On the afternoon of July 21, Jeremy Lin, the new point guard of Los Angeles Lakers, paid a visit to Hsinchu County’s Tongtex Secondary High School. He not only taught the young students basketball skills but shared his life experience like a leader and pastor among teenagers. Jeremy encouraged everyone to stay grateful and to realize the importance of locating and recognizing their own values. Magistrate Chiu showed up and encouraged everyone to follow the example of Jeremy Lin to cultivate the spirit of perseverance, bravery and diligence to pursue their dreams.
At noon on July 21, Jeremy Lin was surrounded by enthusiastic fans instantly upon the arrival of Jeremy’s car at Tongtex High School. Jeremy then joined funny basketball games with 30 kids and teenagers in the gym packed with fans. Overwhelmed by Jeremy’s fantastic shooting skills and sportsmanship, the fans bursted into applause for his marvelous performance. To further sharpen the County residents’ basketball skills and to raise the County’s standard of basketball education, church members and basketball lovers gather here in Tongtex to enjoy Jeremy’s performance thanks to the effort by County government’s Administration of Indigenous People Affairs, pointed out Tontex’s President Chi-Hung Huang and Principal Chun-Hung Chang. The Director of Summer Witness and Sharing Camp for Atayal Youth Chen Hong-Yi also state that they, due to Jeremy’s tight schedule in Taiwan, gathered 1,200 basketball-loving Atayal youngsters and teenagers from Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Nanto and Yilan to call on the County for exchanges of skills and experiences through Jeremy’s sharing of the hardship he bumped into on the path to becoming an international basketball star.
Jeremy played games with several youngsters and teenagers on the basketball court like their big brothers. My parents were not rich when they came to the U.S., and I have been suffering from the racial discrimination since my childhood in this free country, Jeremy said. Jeremy added that he once desired to become white or black people upon receiving the mockery saying “Here comes Yao Ming” or “Move your ass back to Asia” from his peers. He finally learned that the God always loved and blessed him regardless of his skin color, Jeremy confessed.
Jeremy declared to the over 1,000 fans that the fad of “Linsanity” has put much pressure on him since the instant media attention and bunches of fans attracted from his extraordinary skills and performances. He added that he realized fame and fortune could merely bring him great happiness yet as well as endless anxiety and insatiable appetite. Jeremy finally encouraged the attendees to listen to their inner voices, to have more faiths in themselves and to seek out what they truly want to go after.
After several rounds of basketball games, the event announced its close with Jeremy Lin giving away souvenirs to fans and teammates with some congratulatory words.
Source: Hsinchu County government’s Administration of Indigenous People Affairs
Writer: Chen Chi-Hung, Press Section