Race, Sports, and Identity
Some say the winner of this year’s New York City Marathon “is not really an American runner,” as reported in a recent New York Times article. Mebrahtom Keflezighi, an American citizen who immigrated to the United States from Eritrea at the age of 12, is the “first American to win the New York race since 1982.” Instead of collectively celebrating this American victory, some people are questioning whether Keflezighi’s win counts as an American victory at all. In anonymous online postings about the race, people have made such statements as “ ‘Give us all a break. It’s just another African marathon winner,’ ” and “ ‘Americans are kidding themselves if they say [Keflezighi] represents a resurgence of American distance prowess! On the other hand, he is an excellent representative of how we import everything we need!’ ” According to Professor John Hoberman, who studies race and sports at the University of Texas at Austin, “ ‘The more relevant question is, who gets to represent the country? . . . Only racists will insist that ‘our’ athletes meet specific racial criteria.’ ”
- According to the New York Times article, some say Keflezighi is not really an American runner because he was born in Eritrea. What does it mean to be an American? What makes someone qualify as an American? If you are a citizen of the United States, are you automatically an American? Why do you think people are questioning whether Keflezighi’s win counts as a triumph for America?
- The New York Times writes that “the Hall of Fame basketball player Patrick Ewing (Jamaica) and the gold medal gymnast Nastia Liukin (Russia) were born abroad, but when they represented the United States in competition, they seemingly did not encounter the same skepticism that Keflezighi has.” Why do you think this is so?
- “The success of distance runners from Kenya and Ethiopia fostered a lore of East Africans as genetically gifted, unbeatable, dominant because of their biology,” the New York Times states. What are some of the stereotypes surrounding athletes of different races? Given that scientists have not found genes “specific to East Africans that could account for their distance ability,” is it racist to hold beliefs about race and athletic ability?
- Alberto Salazar, who came to the United States from Cuba when he was two years old, was the last American to win the New York City Marathon. The New York Times writes that when Salazar won, “he did not hear grumbling about whether he should be considered an American.” Salazar notes one difference between his situation and Keflezighi’s is that “Salazar is Hispanic, not black.” How do you explain the different reactions to the two runners?
- Another difference Salazar notes between his situation and Keflezighi’s is that “when [Salazar] won in 1982, the Internet, in its current form, did not exist.” What role does Salazar suggest the Internet has played in this situation? Do you agree with his assessment? Why or why not?
