For UCLA’s Johnny Juzang, Final Four stage can inspire fellow Asian Americans
Recent violence directed at Asian Americans can serve as a poignant reminder of how former Kentucky basketball player Johnny Juzang can inspire positive feelings.
Juzang, whose mother is Vietnamese, was to lead UCLA into the NCAA Tournament Final Four semifinals against Gonzaga on Saturday night. During a Friday teleconference previewing the game, he was asked if he thinks about being a role model for Asian American children.
“Yeah, I do,” Juzang said before adding, “it’s not something that’s on top of my mind or I really think about. Honestly, I don’t think about anything like that too much. I’m just Johnny.”
Juzang, who played for Kentucky as a freshman in the 2019-20 season, acknowledged that he is aware of how he can be a positive role model.
“I will, you know, get messages,” he said. “Or I’ll just hear stories about how I’ve inspired people regardless of the heritage. Sometimes they are people of Asian descent.”
Recent violence directed at Asian Americans included spa shootings in the Atlanta area and a horrific attack on a 65-year-old woman in New York City this week. This prompted widespread condemnation and served as a reminder that anti-Asian bias and violence exists in the United States.
Juzang’s mother, Hanh, is a financial adviser. His father, Maxie, is Creole and works as a CEO of a healthcare staffing company. The family lives in the Los Angeles area.
Other Asian American athletes include golfer Tiger Woods and basketball player Jeremy Lin.
Juzang, who is UCLA’s leading scorer, said he welcomed the chance to be a positive role model.
“Just being able to inspire people is something that is touching and inspires me,” he said. “And it’s something I don’t take lightly. That’s always a good feeling to hear that from people. But I wouldn’t say it’s on the forefront.”
This story was originally published April 2, 2021 at 5:02 PM.
