| This dissertation studies the rhetorical construction of Yao Ming, specifically how representations of him function as a clash of cultures and a statement on notions of masculinity, where race is one element, in the NBA (National Basketball Association). Yao Ming is a 7'6" Chinese player. Initially, it was thought that Yao would be an access point for White America in the NBA because he was well known to the American public. This study was derived from literature that talks about how sports are racialized. Race and ethnicity can shape how players are rhetorically constructed during game commentary, as discussed in this study's research areas: race and representation, whiteness, masculinity (black and sports), and Asian representation. These bodies of literature show that these characteristics are shaped by the ideology of the society where they are produced in media texts, such as basketball game commentary. Using critical discourse analysis, this dissertation examines 15 game commentaries quantitatively and qualitatively. The quantitative analysis data was derived from two coders who looked for seven categories of comments: basketball background, personal life, performance, descriptive record, statistics and records, physical body, and player comparison. The qualitative analysis data consisted of a thematic analysis of players, focusing on a comparison between of how players were described. Analysis of this qualitative and quantitative data found that Yao Ming received the most attention during games because of the number of comments made about him and the vividness of his descriptions. While there were over 100 players in the sample, the commentators focused on Yao. His struggles with English and ability to be competitive with the bigger and stronger American players were discussed. While the depictions of Yao do not evoke earlier, negative stereotypes about Asians, the depictions did not separate Yao as an independent person. Instead, they reinforced his place as a model minority, someone who embodied traditional Chinese cultural values and had not assimilated into American culture. |
