Fútbol in the Park: Immigrants, Soccer, and the Creation of Social Ties

A Public Talk Given by David Trouille, Associate Professor of Sociology, James Madison University

Date and Time: Friday, November 5th from 11:30am-1:00pm

Location: Language Commons, 1st Floor New Cabell Hall

Lunch will be provided from Zoe’s restaurant!

Abstract: Over the past half century, immigration from Latin America has transformed the public landscape in the United States, and numerous communities are witnessing one of the hallmarks of this transformation: the emergence of park soccer. In Fútbol in the Park, David Trouille takes us into the world of Latino soccer players who regularly play in an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood where they are not always welcome. Together on the soccer field, sharing beers after the games, and occasionally exchanging taunts or blows, the men build relationships and a sense of who they are. Through these engrossing, revealing, and at times immortalizing activities, they forge new identities, friendships, and job opportunities, giving themselves a renewed sense of self-worth and community. As the United States becomes increasingly polarized over issues of immigration and culture, Fútbol in the Park offers a close look at the individual lives and experiences of migrants.