SEMINAR: Mexican-American Athletes, Dual Citizenship, and the Question of Choice

CHICAGO SEMINAR ON SPORT AND CULTURE

SPONSORED BY NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY AND THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY

We are pleased to invite you to the Chicago Seminar on Sport and Culture at the Newberry Library, co-sponsored by Northeastern Illinois University and North Central College. The following lecture is Oct. 16 2009. All sessions begin at 3:30 PM. The lectures are open to the public at no charge. The Newberry Library is located at 60 W. Walton, Chicago, IL.

MEXICAN-AMERICAN ATHLETES, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, AND THE QUESTION OF CHOICE

Prof. Villalobos discusses how since 1997 the Mexican government actively pursued the economic and political favor of Mexicans residing in the U.S. by changing the constitution enabling Mexican-Americans to reclaim their citizenship. This has created a significant impact on Mexican soccer. Dual citizenship has enabled the national team to successfully recruit outstanding players living north of the border. A monolingual and monoculture squad is now bilingual and bicultural. This paper traces the return of the disaporic Mexican nation in men’s and women’s soccer. This has been especially important for a chauvinistic society to become a power in soccer. The new appreciation of Mexican-Americans as in Mexico has had a similar effect in the U.S. as dual citizen Mexican-American athletes have become a sought after commodity. Gifted athletes who formerly were on the margin now have two options.

Prof. Villalobos is associate professor of Hispanic Studies at Texas A&M University. His publications include La imaginación genealógica: Herencia y escritura en México. Colima: Universidad de Colima, 2006.