(CNN) -- The spectacular rise of Jeremy Lin, the first Asian-American to achieve basketball stardom, has been utterly thrilling to witness. We've watched with pride as he's broken through stereotypes to prove that an Asian-American can play alongside -- and beat -- the best in the NBA. And we've been gratified by the way Lin's story has been embraced by the American public, with fans of all races cheering him on. But we've also been reminded of the ugliness with which Asians have often been depicted in American culture. After Lin's 38-point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 10, Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock tweeted an offensive joke about Lin that played off stereotypes of Asians' lack of masculinity. Boxer Floyd Mayweather has asserted that "all the hype" around Lin is just "because he's Asian." And after New Orleans snapped the Knicks' Lin-led seven-game winning streak, ESPN posted a story with a headline that was an obvious anti-Chinese slur.
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Timothy Yu: ESPN posted article about Jeremy Lin with a headline that was obviously racist
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Yu: Media stereotypes of Asian-Americans are frequently ignored and shrugged off
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He says that even though ESPN took quick action, it's because Lin is a big story right now
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Yu: Lin's success won't end racism, but people will begin to see Asian-Americans differently
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Every time he drives to the basket, he upends stereotypes of @placeholder as short, weak and nerdy.
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ESPN
ESPN
Sure enough, the night the Knicks lost to the Hornets, there was the offensive headline from @placeholder.
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I imagine that many Asian-Americans got the same sinking feeling as I did: Here is the moment where the media will turn on @placeholder, bringing back the racist stereotypes that have been held at bay by Lin's winning streak.
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Lin has become so big that simply by being himself -- an @placeholder, comfortable in his own skin, playing basketball brilliantly on the world's biggest stage and enjoying himself as he does it -- he may be revolutionizing our culture.