Sports such as baseball, soccer, football, and tennis have long been recognized as America’s pastimes. Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Football League, and the U.S. Open are all multimillion dollar franchises that attract millions of U.S. viewers with their undivided loyalty and affection. As these sports have garnered the attention of the American public, the rising population of Latinos in the U.S. has become part of this demographic. Millions of Latinos come with a passion for sports as part of their culture from their home countries, many of them still pledging allegiance to their corresponding national teams. Meanwhile, many Anglo-Americans see these loyalties as a betrayal to the United States and a sign that Latinos have not made their commitment to the nation.
Some have called out the lack of representation of Latinos in U.S. sports and the criticism some Latino athletes have received from the media and the American public. The following sections explore media coverage of Latino athletes in the U.S., immigrants’ support for Latin American national teams, and the example of the Latino soccer culture in Holland, Michigan. Sports are seen as a pastime, a way to get in daily exercise, or the billion dollar businesses for people to tune in; through sports, Latino immigrants bridge cultures from their past homes with their new lives, forging a sense of belonging in the foreign territory of the United States
Media Coverage of Latino Athletes
Media exposure for professional athletes comes with interviews, brand deals, and photoshoots as well as narratives that media outlets construct to portray these athletes. These portrayals can often sway the opinion of the American public, regardless of athletic performance or success, becoming an easy way to generalize or stereotype later generations.
One of the first examples of Latino portrayals in sports media was that of Richard “Pancho” González. A first-generation Mexican-American, whose parents had migrated from the state of Chihuahua, the Los Angeles native had no formal tennis training but went on to be one of the greatest in the sport. Despite his accolades in the U.S., like winning the U.S. national singles title and helping the U.S. to win the Davis Cup in 1949 (Alamillo, 2009), González faced loads of criticism from the media due to his on and off status on the court, but many of the critics took a hit at his ethnicity. Discussing the trajectory of González’s tumultuous relationship with the media, José M. Alamillo includes a comment from a New York Times journalist, who wrote, “the way he murders that tennis ball, I think his real name is Pancho Villa, not González,” (Alamillo, 2009, p. 950). Unfortunately, González’s adolescent years gave the media much ammunition, as he had a high truancy record and later dropped out of school, in 1945. Along with this history, González had a scar on his cheek from a childhood car accident. These factors contributed to the media associating him with the “pachuco” subculture of the time, which was making its own headlines for the “crimes” Mexican American youth were supposedly committing (Alamillo, 2009). The media ran with this narrative and attributed it to González’s character, some calling the scar a “knife wound” and calling him a “hot headed Latin” (Alamillo, 2009). Alamillo goes on to say that González had his own thoughts on the comments, writing that González went on to state that “thousands of tennis spectators believe it to be true, because they think that a knife scar and Mexican American youth go hand in hand” (Alamillo, 2009, p. 951).
In terms of representation, one of the only U.S. major sports that does justice in portraying the Latino population is Major League Baseball. The numbers of the 2023 season had 30.2% of 945 players being Latino/Hispanic (Castrovince, 2023). While this seems more aligned in terms of the U.S. population, baseball had an equally rough start with Latino inclusion as well. Latino history in the MLB dates back to the 1870s with Esteban Bellán, and later in the 1880s with Vincent Naa, the first U.S. born player with Mexican heritage to play in the MLB. Dating back to the 1800s, the first two Latino players were Esteban Bellán and Vincent Nava. Both players were labeled as ‘other’ amongst their black and white counterparts. In 1886, the MLB welcomed the first Latin-American born player, Luis Castro, from Colombia. After Castro’s arrival more Latino players were welcomed into the league, many from Cuba, but it was not as simple as trying out and making a team. Latino entry into the league was largely based around skin color, indicating that only Latinos with light enough skin were allowed in (Guerra, 2013, p.1); thus, discriminating against a large portion of dark-skinned and Afro-Latinos, a trend we still see in Latino communities today.
National Loyalties
Monika Stodolska and Scott Tainsky examine “the role of soccer spectatorship in identity development and community-building processes among Latino immigrants” (Stodolska and Tainsky, 2015, p. 143). With their study they contribute to the discussion of Latino identity and how sports spectatorship – in this case soccer – contributed to this building of their community and identity in the U.S.
In order to complete this objective they interviewed 12 Latino immigrants in local sports bars frequently visited by Latinos, following the viewing of a soccer match between the U.S. national team and a Latin American country. Interviewees explained that rooting for their home country was something they would always do regardless of their time here in America. An interesting finding was the participants’ claim of the “lack of appreciation” from Anglo-Americans of soccer as a whole. One of the more compelling findings Stodolska and Tainsky discuss is the support of their home countries and the feeling of winning against America. One Honduran participant pointed out that being able to defeat the U.S. was the closest they would come to defeating injustices many Latinos suffer as immigrants and those without citizenship, she said, “I think it is one of the few times that we [Hondurans/Latinos] can say that “we won” . . . in an accessible way, otherwise it feels that is inaccessible to win against the United States” (Stodolska and Tainsky, 2015, p.150).
