I decided to do my paper on the Chicano players and what impact they had on MLS. The reason why I chose this topic is because soccer is my life. I have been playing soccer since I was six years old and still to this day playing at EWU. I thought it would be very interesting to learn how Chicanos started out with soccer in the MLS. I have so much respect for Chicano athletes in the MLS and just Chicanos in general. I know that Chicano soccer players in the MLS are great players, and I feel like Chicano soccer players have helped the MLS become famous and help the MLS stay popular by having such outstanding players in the United States. A few other topics I will also be focusing on is how hard it was to compete with the Americans in the MLS and …show more content…
how they were treated differently. Using most of my information from the MLS website it helps me get specific statistics about the Chicano players. My hope at the end of this project is that my peers will be able to learn a little about what Chicanos in the MLS have been going though and how fortunate they are to get this opportunity to live their dream. The history of Chicano players in the MLS is one that is full of stories and information about how they have helped the MLS develop into the powerhouse league it is becoming.
In the MLS inaugural season of 1996 there were significantly less Chicano athletes then there are now. What blew my mind was that there were only three players in the MLS that were Latino. To me it seemed like they opened the door for other Chicanos/Latinos that wanted to play in the MLS. Their names were Hugo Sanchez, Jorge Campos, and also Jose Vasquez. Hugo Sanchez played for Dallas Burn in the MLS by the end of his career. He only played for the Dallas Burn for one year but after that he went on to playing with a club team then retired from soccer. Jorge Campos played for LA Galaxy for two year then played for Chicago Fire in 1998. In 1998 he won the MLS cup with his team on the Chicago Fire. That is like winning the Super bowl for football, it’s a big deal and even a bigger accomplishment being the first Latino to do it. The third Latino to be a part of this was Jose Vasquez. He played for LA Galaxy from 1996-1999. He was cut from the team after he experienced a very harsh injury. In 1998 he was a part of the MLS Pro40, which is the top 40 players from that year. This is also a very big accomplishment to be a part of and being the first Chicano to do it make it even better. At the beginning of their 17th season this year there were 78 Chicano athletes on the 19 MLS teams (MLS 1996 Recap, 2014). …show more content…
Which means on average there are 4 players of Chicano decent on each team which is crazy compared to the 3 total players of the same decent when the league first began. One reason for this is because when it first started out no one recognized MLS throughout the world. It had problems being popular in America alone. As big name stars such as David Beckham started to gather some attention from the media the MLS started to grow. This caused people from other countries with rich soccer backgrounds to start showing interest in these teams. There is no one culture that soccer is richer in, than the Chicano’s. They have the highest rate of attendance at MLS games with 40% of attendees being Chicano (Major League Soccer, 2014). The Houston Dynamo’s have the highest fan support from the Latino’s at 65% and on top of that the youth in the area who play soccer are 82% of all the players (Major League Soccer, 2014). This shows how the addition of these Chicano players to the MLS has helped it gain popularity within these communities that normally, wouldn’t have reached. These statistics alone show’s how big of a following our American soccer league has in other countries. This is huge to target the Chicano population considering some 50 million Americans identify as being of a Hispanic or Latino background. One thing that got a lot of attention when these athletes of Chicano decent started out in the league was if any particular group would have an advantage over the other. With how important soccer is among the Chicano people their backgrounds helped them to become very good players on these teams. Not that they were more physically gifted, they were just raised with a soccer ball around all the time. That was one thing that a lot of American born players didn’t have considering how soccer in America was pretty much non-existent from the 1940’s into the early 1970’s. The creation of the MLS occurred when soccer started to come back. It helped the really hardcore soccer fans because they finally had teams in America that they could cheer for but it wasn’t until around 2007-2008 that the MLS really took off. The Average attendance of a Seattle Sounders game which is the highest in the league is more than Mariners games and nearly reaching the average attendance of the Seattle Seahawks. This is pretty amazing considering just 8 years ago the Sounders didn’t exist. In the time since then they have outlasted the Seattle Supersonics who had won an NBA title and been there for over 20 years. With the close proximity of Mexico to the United States it is understandable that the first athletes to make the transition to play in our soccer league would be from Mexico.
