BLOG3: Soccer Identity

Hola hola!
Time for some “futbol”! Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to play futbol with locals at the largest mosque in South America (located in Buenos Aires); I initially expected the skill-level to be very high but quickly discovered that, probably due to the overwhelming workload and scarcity of recreational space, many people don’t play soccer as “religiously” as one might assume. Upon our arrival in Argentina, I noticed that there are many “Westernized” elements prevalent here such as the layout of the city, architecture, fashion, and lifestyle (especially the working lifestyle); considering that I’ve toured Spain before, I was under the impression that Argentines also take a midday break for a siesta, yet this is not the case; on the contrary, Argentines have rush hours similar to busy American cities (like Atlanta) & the people work all day & party most of the night. Consequently, the Argentine workforce only sleeps 4 - 6 hours a night (I oftentimes wonder: how do Argentines manage to work on such little sleep??) & some individuals also work two jobs. It appears that globalization is causing the world to emulate & mimic the American system, which, if the current financial crisis is an indication of America’s economic model, then the global market is in a dire situation. Nonetheless, I do appreciate and acknowledge the Argentines zeal for life; although financial stress might be increasing for most families, in general, the spirit of joy, community, hope, & helping your fellow Argentine seems to always exist. It should be noted that there’s certainly an ample amount of homelessness and poverty around the city; with a population of roughly 13 million, it must be inevitable for some citizens to be unemployed, and/or poverty-stricken. Shifting gears to the topic of identity, a friend of mine & I recently visited a disco spot & I managed to get in wearing a Boca shirt; little did I know that Argentines are relatively “extremist” when it comes to their supported futbol club, as such, many individuals praised me for my shirt & some shunned it; one guy was so offended by my shirt that he pushed me a few times & stepped on my shoes. I chuckled at his gesture & decided it wouldn’t be worth cleaning out his clock & setting a bad example for Americans. Consequently, I learned that a significant element of a South American or Latin American’s identity is allocated to futbol patriotism. This “identity” is similar to American’s identification & association with professional sports clubs (consider the various college or professional rivalries).

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