Us Media Coverage Of Asian American Olympians Acts As A ‘loyalty Test’, Study Finds

New research from nan University of Michigan suggests that nan measurement American news outlets study connected Asian American athletes depends heavy connected their perceived allegiance to nan United States.

By examining nan media portrayal of snowboarder Chloe Kim and freestyle skier Eileen Gu, researchers recovered that acceptance into American nine is often “conditional.” This intends that for these athletes, being seen arsenic genuinely American is simply a position that tin beryllium granted aliases taken distant based connected their profession choices.

A communicative of 2 athletes

The study, published successful nan diary Communication & Sport, looked astatine complete 200 articles from nan past 2 Winter Olympics. The researchers compared nan curen of Chloe Kim, who won golden for nan US successful 2018, pinch Eileen Gu, who decided to correspond China successful 2022.

Read more: Winter Olympians Eileen Gu And Chloe Kim Speak Out After Trump Calls Hunter Hess “A Real Loser”

Kim, nan girl of South Korean immigrants, was wide praised arsenic a “typical American teenager” aft she turned down an invitation to compete for South Korea. In contrast, Gu was often described arsenic an “ungrateful traitor” successful various reports because she chose to compete for her mother’s location country.

“While nan media framed Kim arsenic nan embodiment of nan American dream for representing nan US, it formed Gu arsenic a nationalistic threat for competing for China,” said Doo Jae Park, nan study’s lead writer and a teacher astatine nan U-M School of Kinesiology.

The insider and nan outsider

The researchers reason that these stories create a binary wherever athletes are either “insiders” aliases “outsiders.” Because Kim chose nan US, she was welcomed. Because Gu chose China, she was accused of picking profit complete patriotism.

The study recovered that news outlets often repeated circumstantial phrases for illustration “pick a side,” which helped cement these constrictive views of nan athletes’ identities. Despite their different paths, some women were besides tied to nan “model minority” myth. Articles often highlighted their precocious SAT scores and Ivy League connections—Princeton for Kim and Stanford for Gu—rather than conscionable focusing connected their sports achievements.

Belonging remains fragile

Even for those branded arsenic insiders, for illustration Kim, acceptance is not permanent. The study points retired that contempt her Olympic success, Kim faced important racism and bullying during nan Covid-19 pandemic.

Read more: Why Eileen Gu Is Skiing for China Again astatine nan 2026 Winter Olympics

“Despite nan truth that Chloe Kim is an American citizen, she had to interest astir dislike crimes because of her quality and her Asian identity,” Park said. He noted that this shows a repeating shape of racialization successful American history.

The University of Michigan squad believes that sports media does much than conscionable study scores; it helps determine who is “allowed” to beryllium considered American. They reason that nan existent measurement we talk astir title successful sports often ignores nan circumstantial experiences of nan Asian diaspora.

The study concludes that until nan thought of nan “perpetual foreigner” is gone, nan position of Asian American athletes will stay uncertain. Park suggested that nan manufacture needs to redesign really it views title to beryllium much inclusive.

“At nan extremity of nan day, we tin make sports studies diverse, inclusive and accessible to each people,” Park said.