[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 28, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMENDING JEREMY LIN
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to address the House
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, Linsanity is here with us today. On
behalf of over 18 million Asian Pacific Americans, and as a member of
the Asian Pacific Congressional Caucus, I rise today to commend rising
NBA star Jeremy Lin.
A son of immigrants from Taiwan and the first American NBA player of
Chinese or Taiwanese ancestry, Jeremy is the first, first Harvard--
economics major, 4.0 GPA--graduate to play for the league since the
1950s. Since playing as the Knicks' point guard, he has scored the
highest point total in his first five games--136 points--for any player
since the 1970s.
In the history of Asian Pacific American participation in the NBA,
Japanese American Wataru Misaka broke the color barrier when he played
for the Knicks in the 1940s. Following Misaka, we have Japanese
American Rex Walters; Filipino American Raymond Townsend; Samoan
American Wally Aliifua Rank; and, currently, Samoan American James
Johnson, who plays for the Toronto Raptors; and Hawaiian American Jason
Kapono, who now plays for the L.A. Lakers.
Along with these pioneers, Jeremy Lin's rise to international stardom
has broken ethnic stereotypes in our society.
I commend Jeremy for this tremendous achievement and for his example
to the world and what America is all about: You work hard, you be true
to your principles of fairness and equity, things will come your way.
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