Chinese-born American football player Li Boqiao calls 'stop' on anti-Asian hate

Li Boqiao is in his native Beijing grinding away ahead of his debut season in the Canadian Football League (CFL) but the Chinese linebacker did not forget to give his Asian heritage a shout-out as the US’ Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month draws to a close.

“The Asian culture and community has a lot of great traits, like being hard-working, putting family first, starting from the bottom as self-made people, relentless effort,” said the 25-year-old, who joined Vancouver-based BC Lions as the only Chinese-born entrant in this year’s CFL Global Draft.

“So I would say to young Chinese or Asian players who are motivated by me: train and compete, do what we do at the highest level. Keep that relentless effort, that underdog mentality, man. Be self-made. That’s it.”

Li – all 6’3 (191cm), 240 pounds (109kg) of him – was also the first and only Chinese player inducted into the National Football League (NFL) International Player Pathway programme in 2019.

The University of Charleston graduate made a name for himself at college Division II level after remarkably only taking up the sport aged 15 in China’s comparatively young set-up.

He elaborated on his cross-cultural journey in his unique Chinese-speaking BC Lions interview earlier in the week, calling the US environment “very different” but fulfilling as earning a scholarship allowed him to continue his obsession with American football.

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“The biggest difference is still the players,” the former Wuhan Gators and Beijing Cyclones player said. “From China’s amateurs to college-level football, to training in the States professionally with the NFL and CFL, I can say the sport remains the same, but the skill set and professionalism sets the apart.”

Li returned to China earlier in the year having officially graduated from Charleston. Although the Covid-19 pandemic would leave him stranded at home for a while, it meant he was able to help give aspiring Chinese players first-hand elite-level football insight in-person.

Now that the CFL preseason countdown begins – its season was abruptly cancelled last year over pandemic precautions – it is time for Li to go full defensive beast mode.

“CFL camp starts in July so I’m spending the whole month of June training at my [other] home in Hainan island, South China, for full-time training,” he said.

“Lifting, positional and cardio work. Different stuff to try to do the best I can in China. I’m far away from the team but got to stay ready for camp. The BC Lions strength coach also sent us all off-season strength programmes to follow so we’re ready.”

And while he is well acclimated to the States by now, Li sent out a wider message addressing the general uptick in anti-Asian attacks or rhetoric seen across the world in recent months.

“I haven’t really dealt with [racism] too much. But absolutely, the topic before was Black Lives Matter, now it’s Stop Asian Hate. I saw a lot more racism, especially towards Asian people, in the US and across the world. We need to stop it as soon as possible and show more love as a whole unit. We’re all people at the end of the day. Stop being racist and support each other.”

This article was first published in South China Morning Post.