IT IS ALL about respect, isn't it? Whether or not you are a baseball fan, respect is earned and Derek Jeter has earned that accolade for his remarkable 20-year career. To be in the public eye for that long and not be smeared by a single scandal is quite a feat in this day and age of celebrity-worship where paparazzi lurk behind every corner and TMZ is ready to jump on any social blunder.
We should give a nod to Jeter for entering the Hapa Hall of Fame (I just made that up!) as the product of an African-American father and a mother of Irish-German descent. He has been so good, his bi-racial roots have never been an issue. He is cheered by sports fans everywhere, including the racists and bigots among them, for his athletic ability.
("Hapa" is a Hawaiian term describing people of mixed ethnicity. I'm not sure the of the linguistic roots of the term but I like to define it as - and excuse my pidgin - "Hapa dis and hapa dat.)
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| Well done, No. 2 |
Now that his playing days are drawing to an end, I'd like to see him address that aspect of his heritage - "come out", if you will. As African Americans like to point out the many Blacks who have contributed to our culture and society, and the LBGT advocates single out the many gays (closeted or open) in our society, the strategy advances their causes and increases the acceptance of those groups by increasing their visibility. Perhaps, if Jeter owns up to his roots, it will help the biracial folks - as their numbers increase in our country and the world - to accept their own
hapa selves instead of having to choose one over the other.
In the meantime, the moving tribute commercial done by Nike, will air tonight (July 15) at the All-Star game. Nice job. It should be an emotional moment. Let's take the tribute for what it is and tip our hats to one of the greatest shortstops to ever play the game.
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