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Are you effing serious? You're comparing a skiing kid trying to expand her sport to an act of war?
I get you don't like her doing this - and that is your prerogative. I don't see where she is saying she represents all Asian Americans (which I am one as well).
You don't like it - great. Don't support her. Don't buy products she endorses, etc. But who really cares?
I'm betting if she did this with Australia instead of China, there'd be zero controversy.
There are a few other American's that are representing other countries. But no news about them..... because they represent places like England, Canada and Italy.
The two everyone has heard of is Eileen Gu and Becky Hammon. Why? Because they represent/ed the "evil" countries like Russia and China.
And honestly - this is probably actually good for the US. Regardless of what passport she holds. Her attitude and spirit is full on American. One can argue this is a cultural invasion into China. Sort of like all the people getting butt hurt when the S Koreans first dominated the LPGA.
Edit: changed snowboarding to skiing.
You can also argue being born/raised in the US and deciding to play for another country esp. as a high profile athlete seems odd. Which is why she's being asked, "Yes, we understand you have ties to China but are you still an American? It's a fair question.
Yet, she refuses to answer. My guess is the answer is no. She's no longer a US citizen but will reapply in the future. And she'll get citizenship because she was fifteen when her mother signed on her behalf.
Gu has shown bright thus far. Toss in the fact she's attractive with the nationality controversy and of course the media is going to be all over her.
What might have seemed like a grand gesture at 15 might not seem so grand anymore. She going to come home a hero but home to where? China. I don't think so. Her friends, classmates, former teammates live here.
She renounced her citizenship likely based on the millions she can earn in China. If you are an American citizen and suddenly come upon wealth and renounce your citizenship you are still on the hook to pay taxes.
However, Gu renounced her citizenship before winning the Gold and perhaps before she signed any endorsement deals. My guess is she's free and clear of US taxes on money earned in China.
Gu was just another burgeoning American business looking for opportunity in a wide-open market.
In her native country, Gu was going to be a star for a week or two if she won a gold medal. With her model looks, her fluency in Mandarin and her ability to compel millions of Chinese viewers to care about the Olympics, there was no limit to the magnitude of what she could become or, perhaps more to the point, what products she could sell.
And she is everywhere here, appearing in ad campaigns for a gamut of companies ranging from the Bank of China to Louis Vuitton. She is also rehearsed and smart, a marketing machine who has been programmed to frame her choice as an opportunity to inspire winter sports passion in China while saying nothing that would offend the Chinese Communist Party. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ld/6701680001/
I'm pretty sure she could earn far more in the US then vs in China. China is so overpopulated and also buying property is so difficult because of it and being a communist country, I'm sure the government owns most/all of the land. I went to China a few times back in the late 80's and it was so crowded there at that time. Imagine how bad it is now. Hell, they can't even feed themselves hardly.
Until now, we are still not sure who is Gu's father. Some people say he was a co-founder of Google, and others say he was just a sperm donor.
It is unclear whether the father has any influence on Gu's career as an athlete.
Co-founder of Google or sperm donor? Apparently Gu lives in an upscale neighborhood in SF.
The World Cup is what? Soccer, or Football for the rest of the world.
What is the Olympics? How many sporting events are there in EACH Olympics? Why is there a list of events petitioned to be in the Olympics? Why does professional athletes, such as in basketball, who gains virtually no financial benefits from the Olympics wants to play in the Olympics?
So yeah...The Olympics has a greater cache of national and personal prestige than any sporting meet. Lol.
I'm pretty sure she could earn far more in the US then vs in China. China is so overpopulated and also buying property is so difficult because of it and being a communist country, I'm sure the government owns most/all of the land. I went to China a few times back in the late 80's and it was so crowded there at that time. Imagine how bad it is now. Hell, they can't even feed themselves hardly.
She's a token then-American-now-Chinese-world class athlete. She is very useful for propaganda.
I posted this in another thread, my grandpa and my grandma appeared on Chinese TV once because they went to China for business right after 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. My grandparents talked about the food they enjoy, how much they enjoyed Chinese “Investment Environment", stuff like that. Chinese government needed that. Business people like them enjoyed a lot of benefits back then. This is over 30 years ago. Now my grandparents' background would be worthless to the Chinese communist party , but they did make a lot of money.
