"Hey, Jack, Annie, you're here! Come on, come on!"
A middle-aged man walked over, a full head of short gray hair hinting at the passage of time. His strong, lean physique didn't look like he was in his forties at all. He wore a San Francisco 49ers number 14 home jersey, which looked comfortable and relaxed on him.
The man's name was Li Monian. He was a second-generation immigrant whose parents had arrived in San Francisco early on. He was born, raised, and grew up there. He now works as a high school wide receivers coach, a true professional in the field. At UCLA, offensive coordinator Norm Chow was an Asian-American, a second-generation Korean immigrant. In the world of football, there are more Asian-Americans working in the field than one would think; however, the number of players on high school and college teams decreases drastically.
This time, the Chinese community's trip to Candlestick Park was organized by a Chinese-American group, but Li Monian was in charge of the organization and execution. Although Li Monian's high school football team was mediocre and he wasn't a very important person, he was a professional. For those who were outsiders, they didn't even know the ins and outs of buying tickets, let alone the rules of football. Li Monian was very generous and took on the responsibility, becoming the main contributor to today's event.
At that moment, Li Monian's shoulders and arms were full of San Francisco 49ers scarves, making him look like a moving human clothes rack. He greeted them enthusiastically, "Come on, grab a scarf, everyone. This is our cheering tool for today. When the visiting team is on offense, we'll wave our scarves and make noise to disrupt their plays."
Lu Zhengze didn't hesitate. He took two scarves, handed one to Jiang Youning, and asked, "Is there anything I can help with now? Just say the word."
Li Monian gave a big smile. "Of course. Can you go find Chen Zhenzhen now? She's leading a small team in charge of today's cheering, but they aren't familiar with Candlestick Park or the specific location of the stands. So, could you please take them in and help them set up?"
"No problem!" Lu Zhengze immediately gave an "OK" gesture and was about to walk into the stadium with Jiang Youning, but Li Monian's call stopped him.
"Jack. Thank you." Li Monian said sincerely. Lu Zhengze thought he was thanking him for his help and laughed lightly. "It's nothing compared to you. I'm just helping a little."
But Li Monian shook his head. "No, what I mean is, thank you for supporting Lu Ke in chasing his dream. We all know how difficult it is for Chinese parents to agree to their child becoming a professional athlete instead of getting a stable, typical office job."
Lu Zhengze was slightly stunned. This is how Asian immigrants often are. Although they live in a new land and left their homes behind, they still refuse to assimilate into society, stubbornly following their traditional values to survive. Gradually, the differences in values and life philosophies among first, second, and third-generation immigrants have grown larger. The younger generations of immigrants have fallen into a void where they can't find a sense of belonging in their original culture and also can't find a foothold in their new society.
Lu Ke becoming the first starting Chinese-American quarterback in the league is partly due to physical limitations, but it's also partly due to the limitations of traditional beliefs. Before Lu Ke, there was only one non-mixed Chinese-American player in the league, Wang Kai. But there have been quite a few players with partial Chinese heritage from one parent. This can be attributed to talent, but also to cultural and traditional reasons.
As Li Monian said, whether the creation of this history was intentional or not, and regardless of whether Lu Ke feels the weight of this history, as a player who is making history in the NFL, every step Lu Ke takes is changing the future of countless people. Once upon a time, Li Monian himself went through such challenges and difficulties. As a second-generation immigrant in his forties, he went through the same path Lu Ke is on twenty years ago but ultimately failed. Not to mention joining the NFL and becoming a professional football player, even becoming a football coach, he faced pressure from his family and society.
Now, things are slowly starting to change. At the very least, the Chinese community in San Francisco is not only watching football for the first time but also organizing themselves for the first time to participate in mainstream American culture. Since Yao Ming entered the NBA, it's been a long time since we've had a moment like this. And this time, it's a step further by joining America's number one sport. Perhaps, one day in the future, they will unite to fight for more rights for Chinese people in America and overseas, not just in sports but also in politics, society, history, and economics. It will not only be about the rise of China but also the rise of all overseas Chinese.
It's difficult and far away, but who knows? The footprints of history are being made without anyone even realizing it. Seeing the stunned expressions on Lu Zhengze's and Jiang Youning's faces, Li Monian, his mind filled with memories, burst into laughter, hiding the catch in his voice and the slight sting in his nose. "I just wanted to say, thank you. Thank you for being open-minded and accepting your son's differences. As for the rest, I hope to one day thank Lu Ke properly. He earned this, and he deserves it." With that, Li Monian walked away without stopping.
Watching his back, Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning exchanged a look. Then Jiang Youning smiled. "It seems we're not the only two standing behind our son, supporting and encouraging him." The feeling of having companions on the journey of chasing a dream and making history, cheering each other on and crossing the finish line together, is a wonderful one.
...
"49ers, all you 49ers in the stadium." In Candlestick Park, the noisy and exciting music suddenly stopped. The stadium announcer's voice echoed through the speakers. People who were still finding their seats looked up at the big screen above the field and listened to the announcement.
"Welcome to Candlestick Park for Week 10 of the NFL regular season. The game is about to begin in 25 minutes. Today, we have another 100% capacity home game. Let's cheer for ourselves and for the team!" With the announcer's call to action, the entire crowd started screaming and roaring. The boiling red ocean showed its power for the first time.
Then, the announcer continued, "However, today, Candlestick Park has a group of very special fans. They have always lived in this city and are an indispensable part of our lives. Some of them may be our best friends, while others may just be focused on their own lives and not that familiar with us."
"But today, they have come to Candlestick Park, joined our ranks, and become 49ers, feeling the pulse and heartbeat of this city. Now, please allow me to welcome them and support our team to keep moving forward and winning. Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a warm round of applause to the 49ers from Chinatown!"
As the announcer spoke, the big screen showed a section of the stands. The faces gathered there looked a little unfamiliar. The sea of Chinese faces was a sight that had never been seen at Candlestick Park. But at this moment, they were a little shy and unsure of what to do in front of the camera. This was completely unexpected for Lu Zhengze and Li Monian. Moreover, compared to Western fans, Eastern fans are always more shy and reserved. When suddenly appearing on the big screen, Western fans might fully express themselves, while Eastern fans would involuntarily show a shy smile.
At this moment, the five hundred Chinese fans were a little stunned, not knowing how to react. Suddenly, a few people in the crowd stood up and shouted something loudly to everyone. Then, all the fans raised the signs they were holding above their heads, which, when put together, formed a picture: a red background with a golden outline of a little deer named Bambi, with a crown on one of its antlers. Underneath, "King of the Bay" was written in golden English and in bold and vigorous Chinese characters.
A mere five hundred fans were a tiny fraction of the seventy thousand people in Candlestick Park, but at this moment, the huge picture they created with their signs was shown on the big screen through the camera. In an instant, it ignited the passion and cheers of the entire crowd. There was only one reason: Lu Ke. The rookie quarterback who was leading the team to victory was now uniting the entire Candlestick Park and the entire city of San Francisco with his passion.
So, the entire crowd began to cheer as a whole. First, there were screams of "Ahhh," then someone changed the chant, and gradually, all the cheers became one resounding roar. Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning exchanged a look, seeing surprise and shock in each other's eyes. Then, excitement and happiness welled up, and they also joined the cheering of the entire crowd.
Everyone, every single person in Candlestick Park, not just the fans but also the staff and the guests in the luxury suites, felt the powerful force of this wave. They couldn't help but want to be a part of it. Listen, that's the roar coming from this stadium: "King of the Bay! King of the Bay! King of the Bay!"
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