When the league formed there were hardly any foreign players even from Mexico. In the next couple years as it gained popularity players started coming from Mexico. This opened the door for players from all around the world to start coming in and playing soccer here. As of today there are currently 66 different countries represented by players on MLS rosters. This would have been unthinkable when the league first came to be. 60% of the athletes in the MLS are American born players and of that percentage 14% are of a Chicano background (Hispanic Market part of DNA of MLS, 2009). Which is the second largest group of foreign players in the MLS, second only to Canada and there are two MLS teams in Canada. This is something recruiters from the league are starting to lean towards when selecting upcoming talent to fill their rosters. They would much rather have people who were raised watching and playing soccer from a very early age than people who enjoy soccer but aren’t as fully devoted to it as a lot of Chicano people are. This leads them to have a drive and desire to succeed here because their love for the game and wanting to play it at any cost. That spirit and work ethic can be seen from many Chicano people as they strive to better their lives and the lives of their
families. The amount of growth the league has experienced over the past few years has a direct correlation with the number of foreign players in the league. As it has grown to target a wider range of audiences, so does the need for foreign players from the target area’s to join the league so that they can feel a connection to the league. This is especially obvious with the growth of Chicano and Latino viewing of games whether it be attending the games in person or watching them on TV. The more people from those cultures who join teams in the MLS the more they will want to watch players whose names they can associate with watching them play in lower levels while they came up. I believe this is a trend that will obviously continue even into possibly an expansion team in Mexico within the next few years followed by possibly adding a team overseas. None of this would have ever happened if those first Chicano and Canadian athletes hadn’t opened the door for foreign athletes from around the world to come to America and join the MLS. There have been many great players in the MLS who were born with Chicano backgrounds. Most notably is Carlos Bocanegra who played two years at UCLA. He is American born however his father comes from a Mexican heritage and has strong beliefs which influenced him to live there. Carlos is known well for his beliefs regarding the poor representation of Mexican holidays such as people who use Cinco de Mayo to get drunk instead of understanding the history and respecting the people involved. These are ideals he learned from his father. As anyone can probably understand this could get frustrating for the Chicano people who actually respect the meaning of these holidays and people interfere with that. So it is nice to know that people are using the popularity and influence they gained from sports to help out their people. Soccer is one of those sports that requires a full team playing at its highest level to succeed and the ability of these people to come in with some speaking different languages and mesh on the field so perfectly shows their dedication to what they do. There is no way that playing without being able to talk to your teammates would be an easy thing to do. Especially when you have never played with the people before it would be nearly impossible to establish any form of teamwork. This is one of the biggest challenges Chicano’s playing in the MLS experience. Another, is that when they come over to tryout they are young men who don’t have much money so if they fail to make the team they are kind of stuck without anywhere to live. It’s not as easy as just trying out the next year. For some people this is too great of a risk to take and they never truly reach their full potential and shoot for the stars. Playing in the MLS is a dream that many people share and these specially gifted athletes of Chicano backgrounds who have transcended those around them to become one of the top 550 players in the Western Hemisphere. This special honor is one that wouldn’t be possible without the addition of players with backgrounds from other countries because they have helped develop the league into something that is viewed outside of the U.S and is becoming known as a powerhouse league. With how much its popularity is rising throughout the world ten years from now it may be up there with the great soccer leagues such as the English Premier League or the La Liga. This is all thanks to the boost in foreign people watching the games we got from having athletes who have families or are from different countries and this all helps our popularity not only in the United States but in the entire world and that is why Chicano athletes have had such a huge impact on this game and will continue to for many years to come.
Another significant component of the class is the Oral History Project. Students in Chicano Studies 1A are required to interview a latino immigrant, 1st generation or 2nd generation, who is currently in college. It is a ten-page paper that is meant to be similar to the oral history books assigned. The purpose of the project is to emulate the books written by Professor Garcia while learning how to interview people. It also teaches some history and background information about someone
The first article I have chosen is, “Juncture in the road: Chicano Studies Since: “El plan de Santa Barbara” by Ignacio M. Garcia. I have chosen this particular article for various reasons. One is because reading the first few paragraphs of the article stirred up many emotions within me. I found myself growing angry and once, again, repulsed by the United States discrimination system. The more knowledge I obtain on the United States, on its past and how it develops today, I can finally say that I resent everything it stands for and embarrassed being part of it. I would rather say that I am a country of one…myself. The second reason for choosing this article, was because it was an easy read for me as well as the topic being discussed was intriguing.
This paper is about not only about the legacy of Jackie Robinson but also his life and how he changed the Major League Baseball internationally for African American worldwide. Jackie Robinson is remembered as the man who broke the color barrier in major league baseball and was the first African American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Jackie Robinson played baseball at a time when teams were segregated, black from white. With the assistance of team manager Branch Rickey, Robinson took action, desegregating Major League Baseball as the first black ball player with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He left a legacy opening professional sports to many African American athletes. His outstanding career with the Brooklyn Dodgers and his dignity in facing the insults and threats that were hurled at him broke down the racial barriers in America’s Pastime and opened the way for black players who followed. Jackie Robinson broke down the invisible barriers of racism and segregation through his hardships, career and legacy.
People are discriminated against because of their race and social position every day. This has been going on for hundreds of years. In Mexican White Boy, Danny and Uno were discriminated against by people around them for being different, but along the way of discovering themselves, they form an unbreakable friendship.
