My Team, My Self

Whenever the spouse meets an Asian American, he likes to use this litmus test for national identity to find out if the AA considers himself or herself more Asian or more American--Which team do you cheer for in the Olympics?

For me, I find myself innately cheering for team USA, and then, if there are no US athletes, team China.

For the spouse, it's team Korea all the way. US can take silver.

It's natural for the Olympics to be a proxy for national pride--countries battle it out to be the best in somewhat healthy (at least nonviolent) competition.

Which makes it all the wierder when athletes compete for countries they do not call home. I just read about the Reed Family, which has 3 Winter Olympic siblings. Although they grew up in the US and live in New Jersey, 2 kids ice-dance for Japan and 1 for the Republic of Georgia!

The Japanese connection is not so far-fetched as the mom is Japanese. But Georgia? What the...?


Allison Reed started training with her Georgian partner last May and now holds dual citizenship with the foreign country, to which she has no other ties.

Doesn't that defeat the whole point of the Olympics? I realize that athletes just want to compete at the highest level they can, but so much for representing your country!