For the past few years I was the more visible Asian performer and I think it gave young girls a kind of role model showing it's possible to actually reach success doing movies.

My father was an immigrant who literally walked across Europe to get out of Russia. He fought in World War I. He was wounded in action. My father was a great success even though he never had money. He was a very determined man a great role model.

The 'Sports Illustrated' cover was the last thing I shot. That week I told my agent 'You know what I really... I don't want to be a model anymore. I really want to do movies.' And I think he wanted to wring my neck at the moment.

We've seen the kind of social impact a professional sports team has on a city. A team brings high-profile role models into your community who are healthy and they're great images for the city to gravitate toward especially for kids.

Most people compliment me on maintaining my femininity while I'm on the court. People like the fact that I model. My fans or little girls always say they want to play sports but also want to be a model like me and I think that's great.

I don't think there's anything that is a greater area of discrimination against women today than the fact that nowhere in the world is there a female role model in team sports that more than half of a general audience would recognize.

Sports is a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and achieving against great odds. Athletes in times of difficulty can be important role models.

There are relatively few role models for young people. We are in a society that is ruled by men.

The model of ownership in a society organized round mass consumption is addiction.

The purpose of science is not to analyze or describe but to make useful models of the world. A model is useful if it allows us to get use out of it.