American-born Chinese Olympian battles dual identity and social stigma

Figure skater faces criticism after renouncing her US citizenship for the Olympics

RASHNO RAZMKHAH / CONTRIBUTOR / THE USD VISTA

Cold nights, snowy days, and the hopefulness of a brand new year marks the beginning of the 2022 Winter Olympic games. Bursting with patriotism and overjoyed with pride, the representatives of each nation participate in the Olympic events that best highlight their talents and skills. This year’s news headlines have been rather difficult on Zhu Yi, a 19 year old Chinese-American figure skater who renounced her American citizenship in order to compete for China. 

Second-generation immigrants’ experiences are very different from their parents, but that should in no way invalidate their sense of identity and connection to their ancestry. Though I was born and raised in Iran for the majority of my life, I can relate to Yi’s identity crisis. It is extremely difficult to know who you really are when you are “too American” and “not American enough” at the same time. 

Yi faced a lot of backlash from the start of her Olympic journey, mainly because critics did not consider her as “Chinese” to begin with. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA where her dad taught at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a celebrated computer scientist. 

On Feb. 6, 2022, Yi fell down twice during her routine which made matters all the more difficult. According to an article by NBC, some Americans rooted for her downfall because she renounced her US citizenship, while the Chinese community criticized her for her emotional reaction after the fall, her overall “American” upbringing, and her poor Mandarin which contributed to making her appear disconnected from Chinese culture.

It is not uncommon for athletes with dual citizenship to change their official status in order to qualify for the Olympics in a different country. Hakeem Olajuwon, a Nigerian-born athlete, was a key player on the 1996 American Dream Team that landed the United States an Olympic gold medal. Tanith Belbin was born in Canada but competed for the United States in 2006 and won silver in ice dancing. However, neither one of them had to face immense criticism and backlash like Yi.

Another American-born athlete chose to compete for China as well. Eileen Gu, a skier born in San Francisco, CA to a Chinese mother and an American father, chose to compete for her mother’s national team this year to kick off her Olympic career. Unlike Yi, Gu has captivated the Chinese community with her fluent Mandarin and is beloved by the Chinese media.

This past summer, I had the opportunity to visit my homeland after quite some time. Even though I do not consider myself an “American,” I had to face the reality of no longer being seen as fully Iranian. The people I had grown up with were now teasing me for my American accent and my Western views. Interestingly enough, I sometimes feel foreign and out of place here as well when my American friends talk about their experiences growing up. That’s what I have in common with Yi; perhaps a lot of other immigrant children feel this way too. 

The Women’s Sports Foundation highlights social stigma as one of the prominent reasons why girls are more likely to quit sports. Bullying, pressure, and abuse has driven many talented female athletes out of the game; from athletes like Simone Biles to Mary Cain. 

U.S.A gymnastic star, Simone Biles, revealed that she was a victim of Larry Nassar’s abuse a few years ago. When she announced her decision to step down from competing professionally due to her anxiety and trauma, she told The Guardian how her experience as a black woman played a part in her athletic journey, “As a black woman, we just have to be greater… because even when we break records and stuff, they almost dim it down, as if it’s just normal.”

Mary Cain, once one of the fastest female runners in the world, shared the emotional and physical abuse she had to endure while she was a Nike athlete. From being told to lose weight to being publicly body shamed by her coach, Cain has experienced it all. 

Emptier stadiums, harsher critiques, lower compensation, body image issues, abuse, and higher expectations, that’s the reality of female sports. In Zhu Yi’s case, she was facing all of the above with an additional case of dual identity. 

If I were asked to choose between my American and Iranian citizenship, I would be torn, but ultimately I would choose my American identity. That is not to say that I am not in touch with my roots, but that I would rather choose the stability and privilege of being an American citizen over the everchanging uncertainty that comes with being an Iranian one.

I admire Yi for choosing the opposite. She gave up her American citizenship and a stable life for the mere possibility of having a prominent figure skating career as a Chinese athlete. Though her professional future remains unknown in China and the United States, she has acted as a prime example of what a lot of immigrant children and female athletes endure in the face of societal expectations. I hope that Zhu Yi’s experience can spark a bigger conversation about the perception of “American” children born into immigrant families and female athletes who are continuously mistreated in the sports industry.