Cheering on Kei Nishikori

KEi NISHIKORI, rising tennis star.

PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER Kei Nishikori is the latest Asian male to defy the American stereotype of Asian men.He is the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final since Michael Chang in 1989. Even though Nishikori is ranked 10th in the world, he is a virtual unknown to America.

We're about to get to know him now though. The 24-year-old Nishikori stunned No. 1 Novak Djokovic to advance to the finals of the U.S. Open. He plays Marin Cilic today (Sept. 8) for the championship. He's a slight favorite. Tennis analysts will be talking about him, his back story and how he rose in the tennis world. At least they should. I hope they treat him the way the treat all the star players when they hit center court.

We'll cheer for him - yes, because he's Asian, and because he is one of us, he is me. His victory is a victory for every Asian man who has been tortured by the demeaning, weak, second-fiddle, neutered, invisible image that has been perpetuated by the dominant society. 

The Asian male's asexual stereotype is the exact opposite of the exotication (I made up that word) of Asian women in which they become objects of male fantasies.  

The Asian men's stereotype continues to exist despite so much evidence to the contrary starting with Lapu Lapu's attack on Magellan's crew which resulted in the Spanish explorer's death, warriors of Asian legends all the way to the 442nd Regiment of World War II, martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, basketball player Jeremy Lin and boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.

Few things tick me off more than someone saying that Asian men are not attractive, or a woman saying she is not drawn to Asian men because they don't fit the anglo, sharp nose, high cheekbone, jaw jutting picture of a white male model -- the reigning standard for attractiveness and sexuality according to our pop culture world.

The negative stereotype haunts every Asian male who wants to break the mold and be more than the businessman, the doctor or lawyer, the computer or math wizard, the technical nerd, or the Asian men who gets passed over for promotion because he is not "management material." 

There is nothing wrong with being doctors, lawyers and computer nerds, etc. They are all respectable professions, but there are artists, poets, actors, comedians, dancers, athletes, politicians and pop singers, too. A little balance when describing us would be nice.

In the meantime, I'll be rooting for  Nishikori ... and Steven Yuen (Glenn in the Walking Dead); and Daniel Dae Kim of "Hawaii 5-0;"and Jeremy Lin (even though he plays for the Lakers); and the host of players of Asian descent making an impact in Major League Baseball; and Prince, Bruno Mars, Apl.de.ap and Enrigue Yglesias. All of them - because in their own specialized field and with the brilliant spotlight where they have excelled - chip away at the pervasive, negative, weak stereotype of Asian men.

Tennis, anyone?

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UPDATE: Cilic wins in three sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Ironically, Nishikori will still probably get more money out of this match than Cilic due to the promotional contracts he has in Japan where he is viewed as a hero. Nishikori had the crowd with him as they chanted "Ni-shi-ko-ri!" but that wasn't enough to overcome Cilic who was playing the best tennis of his life. Ace after ace and perfect placement of his backhand and forehand smashes proved to be too much for our guy. Still ... (sigh!)