We’ve have been waiting! Bad semester, bad year, don’t mean shit…It’s time for the World Cup: all the possible human emotions mix, imagine a nice cocktail or shit a dam pozole after a cruda. Either way, shit is intense! And what better way to open the tournament with Mexico vs South Africa (the host). Dam, can you feel it????Can you??? Yo si!
Yes, yes, I am far from both Mexican Los Angeles and Mexico, but just as prepared as usual. Been doing the usual pre-game shit, talking to all the homies, getting exciting about the possibilities, watching Mexico play badly. But I dream, I dream.
I dream and the more I dream the more I become aware of the large divide between me (a pocho/chicano) and my Mexican friends (Mexico City cats). The “Mexicanos” are scared and display a profound distrust in Mexico: “Pinche Mexico,” “Aver como nos va,” “No, no, ya se que Mexico va a perder,” or “Anda muy mal Mexico.” Dumbfounded I can only mutter a simple “si se puede.” Yes, its stark, buts it’s the truth: cats from the “heart of Mexico” are pessimistic and I, yes I, am optimistic….
Here it is. Mexicans from Mexico City have no faith in the Mexican national team and this is tied to their closeness to the Mexican nation-state. For them the national team is an expression (a symptom) of the state of the Mexican political or economic system. Politicians can’t be trusted, neither can the government. Their lack of faith in the national team is really a lack of faith in the Mexican nation-state, but I hope not in the people!
Y bueno, yo que? Far from the daily experience of the inadequacy of the Mexican nation state, Mexican identity is more tied to experiences of all brown folks in the United States that to a politician with a pristine guayavera. The undocumented migrant, the offspring of migrants who makes it into a university, the affirmative claim that Being Mexicano is something to be proud of all mix to produce an optimism. A "si se puede" to all Mexicanos north of the US-Mexican border. Maybe a blind optimism, but an optimism nonetheless. Mexico will win, because it has too! We all need it, Arizona, California, New York, todos.
Yet, whether far or close to the nation-state, like good nationalism we pochos and Mexico City cats will be hoping Mexico can beat South Africa in their home. We will all feel the pain of a loss. Consider this an invitation to join us-Mexican nationalist-as we ride the 1 train from 116th all the way to Queens. Queens, where all the Mexicanos are! Like the UNAM students we will pack the train, be loud, very loud and enjoy the ride. Please RSVP via a comment: a vamos mexico will do…And I will then send info to all.
I'm torn about this game. I would like to see Mexico win considering everything in recent times, but I also want South Africa to shine throughout the World Cup because it is so big for them to host this series.
ReplyDeleteDo you ever find yourself (implicitly) questioned due to your optimism?
Wish I could join but will be watching the game from Mexico jeje.
ReplyDeleteim all over it
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ReplyDeleteI wanna go, but i will BE in Mexicy!
ReplyDeleteDid you invite Andres? aestefan@gmail.com
@ El Froy. just did! A el y Rita (los chilenos)
ReplyDeletePues apúntame, compadre!
ReplyDeleteLet me know when you decide on a place. I am there!
ReplyDeleteare you going to have daily coverage of the World Cup from NYC???? pictures!!!
ReplyDeleteI think not soo regular..But def when Mexico plays and when I can catch a game in an ethnic hood....US-England might try and cover it in some English pub....About pics, not sure I can have more than one....this site kinda sucks...
ReplyDeleteI just had a long conversation with the Mexicano dude that runs the Greek place on campus. His take was that the team was too inexperienced. Not sure if the insecurity about the team's performance has everything to do with one's feelings about the Mexican nation-state. The analysis here just seems a little top-down for me. But that's just because I think you're using the master's tools to try'n break down the master's stadium. Why does the nation-state (once again) define the limits of solidarity? How might other factors, say the global economic recession, also shape folk's expectations of the teams performance? And since we're asking tough questions, how has your and your families success (or mine, or others in our position) influenced the ways we see the world around us? Do recently arrived migrants with little prospects for getting papers share your optimism? As L. Alvarez likes to remind us, shit tends to be complex, contested, and contradictory.
ReplyDeleteIsrael--good questions..just had late lunch over at el porton, where we had beers last time we were here. Inexperience with the cat I was talking to translates to a new type of player(s) for Mexico. Young, more talened in teh past, and for many, experience in Europe. As for the Master's tools-thats shit is hard. Im not sure I understand the pessimism on the "Mexican" side, but my point with my "nationalism" was an attempt to hint at a nationalis that is not bound to the nation-state. It resides outside of its borders and stands for different things and was fomented/fostered/etc in the United States. What I haven't considered too much and maybe we can think about it aloud is what a victory means to Mexicans on both side of teh border. Is it possible to speculate about the connection between a Mexican victory say over the US last summer and types of nationalism? And papers are huge man, I agree. My stance (and maybe yours as well) can at times only be articulated via our position as sons of mirgants con papels...ie our criticism of citizenship. Not sure I answered any of your questions...i'll have to really think about master's tool though...in the mean time though....vamos mexico (minus calderon and his politics).
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