Thread: Immigrants who root for the wrong team

http://www.latimes.com/news/printeditio ... ws-comment

Immigrants who root for the wrong team
Latinos' loyalty to Mexico's World Cup team and Spanish-language broadcasts shows many immigrants aren't yet Americans.
By John Ziegler
JOHN ZIEGLER hosts "The John Ziegler Show" on KFI-AM (640).

June 24, 2006

THE HEART OF the debate over illegal immigration comes down to the problem of assimilation. For many of us who generally oppose the silent invasion from the south, if those who broke the law to come here acted as if their true loyalties were with the United States, then much of the fire in this highly combustible subject would be doused.

While at first glance it may seem an odd place to find enlightenment on the issue, the local TV ratings for games involving Mexico and the United States in the ongoing World Cup may provide some of the best evidence yet of where Spanish-speaking immigrants' true loyalties lie.

Take each team's two first games, one on a weekday and one on a weekend. If you combine the local "rating" (the total percentage of households in the entire Los Angeles TV market that watched on either the Spanish or English broadcasts) for each of the Mexico games, you get a 28.1. If you do the same for the two games involving the USA, you get a 19.8. What does that tell you? Simply put: There are far more fans of the Mexico soccer team in the L.A. market than there are passionate supporters of the USA squad. Now, if Mexico were much better than the USA, the assimilation apologists could argue that L.A.-area soccer fans were just more interested in watching a superior product. However, going into the tournament, both countries were rated about the same, and the U.S. opponents — the Czech Republic and Italy — were far more compelling teams to watch than Mexico's opponents (Iran and Angola). And yet far more soccer fans in L.A. have tuned into the Mexico games. Can we not conclude that this team preference is a very powerful indication of one's national identity and loyalty?

Some may argue that you can be a bigger fan of the Mexican team than the USA and still think of yourself as an American first. But as someone who was born in Germany and who would root for Germany against anyone but the USA (and would be far more likely to watch the USA play than tune in for Germany), it is very difficult for me to comprehend such divided loyalties. This is especially true in the context of the heated Mexico-USA soccer rivalry, which is becoming one of the sport's more intriguing contests, on the field and off, given such nasty incidents as Mexican fans chanting "Osama" at the American players not long after 9/11.

Even more illuminating than the overall ratings for the World Cup games is the comparison of the ratings for the Spanish and English broadcasts. The ratings for the Mexico games on Spanish TV (Univision) dwarf the numbers for the USA contests on the same network. The combined Mexico rating on Spanish TV is 21.7, compared to just an 11.8 for the USA games. So not only do L.A. soccer fans strongly prefer to watch Mexico over the U.S., they also overwhelmingly prefer to do so on Spanish-language TV. I realize this is not a wholly scientific measurement of assimilation — some bilingual fans might prefer the Spanish broadcasts — but the numbers are so overwhelming, it is hard not to see in them a community's resistance to assimilation. According to Univision, during the Mexico-Angola game (for which streets were closed and police in riot gear were brought in to Huntington Park), Latinos were more than 20 times likelier to watch the game in Spanish than in English.

The very next day, for the USA-Italy game, Latinos who watched (far fewer did, even though it was a Saturday) were only five times likelier to view it in Spanish. In fact, the Latino audience watching the USA-Italy match in English was actually more than twice the number of Latinos who watched Mexico-Angola in English. Why is this so important? Because here we clearly see a direct correlation between a Latino being more comfortable with English and having a vested interest in the fate of the USA. If that doesn't encapsulate the issue of assimilation, I don't know what does. Although these numbers do offer evidence that some Latino immigrants are indeed becoming Americans, it appears they are almost as outnumbered these days as German soccer fans must be in England.

given such nasty incidents as Mexican fans chanting "Osama" at the American players not long after 9/11.

I never heard about this. Somebody tell why Mexico is our "friend"?

It's an interesting article, and from my perspective shows illegals are not assimulating, but I disagree with the author's contention that assimulation would douse the flames in this debate.

Illegal is illegal, and the shear tsunami like volume of those breaking our laws cannot be tolerated. 12-15 million (consevatively, as many sources put the number closer to 20 million) illegal aliens, and another 3.8 million children born in America to illegals, and you have a situation that cannot be stopped.

Even if a partial Amnesty (for those here say over ten years) is going to be a part of the solution, some of those here illegally must be returned to their home countries.

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/9381358/detail.html

Huntington Park Closes Street For Mexico World Cup Game Fans

POSTED: 7:06 am PDT June 16, 2006

HUNTINGTON PARK, Calif. -- The city of Huntington Park is closing Florence Avenue between State Street and Alameda Avenue from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday to handle crowds expected as Mexico plays Angola in the World Cup soccer tournament.

