Vamos, Vamos Aceirteros: Soccer and the Latino Community in Richmond, California

Soccer in Richmond, California, plays a central role within the Latino community. It can strengthen and even create social networks through the community’s relationship with teams and clubs centred in Richmond. By using various findings from structured interviews, related literature, anecdotal evidence and ethnographic methods this essay explores the different functions soccer plays within Richmond’s Latino community. In particular, the relationship between Richmond High School’s soccer team and the Latino community highlights the ways in which soccer serves this impoverished urban immigrant population. Via physical and monetary means, the community supports Richmond High’s team and it gives members of the community a common rooting interest and the team serves as a source of pride for a marginalized group. In turn, the team does community service work, helps promote education, and generally helps to strengthen an already tight-knit community.