Olympic skier Eileen Gu served as grand marshal of the Chinese New Year Parade this month in San Francisco.
Eileen was born and raised in the Bay Area, and at the age of 22 is already one of the most decorated freestyle skiers in the history of the Winter Olympics, including both men and women.
She won three medals at the 2026 Games — one gold and two silver.
She’s also a fashion model and has earned tens of millions of dollars from brand endorsements.
Sounds like an all-American success story, doesn’t it?
Well, not actually.
Eileen, you see, won those medals for China, where she is known as Gu Ailing.
That’s controversial to some.
Vice President JD Vance waded into this debate during a recent interview with Martha McCallum.
“I certainly think that somebody who grew up in the United States of America, who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place, I would hope that they want to compete with the United States of America,” VP Vance stated.
“I’m gonna root for American athletes and I think part of that is people who identify themselves as Americans. That’s who I’m rootin’ for this Olympics.”
Vance on Eileen Gu: I think that somebody who benefited from our education system, from the freedoms and liberties that make this country a great place would want to compete with the US… I will root for American athletes and I think part of that is people who identify themselves… pic.twitter.com/DgY6sof7z6
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 17, 2026
Interestingly, most users who replied to the above post opposed Vance’s position.
Who is Eileen Gu, and what does her situation tell us about contemporary American citizenship?
Eileen Gu was born in the U.S. to a white American father and a Chinese immigrant mother. Gu is her mother’s maiden name.
She was raised in the U.S. by her mother and maternal grandparents. She speaks both English and Mandarin (in a Beijing dialect).
Eileen started skiing at the age of three. She was a real natural and became a great competitor.
When competing internationally, Eileen represented the United States. After all, she was born, raised, and trained as a skier in the U.S.
But in June of 2019, Eileen switched over to compete for China after the Chinese Olympic Committee presented the International Olympic Committee with a copy of her Chinese passport.
However, she has apparently not renounced her U.S. citizenship.
She describes her identity thusly: “When I’m in the U.S., I’m American, but when I’m in China, I’m Chinese.”
After dominating the slopes, #GuAiling heads to Milan Fashion Week, eager to dive into her "second career" in #fashion and to showcase the perfect fusion of elegance and athleticism. #ShePower #谷爱凌 #EileenGu (File photos) pic.twitter.com/W6Gr2jPegg
— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) February 25, 2026
Gu has competed in two Winter Olympics, in 2022 and 2026, for China, winning a total of six medals (three gold and three silver).
Like many celebrities, Gu speaks out about politics and social issues, albeit rather one-sidedly.
She has decried anti-Asian racism in the U.S. and expressed support for the so-called Black Lives Matter movement.
More recently, she knocked President Trump’s criticism of U.S. Olympic team member Hunter Hess, who said he had “mixed emotions” about competing for the United States.
Has Eileen Gu also criticized the Chinese government?
Has she spoken out against the treatment of the Uyghur ethnicity in western China or of political dissidents?
Well, no, she hasn’t.
“There’s no need to be divisive,” she previously stated.
Regarding the Uyghurs, Eileen said, “I’m not an expert on this. I haven’t done the research. I don’t think it’s my business. I’m not going to make big claims on my social media.”
The fact that she’s being supported by the Chinese government has nothing to do with it?
It’s funny how that works.
Eileen Gu is doing quite well in her sports and modeling careers. But is this good for the United States?
Many immigrants see U.S. citizenship merely as a means to an end. The number of dual citizens is on the rise. Our anchor baby citizenship policies encourage foreign pregnant women to give birth on U.S. soil so their children become automatic citizens.
U.S. citizenship policies went off the rails a long time ago.
It’s an issue we can no longer afford to ignore.
You can find more of Allan Wall’s work at his website and Mexico News Report.
