Before she cut the air on the world鈥檚 biggest sporting stage with head-spinning, gravity-defying moves, Logan Edra, aka B-Girl Logistx, held herself with a razor-sharp focus.
Brows furrowed and hands anchored at her hips, Team USA鈥檚 youngest breaker this year seemed more serious than some of her competitors at the Paris Olympics. This was not just a contest for the 21-year-old daughter of Filipino immigrants, but a pressure-packed chance to bring her cultural heritage into a for all to see.
Representing both Filipinos and immigrant families more broadly was 鈥渢he most overwhelming part" of breaking on the Olympic stage, Edra said, calling it 鈥渁 different layer of love.鈥�
As the spotlight now shifts to the Paralympics, athletes like Edra shoulder not only their countries鈥� hopes for gold, but the responsibility of representing their identities and cultures, which spectators .
Edra did not advance past the quarterfinals in the Paris b-girl competition, but her Olympic journey and current No. 10 world ranking clearly showcase her skill. When an athlete excels at this level, she said, stigma and judgment often give way to respect.
鈥淚f someone鈥檚 doing a crazy move on their elbows, and they spin on their head 鈥� clearly it takes so much human strength. You can鈥檛 deny that,鈥� Edra said.
However, this effect of positive exposure can unravel if a minority athlete becomes politically outspoken. It's a real dilemma: Voicing opinions on a sensitive topic can jeopardize the breadth of their influence, yet remaining silent can feel like betraying their true selves. Navigating this balance between embracing authenticity and preserving respect is a constant challenge.
鈥業鈥檒l be Muslim, too'
Social scientists call this dynamic the 鈥減arasocial contact hypothesis,鈥� which suggests prejudice can be reduced through positive exposure to athletes or other members of marginalized or stigmatized groups.
Researchers tested the theory by exploring soccer鈥檚 influence on Islamophobia in British culture. After Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah, known for his prayers on the pitch, was instrumental in a decisive Liverpool win, viral videos showed British fans celebrating with chants like 鈥淚f he scores another few, then I鈥檒l be Muslim, too,鈥� and 鈥淢ohamed Salah, a gift from Allah. He鈥檚 always scoring; it鈥檚 almost boring.鈥�
Researchers analyzed 15 million tweets and hate-crime data from 25 police departments, finding a 16% drop in Liverpool-area hate crimes and a halving of anti-Muslim tweets by Liverpool fans after Salah joined the team. Surveys showed Salah鈥檚 Muslim identity increased belief in Islam鈥檚 compatibility with British values.
Salma Mousa, a political scientist at University of California, Los Angeles, who specializes in prejudice reduction and who co-authored the 2021 study, pointed out the limitations of this influence 鈥� she said Salah maintained a 鈥渃ompletely apolitical鈥� stance on controversial issues at the time.
Shouldering the burden
鈥淧ractically this does place a burden on minority players,鈥� said Ala Alrababah, another co-author of the study and a political scientist at Bocconi University. 鈥淎s a Muslim player, as a Black player, as an LGBTQ player, or as any other minority, knowing that playing well can improve attitudes or playing badly can worsen attitudes 鈥� This is adding pressure. This is tough.鈥�
Whether it's their intention to or not, minority Olympians become emblematic figures for entire ethnicities or religions.
Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles have ignited waves of . Sunisa Lee, who in Tokyo became the first Hmong-American and first Asian American to win women鈥檚 all-around gold, sparked surges in for 鈥淗mong鈥� and 鈥淲hat is Hmong descent?鈥� And when Lee began battling an incurable after her 2021 win, she raised awareness about among the Hmong American population.
Biles waited until after she had won a sixth gold medal at Paris before to the U.S. presidential campaign on X, writing 鈥淚 love my black job."
鈥淎ll sports go way beyond what happens on the field of play, but that is true to a factor of 10 for the Olympic Games,鈥� USA Gymnastics spokesperson Jill Geer told The Associated Press.
Inspiring change
Some civil society groups recruit minority athletes to be ambassadors in prejudice reduction campaigns. Show Racism the Red Card 鈥� the U.K.鈥檚 largest anti-racism educational charity 鈥� offered a on 鈥渦sing the Olympics and Paralympics to educate against prejudice鈥� to teachers across England, Scotland and Wales.
Gilberto Lopez-Jimenez, a 21-year-old sports fan from El Paso, Texas, had more than medals in mind as he rooted for Dominican American gymnast and Mexican gymnast .
鈥淢exicans often can be associated with laziness, but Alexa Moreno has been super resilient,鈥� the first-generation Mexican American said. 鈥淏ecause she鈥檚 won so much, she鈥檚 admired by not just Mexicans but the gymnastics community more broadly, and I think that definitely has reduced some stereotypes and racism.鈥�
The specter of racism looms large in today鈥檚 world. and rhetoric have been fixtures of politics in Europe and the U.S. But the mere presence of minority athletes on podiums like the one this year can advance discussions on race and inclusion, reshape perceptions and ultimately inspire change.
鈥淚n Latino cultures, there is this pride. We鈥檙e not used to seeing ourselves on the big stage. We鈥檙e not used to making it to the podiums. So when we do it鈥檚 a big deal, and it brings our country together," Lopez-Jimenez said. 鈥淭hese athletes 鈥� what they do matters a lot.鈥�
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AP writer Noreen Nasir in Paris contributed.
Ryan Doan-nguyen, The Associated Press
