Deportes
About This Book
The period under study is the first half of the twentieth century, when Mexican women and men competed in sports at every level, from amateur and semiprofessional play to Olympic and professional competition. Teams, leagues, and athletes alike pressed for fairer treatment on both sides of the international border, working against a common assumption that Mexicans avoided exercise, teamwork, and fair play. Some of these athletes became the first Mexican competitor to reach the big leagues, to win Olympic medals, or to capture world championships in boxing and tennis. Their success belonged to a wider circle of people, including family, friends, coaches, managers, promoters, sportswriters, and fans. Audiences in Mexico and in migrant communities abroad embraced these competitors as symbols of their nation, with a strong sense of cultural and national pride. Alamillo contends that people of Mexican origin living in the United States used athletics to strengthen themselves and their communities, building lasting transnational ties to Mexico in the process. He argues that these athletes and their backers formed a diaspora shaped by sport. Through it, they overcame financial hardship, pushed back against racial and gender stereotypes, linked cross-border networks, developed blended identities, and drew attention to civil rights both inside and beyond the playing field.
ISBN: 9781978813670
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