoby (another Asian American) barking out encouragement. The Vols, top seeded in the Mideast region ultimately outlasted the ninth-seeded St. Mary’s team 92-75. And Mizusawa and Jacoby came back to Moraga. No win. But with a lot more respect.

As a professional Asian American watcher, I thought the Asian presence was far more important than people imagine. Look around. When do you see Asian Americans on the national stage in basketball? And it’s our favorite sport, too. We’re waiting for the first Asian super stud. In the meantime, Asian Americans get in the sports pages for basketball when the Sacramento Kings Jason Williams (so called “White Chocolate” for being a black-styled player who is white) starts talking trash and assailing Asian American fans. It happened in Oakland recently to one Chinese American whom Williams assaulted verbally, letting go a few choice words that rhyme with sink.

No word yet on the NBA’s response. Williams’s actions tread into hate crime territory. If a fan says, “Kill the Ump,” there’s no conspiracy charge for murder. In pro sports, fans get a free pass. Players don’t.

I figure when the 7 foot tall Chinese national basketball player whom everyone in the NBA is drooling over gets drafted next year, things could change quite a bit on the NBA.

But for now, we must look to the women for our hoop excellence.

The irony of all this is Yamasaki and Mizusawa don’t really see themselves as roundball activists for Asian Americans yet. They’re merely excellent players who happen to be Asian American. There’s no quota for Asian Americans in sports. There’s just excellence and merit, and the girls have it. I recalled talking to a young Yamasaki two years ago. I asked her about her Asian-ness, and being a girl from Oregon. I was amazed that it hadn’t occurred to her. Mizusawa may be a little different, being from California. But her basketball focus consumes her. The limelight may help them realize what their presence really means.

And now to our regularly scheuled program: Yes, March Madness is over for Asian American watchers, and now I can devote my time to things like deciphering census data.

Let’s begin with the beginning. It still can be said, “We’re No. FOUR.”

After whites, then Hispanics, then blacks, come us.

This year though, there are several changes for Asian Americans. First, there’s no Asian Pacific Islander designation. API no more. The umbrella shrunk. Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders get their own category. And they’re about half the size of San Francisco at 353,509.

Purely from a coaching standpoint, this hurts. Without the PI part of us, we lose our size.

Second, the census has the new multiracial category. If you add all the people who said they were Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander plus one, their numbers doubles to over 748, 149.

This mixed race phenomenon is a great way to boost the numbers. The Asian population at 10,123,169 increases to 11, 579,494 when you count mixed race identifiers. (Including of course, me, the nation’s lone As-Panic, my term for Filipinos, really Asian Hispanics).

Frankly, I like this mixed race thing.

I was on a BART train the other day, and I noticed a young high school couple: He, a young Latino, with greased back hair, baggy clothes, and a notebook of graffiti doodles. She, an Asian woman hugging his arm, and playing a handheld computer game.

Modern love. And the future of Mixasian.

I don’t know about their love lives, but both Yamasaki and Mizusawa were wearing corn row braids on national television. That must have blown a few minds.

So the pattern seems set. Asian Americans seem destined to follow the path of Hawaii. In Honolulu, 21.4 percent of residents said they belonged to at least two races. The national average was 2.4 percent. Hey, people used to get along with just one car. Now everyone will want two races.

Add that to a constant replenishment of immigrants and what do you get?

A “community,” and I use that term loosely, that will be tougher than ever to bring together on any issue politically.

What is Asian American? What is an Asian American issue? There may be more of us than ever before, but we are slowly seeing an end to Asian America as we know it.