Soccer in Holland, Michigan
How might the experiences of Latinos in small town America broaden scholars’ understanding of how sports relate to Latino identity building? Are sports more than just a way of Latinos to feel a sense of connection to their home countries or as a way of fighting back against American assimilation or American media portrayals? In my hometown of Holland, Michigan, sports, specifically soccer, have played a major role in the upbringing of Latinos within the community. In Holland, there is an increasing Latino population, mainly from Mexico, but from other countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and Cuba as well. Over the years, as many families have moved in, a large number of them find themselves immersed in the large soccer community leagues that are held year-round. Players can enter the league at the age of 14 and the games take place over the weekend, with both an indoor or outdoor league. These leagues have been continuously active for more than 30 years, and their popularity continues to rise with emerging generations anxiously joining their family members and friends on the field. As a result, the teams remain relatively the same each year since they are usually made up of different families and friends.
My father and uncles have played in La Liga Hispana for over 20 years; they began playing in the league between their late teens and early twenties. It is how my dad first met my mom when he moved here from Texas and joined my uncle’s team. After many years, my dad’s favorite moment was not the countless trophies or metals he gained, but when my baby brother was finally old enough to play on his team. It is a moment they both hold close to their hearts and tops many victories.
The culture surrounding the league is extremely competitive, with rivalries created between teams, awards given out at the end of the season like “best goalkeeper” and “top goal scorer,” and it has now become a Sunday staple for many families as they gather around the fields to watch their loved ones play.The indoor session is just as intense as the summer outdoor league. Due to the carpet within the facility, the ball moves much faster, making the game fast-paced and aggressive. Similarly to the outdoor league, families and friends pack the bleachers to watch these games. The endless debates when the indoor league starts each winter have become a staple in my family, including discussions of what team is the best, what bad call the referee made, or what players should or shouldn’t be allowed to play.
Soccer is the top sport played by Latinos in the area by a landslide, with many club soccer teams for children and teenagers in the Holland area. Interestingly enough, the local Holland High Soccer team goes by “Los Dutch” due to the number of Latino soccer players that have been on the team throughout the years. “Dutch” comes from the predominantly Dutch population that initially populated the area, hence the city name, Holland. During their celebrations after capturing their first state title in 2017, ‘Los Dutch’ visited Holland Language Academy, a Spanish-immersion K-5 school in the Holland District, which celebrated more than the newest title for the district but also an emerging diversity in the area. Despite this, many of the success stories of Latino soccer players end in high school. The high costs of club soccer puts many of them at a disadvantage compared to their white counterparts in terms of elevating their game, connections, and scouting opportunities. Regardless, it is clear that through soccer, the Holland Latino community has been able to collectively create their own space. Recently, a futbal court was installed at Moran Park, a public park in central Holland. Many players frequent the place, and it has now rivaled the pickleball courts next to it for busiest court and long wait times. Many other families hold similar stories to ours, continuing to pursue the love of the sport while building community, connections, and navigating their identity in the states.
Conclusion
As Stodolska and Tainsky argue, “Sport helps immigrants retain symbolic connection with their former ways of life and with their communities of origin, as well as shape group identity … and maintain, revive, and sometimes invent ‘traditional’ customs” (Stodolska and Tainsky, 2015, p.146). Whether Latinos pledge their allegiance to their external national teams does not always indicate that they have not become accustomed to the U.S. or hold any hatred for it. Rather, it could have something to do with America’s history related to their favorite sport, with their home country, or their relationship to Latino people in general. There could be a much further discussion in whether America is welcoming to Latinos and their customs. Nonetheless, there continues to be plenty of space for Latinos in the world of professional sports. Their accolades and faces are rising as Latin American stars like Lionel Messi, Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández, and Canelo Álvarez make their mark on United States soil, giving Latinos in the U.S. illustrations of professional athletic success. Examples like Holland, show the importance of sports for Latino communities on a smaller, in-depth scale. It portrays the culture of sports found with Latin-American countries that is replicated as a form of establishing roots and community for Latinos within their predominantly white towns.
Citations
Alamillo, J. M. (2009). “Richard ‘Pancho’ González, Race and the Print Media in Postwar Tennis America.” The International Journal of the History of Sport, 947-965. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523360902826988
Castrovince, A. (2023, April 14). Overall MLB diversity up; effort to increase Black participation continues. Mlb.com. Retrieved December 10, 2023, from https://www.mlb.com/news/diversity-in-mlb-expanding-in-2023
Dietzer, E. (2017). Holland High ‘Los Dutch’ soccer team visits younger students. Holland Sentinel. https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/sports/high-school/soccer/2017/11/14/holland-high-los-dutch-soccer/16999660007/
Stodolska, M., & Scott, T. (2015). Soccer Spectatorship and Identity Discourses Among Latino Immigrants. Leisure Sciences, 142-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2014.970720
About the author:
Melissa Parra is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Michigan’s College of LSA; majoring in Psychology with a minor in Community Action and Social Change. She dedicates this article to her brother, who is currently a high school senior in Holland.