Soccer and Immigration

The game of soccer, though played sporadically throughout the country, never truly caught on in the United States. The football industry, equipped with jerseys, season tickets, bobble heads, partnerships, and advertisements, has a much larger stake in American pop culture. This is not unique though, other nations such as Australia and India have not adopted the soccer mentality. What is unique, however, is the strong American distaste for soccer, which borders on hatred. Americans are not simply indifferent to soccer; they consider it a threat to the American way of life.

As discussed in the Foer book, How Soccer Explains the World, the feelings of many Americans towards soccer span beyond harmless dislike, and many individuals consider it a threat to the fundamentals of American culture. Though we have all witnessed this, it is hard to solidify a root cause. It could stem from a need for superiority; soccer is relatively cheap and thus can be played in low-income areas. Football, however, requires more gear, a field, a uniquely shaped ball, and is tougher in nature. The negative sentiments of soccer may come from a place of fear, and a need to defend the ‘American way’.

This mentality is not unique to just the sports world, as a comparison can easily be drawn between soccer and football and Americans and immigrants. With the exception of the initial influx of immigrants (i.e. the creation of the colonies), immigration in America is primarily met with hesitation, distaste, and in extreme cases, aggression. Feelings of uncertainty towards immigrants also stem from a place of fear of compromising the ‘American way’, as many Spanish-speaking immigrants have provided a cultural rift in the South.

The comparisons continue, as instances in the south of abhorrence for Mexican immigrants continue to appear in the news. On one occasion on July 1^st 2014, 3 busses full of Hispanic children and families were met with “Go Back Home” chants as they neared California. Comparably, the possibility of hosting the World Cup in the United States was met with a similar reaction, and soccer was dubbed a “socialist sport”.  It is important to note that these feelings do not stem from a place of factually accurate and rationally conceived opinions, but rather a place of fear and ignorance.

There are many circulated statistics that combat the anti-immigration sentiment so prevalent in the United States, specifically in regard to Hispanics. Compared to other foreign minority groups, Hispanics have the highest rate of cultural assimilation. Typically, within two generations, Hispanic families are almost entirely assimilated into American culture. This fear of compromising American culture does not stand on legitimate ground, as illegal immigrants tend to pay more into the system than they take out. Illegal immigrants boost the tax system through income and sales taxes, but typically do not claim benefits for fear of being deported. These facts are provided by the Census bureau, and could help change public opinion on immigration reform.     

Much like negative feelings towards soccer, legitimate fear of immigration is largely unfounded. Soccer does help explain the world in this situation, as hatred towards soccer can be discounted as well as hatred towards Hispanic immigration. Though soccer may never hold legitimate cultural ground in America, hopefully abhorrence for a harmless sport will dissolve, and take anti-immigration sentiments with it.