Mexico's victory over Iran last Sunday sent many Huntington Park residents into the streets, and the celebrations grew so big that they paralyzed business along Pacific Avenue.


http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_175115809.html

Jun 24, 2006 2:56 pm US/Pacific

Huntington Park Police Prepare For World Cup Match
(CBS) HUNTINGTON PARK, Calif. Huntington Park police closed streets and went into full tactical alert in conjunction with Mexico's World Cup soccer game defeat against Argentina.

Fans gathered in restaurants along Pacific Boulevard to watch the telecast of the game from Leipzig, Germany on Saturday at noon.

Violence has broken out in Huntington Park following past Mexican World Cup games. In 1998, dozens were arrested following Mexico's victory against the Netherlands.

About 500 jubilant fans streamed into the streets to celebrate Mexico's 3-1 victory over Iran on June 11. Authorities reported no major problems amid a heavy police presence, with one arrest for public intoxication.

Argentina enters the game as the favorite, where the winner will advance to the quarterfinals and the loser to be eliminated. Argentina won two games and tied a third in winning Group C, while Mexico finished second in Group D, with a 1-1-1 record.



Police officers in riot gear were called in and eventually dispersed the crowd.

On Friday, officials said they would protect businesses by closing off part of Florence Avenue.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/colum ... eid=133900

Colantonio: Soccer fans, Sox fans share a passion
By Dan Colantonio/ News Staff Writer
Monday, June 26, 2006

After a tough 2-1 defeat against Ghana on Thursday, the United States soccer team will head home, eliminated after the first round which concluded with the Americans scoring just two goals -- one of which came from the foot of an Italian defender.

Along with them, the many Americans traveling from all over to root on their team will leave Germany dejected.

But for the majority of Americans who aren't diehards,, life will carry on as normal. Soccer isn't our sport; it never has been. Baseball has always been our national pastime, which explains our winning this winter's World Baseball Classic.

Wait...that was Japan. The U.S. finished 1-2. If I remember correctly, there were about as many diehard fans of the United States baseball team as there were of the now fallen U.S. soccer club. Unfortunately there's a pattern here. Americans don't seem passionate about our teams in world competition. We leave that to other nations, such as Brazil.

The reigning World Cup champions are now 3-0 in this year's Cup, and Brazilian immigrants in Framingham have not been shy in showing their support. After victories on Monday and Thursday, Brazilians poured onto Framingham streets, disrupting traffic. Many were given citations. Four men who were drinking were arrested; one had to be shocked with a Taser.

Not surprisingly, many Framingham and area residents were outraged. The consensus among those angered enough to call or write in to The Daily News was, Americans don't celebrate like this; If the Brazilians want to behave this way, they should go "home" to Brazil.

I seem to remember the Red Sox won some big games in October 2004. After their win against the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS, thousands of Sox fans poured into Kenmore Square. Property was destroyed, arrests were made and a young Emerson College student was tragically killed.

I remember that night vividly because I was there. I left Kenmore Square before events turned violent and finished celebrating with friends at an apartment in the Fenway. I saw the rest on TV, and I will never forget what happens when a good-natured celebration goes too far.

The passion Red Sox fans share for their team is similar to the feeling Brazilians share for their soccer team. Red Sox Nation, in that respect, is much like Brazil. Through their team's success, or lack thereof, the members of each group are linked.

The Brazilians' celebration has less to do with the fact they are Brazilian, and more to do with the passion they share for soccer, their team and their native land. Unfortunately the politics surrounding illegal immigration, and the division it has created in Framingham, has clouded residents' vision.

The Brazilians' behavior is not unlike that of fans worldwide when their teams win. Residents are right in thinking that this type of disruptive behavior is unhealthy.However, they are wrong in thinking it represents the entire Brazilian community -- and that Americans behave differently.

This reaction from readers is hardly surprising, considering tension among area residents and Brazilians has been mounting for some time. Any reason for Brazilian immigrants in Framingham to join together and disrupt the public will only unite those already angered at immigrants. Thiswill only get worse with every illegal immigrant caught driving without a license or arrested for assault, or now with every Brazilian victory in this year's World Cup.

It's interesting that the only way some Americans in Framingham have been united during the World Cup has been in their hatred toward another nation, rather than in the love and support of their own.

Framingham is not the only city in the United States with a large Brazilian population, and my guess is it is not the only one with such a division.And as our soccer team takes an early exit from a worldwide tournament, you have to wonder how much that division is evident for all to see.

Dan Colantonio is a Daily News staff member.

The Brazilians' celebration has less to do with the fact they are Brazilian, and more to do with the passion they share for soccer, their team and their native land. Unfortunately the politics surrounding illegal immigration, and the division it has created in Framingham, has clouded residents' vision.

I'm sorry. Is this an up is down, down is up kinda of thing?

What an outright lie! Do people actually believe this?