Megan Rapinoe prides herself on social justice issues, especially racism. For years, the US Women’s National Team player gained a reputation for her outspoken social views and social activism. She became a sort of social justice “warrior.” Rapinoe even gave a speech covering many topics of injustice at the FIFA Awards in 2019.
However, an old tweet from 2011 resurfaced showing Rapinoe mocking another player for their Asian heritage.
Rapinoe tagged a now-defunct account in the tweet that belonged to Tasha Kai, a fellow national team player. Kai is of Filipino, Chinese, Hawaiian, and Caucasian descent. Rapinoe addressed her in a short message reading the following:
You look Asian with those closed eyes!
Megan Rapinoe
While the two were teammates on the National Team from 2006-2009 and maybe friends, any form of racism is unacceptable, even if it was just a “joke.” It is unknown why Rapinoe tweeted what she did at the moment.
At the time, Rapinoe was 25 years old, so she clearly knew what was acceptable and what was not. In shorter words, she wasn’t just a kid at the time.
Rapinoe’s tweet is even more concerning, given that she often condemns racism. She also speaks on inclusion for all, and she is openly gay. Her profile picture on Twitter even reads “Black Lives Matter.”
In the past, Rapinoe encountered controversy, but never for blatant racism. Her comments regarding FIFA’s pay gap between men and women garnered immense support but also immense criticism. Before the 2019 Women’s World Cup, she bashed FIFA and the wage gap.
However, fans and officials didn’t accredit her much, pointing out that the men’s game simply earned more revenue, making it possible for them to be paid accordingly.
She also openly took shots at then US President Donald Trump saying that she would never go to the White House if the team won.
Currently, Rapinoe and the US are fresh off a 2-0 win against Nigeria in preparation for the Olympic Games. She also finds herself competing for a final roster spot as just 18 players can travel to Tokyo to compete. Given her play, she has a good chance of inclusion, but it is unknown if she will face any consequences with this controversy.
