"No fans were waiting for the Mexican national soccer team as its players entered the downtown Marriott hotel last Sunday night. No massive swarm was begging for selfies, as usual. In the middle of a wave of anti-immigrant crackdowns by the federal government that has spooked away fans, you could have thought that the team's international friendly at the Oakland Coliseum against Japan, just a year out from the World Cup, was going to be a bust."
"But over the course of the week, the crowds outside the hotel grew, and by Saturday afternoon, some 45,000 people had gathered at the East Oakland complex, braving the threat of ICE and selling out the game for the Mexican federation's first match in Oakland in 14 years. On game day, The Oaklandside spoke with more than a dozen Mexican American families and groups of friends, who all said their passion for the team"
"Fear of ICE raids has haunted other Latino communities across the country, sometimes dampening turnout to sporting and cultural events. In Los Angeles, where a series of ICE raids and an occupation of downtown by the National Guard sparked massive protests, many Latino Dodgers fans avoided their team's baseball games fearing raids, while others boycotted the team because the owner is an investor in the Geo Group, which runs immigrant detention centers."
Fans initially did not greet the Mexican national team at the downtown Marriott, reflecting fear from federal anti-immigrant crackdowns. Over the week, crowds swelled and about 45,000 people gathered at the Oakland Coliseum, with supporters braving the threat of ICE to sell out the match. Mexican American families and groups said passion for the team and belief in community strength overcame fear, and that attending felt like joyful resistance and cultural celebration. Fear of ICE raids has reduced turnout at other events, including in Los Angeles where raids and National Guard presence suppressed attendance and spurred boycotts.
Read at The Oaklandside
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]