Armando Rendon in his landmark 1970 wrote the book I am a Chicano. This book is about how activist in the Chicano movement pointed to an empty monolog of the word Chicano. Chicano means an activist. Chicanos describes themselves it was a form of self-affirmation; it reflected the consciousness that their experiences. Chicanos means, nations, histories, and cultures. This book talks about how Mexican American also used the term of Chicano to describe them, and usually in a lighthearted way, or as a term of endearment. In a text it talks how Chicanos haven’t forgotten their Mexican origins, and how they become a unique community. The book talks about how Mexican American community’s long-suffering history of racism and discrimination, disenfranchisement, and economic exploitation in the United States. The
A question that every high school student is faced with is: “What extracurricular activities so you participate in?” Some can answer confidently while others are slapped with a moment of sudden realization. These people are just floating along with the crowd, with no driving force or motivation. What I believe differentiates me from my peers and gives me a sense of uniqueness, is what I do outside of my academia. Out of the deluge of activities that are available, Latinos In Action is the one that I feel the most passionate about and shapes my persona the most.
When someone say’s “hispanic,” what definition comes to mind? Hispanics are not one nationality, nor one culture. Instead, Hispanics are greatly diverse people. Our language and cultural origins are Spanish and Latin American, regardless of race and color. Hispanics can be European, Indian, or of African descent, or any combination of the three. The culture could be linked to Mexico, the Caribbean countries, Central America, South America and Spain. Hispanics were once considered a rarity in the United States, now we are found throughout the country.
Whether they were on Broadway or in Hollywood, being a Hispanic actor meant you were put into this stereotyped box that was and is hard to break through. How many times has there been a Hispanic or Latino in the role of a hero, wealthy man/woman, or doctor in film or television? The following quote from Lin Manuel Miranda is to explain the struggles of a male Hispanic actor aspiring to be on Broadway. “I couldn’t see a way for me [a Latino man] to have a career in musical theater based on the musicals that already existed. I don’t dance well enough to play Bernardo [of ‘West Side Story’], or Paul in ‘A Chorus Line.’ And I don’t have an operatic voice enough to play the ‘Man of La Mancha.’ And if you’re a Latino man, that’s all you get… I
The increase and changing demography in the United State today, with the disparities in the health status of people from different cultural backgrounds has been a challenge for health care professionals to consider cultural diversity as a priority. It is impossible for nurses and other healthcare professionals to learn and understand theses diversity in culture, but using other approaches like an interpreter is very helpful for both nurses and patients. In this paper of a culturally appropriate care planning, I will be discussing on the Hispanic American culture because, I had come across a lot of them in my career as a nurse. The Hispanic are very diverse in terms of communication and communities and include countries like Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, South and Central America, and some of them speak and write English very well, some speaks but can’t write while some can’t communicate in English at all but Spanish.
77% of NBA basketball players are African-American, approximately 343 players, compared to the 0% or none we had in the earlier 1950’s, in just 60 years we went up 77%. (Travis Waldron 63 Years Ago Today
A significant part in being Chicano is embracing your roots and fighting for your rights. Chicano culture was at its peak in the 60’s and 70’s when Chicanos were exhausted of being oppressed. Chicanos young and old, decided that it was time to take a stand by not only expressing their feelings but their pride. This inspired the rise in Chicano art coming out at that time as well as a bunch of sayings going around like “Brown pride” and “We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us”. Most of my mom’s side identify as Chicano, especially the ones that were growing up at that time. They appreciate the movement, the art, and the lifestyle. In fact, I know that at least one of my tias participated in the school walkouts for Chicano rights. When I’m at a family party, I still notice that Chicano pride even in my older cousins who were born years after the peak. I understand that to some, Chicanos are perceived as cholos. There are some but not all, but all the older ones do show off their pride as I’ve seen.
When people think of the integration of Major League Baseball, the often remember the name Jackie Robinson. On April 15, 1947, “Jackie Robinson, a black man, played first base for the Dodgers at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York, shattering baseball's age-old color line” (Stewart 49). Robinson was the f...
In the United States, major league professional soccer has attracted little interest from the fans. Either indoor or outdoor proved to be successful, even with stars coming from Europe and Latin America. American Soccer League was the longest running professional league in the United States soccer history, going from 1921 to 1984. The North American Soccer League only existed until 1985. Some of the worlds' greatest players competed in this league, such as Michael Platani and Giorgio Chinaglia.
The Hispanic community represents many nationalities and ethnicities, including Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, 15 Central and South American countries, Spain, and the Dominican Republic (Cattan, 1993). Hispanic group are well known in the workforce, politics, education, social economic and religion. The Spanish culture influences a variety of areas such as music, food, language. Most languages are rooted in Latin. It is always good to learn about other cultures if we expect the same consideration when we visit other countries. Differences are what make life interesting. Majority of the United States is built on immigration, which has made this country the most diverse. And the Hispanic group contributes to that diversity.
In a society filled with people that strongly believe that sports is an industry that is removed and immune from the ills of the world—racism. Many fans and spectators of sports, such as baseball, basketball, football, and many other sports that include players of different races and ethnicities considers that racism is a thing of the past because of the inclusion and acceptance of all races in different sports. However, the misconception of living in a post-racial (colorblind) world is prevalent. Even though racial discrimination in sports and society in general, are not overt as in the past, racism continues to plague the industry. Regardless of fans and spectators wanting to ignore the racial biases and discrimination in the sports industry,