In 5-7 years, nobody would talk about her anymore. It is what it is. Nothing she did is illegal, or controversial under normal circumstances. But now it is a special time, US-China relationship is no going so well, and she is a world class athlete. China will treat her very well Her mother is smart. She should take advantage of the situation.
The issue is not freedom of choice. The question is about obligations.
As I stated in a previous comment, freedoms and rights often clash against each other. In this case, it is choice vs obligations. Am not talking about legal obligations but MORAL obligations. The US gave Eileen Gu excellent grounds for her to refine her athletic talents. She is recognized and idolized by fellow Americans. So the question is: What have China done FOR Eileen Gu?
When our family fled communism, it was made clear to me on why we had to flee for our lives. The US have been good to us. No country is perfect, but the US was the best haven. In return, I served in the USAF when it was time. No one pressured me to serve. At least one of us should do something.
So in the end, it is about personal choice, but it is also about consequences. You chose the public life? Then be prepared to deal with the public consequences.
She isn't obligated to represent the US. Is she the property of the US Government? No. She's a civilian.
It might not just be her Communist mother. She did graduate from Stanford. She may be loaded up with Anti American propaganda which seems to be preached by Leftist Professors at many California schools.
Anti-American propaganda at such institutions is the leftists main agenda.
She's a token then-American-now-Chinese-world class athlete. She is very useful for propaganda.
I posted this in another thread, my grandpa and my grandma appeared on Chinese TV once because they went to China for business right after 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. My grandparents talked about the food they enjoy, how much they enjoyed Chinese “Investment Environment", stuff like that. Chinese government needed that. Business people like them enjoyed a lot of benefits back then. This is over 30 years ago. Now my grandparents' background would be worthless to the Chinese communist party , but they did make a lot of money.
In 5-7 years, nobody would talk about her anymore. It is what it is. Nothing she did is illegal, or controversial under normal circumstances. But now it is a special time, US-China relationship is no going so well, and she is a world class athlete. China will treat her very well Her mother is smart.
Why? It doesn't appear (or at least from what I've read) that Gu had a modeling career to kick start at the age of 15.
What's the upside with competing for China? Where did Gu get the idea at such a young age? Why would she want to? Her friends, classmates and those she trained with live here.
You can also argue being born/raised in the US and deciding to play for another country esp. as a high profile athlete seems odd. Which is why she's being asked, "Yes, we understand you have ties to China but are you still an American? It's a fair question.
Yet, she refuses to answer. My guess is the answer is no. She's no longer a US citizen but will reapply in the future. And she'll get citizenship because she was fifteen when her mother signed on her behalf.
Gu has shown bright thus far. Toss in the fact she's attractive with the nationality controversy and of course the media is going to be all over her.
What might have seemed like a grand gesture at 15 might not seem so grand anymore. She going to come home a hero but home to where? China. I don't think so. Her friends, classmates, former teammates live here.
The thing is this...
An American have these choices of living: Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
I been to all of them when I was active duty. All of them are in the notional 'First World' category. By 'living', I do not mean just simply having a legal domicile but socializing, employed or be an employer, be artistic, personally grow within a culture, be politically active if so allowed and desired, and eventually buried when dead. If I exclude the US, it would be tough to decide between those five countries. None are perfect, but each have some things the others lack that would appeal to a person.
The choices for Eileen Gu are: The United States and China. When she chose China, she made it clear those are her choices. So when the Olympics are over in two weeks, where would Gu chose to LIVE according to what truly constitutes 'living', as outlined above, and not just having a legal residence?
I stand corrected. She's a natural for the California University system that has more in common with Communist China than the US, or she can just go to school in China since apparently she is a Chinese Citizen now
My friend, you are overanalyzing the situation. The world is now borderless. Many people will come here to take take and take, and they will go back to where they are from if the environment over there is better.
This mother-daughter team takes advantage of a situation, no more no less. Not like they are double agents.
The more you talked about them, the more they would be famous.
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