I was at Thursday's USA-Honduras games, and was impressed by the large number of Honduran fans, as well as their enthusiasm. But what I saw and heard raised a few questions: 1. I assume that most of the Honduran fans are naturalized US citizens who emigrated here from Honduras. Is that true? 2. If so, where does your real loyalty lie - to the USA or to Honduras? It was obvious which team you supported (Honduras), but do you not feel any loyalty to the country that allowed you in, and allowed you to become citizens? 3. If Honduras was playing Colombia, for example, I could understand you rooting for Honduras. But shouldn't you support the USA MNT also? 4. It was great to hear you all singing the Honduran national anthem before the game, but you folks in blue and white were very quiet during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner. Why was that? 5. How many of you Honduran-born naturalized US citizens plan to attend the USA-Panama final on Sunday, to root for the MNT of your adopted country? 6. Don't get me wrong...I am all for immigration. My great-grandparents came to America in the 1800's. But once they were naturalized, they thought of themselves as AMERICANS. Do you?
Question # 7: If you New York area Hondurans are such big soccer fanaticos, why don't you support the Metrostars? You can't claim the soccer isn't at the same high level as it is in Honduras, can you? And the Metros even have a pretty good Honduran midfielder, Amado Guevara. So what's up?
Its all about a matter of choice.. I happen to have two nationalities.. Panamanian and US, I happen to live in Panama and have lived in the US, I support Panama when they play against each other, does that make me less of an American? No... Dont go off against the Hondurans for not supporting the US, it doesnt matter, go bother the other 200 million americans that dont watch soccer or care about it even when thier country is playing..
1. No. I'd say about 30% are naturalized. The rest are probably illegal. 2. Loyalties lie with Honduras when it comes to soccer games. 3. If the USMNT were playing Colombia, and if I were currently residing in the US, I don't think I would care who won. I'd probably be partial towards the US, but I wouldn't scream my lungs out in support. 4. Probably because 80% of Hondurans in that game didn't know english, least of all the Star Spangled Banner. 5. Very few, I'd presume. 6. Probably some do. Other just want to make money to have a better life and send back home to their families.
I spoke with 2 on Thursday night. One was born in Honduras, emigrated at age 3. He roots for Honduras when they play, the US is second choice. The other was born here, klives in Maryland, but his family is from Honduras.
Would it be any different if: Ireland Italy Greece Poland Portugal Did the same? Please use your brain before you open your mouth or type on a keyboard. I don't recall people saying that the Pollacks at Soldier Field sang the US national anthem when we hosted them a summer or 2 ago. I remember taking a bus trip to Foxboro to watch USA Ireland in a rain storm, 80% of the bus were Irish-supporters and a good number of them were AMERICANS WHO CHOSE NOT TO WEAR THE RED WHITE AND BLUE and said that the US team wasn't worth their time. So what the **** do you have to say to that, BHOYO?
Of course I agree with you. The Hondurans are just one group; the others you mentioned are no different. But that doesn't answer the 7 questions, does it?
I see. It doesn't answer the questions, because the questions were idiotic to begin with. Simple and plain really.
Dunno, I saw plenty of Latinos representing 2 countries (the USA and their homeland) at the Final. And a s*** load of them cheered like mad men when Davis scored on the PK. Looks like they're not listening to you. Que lastima.
Have to say, that at least on TV, it did seem like their were a lot of Latino's cheering for the US in the final on Sunday as well. I don't think the problem is as bad as some make it seem, unless we're playing Mexico...
Not sure about this but at least I can tell you from experience.. the final of the Gold Cup had both of my nationalities going against each other and their was no question who I was rooting for.. Los Estados Unidos honestamente futbolisticamente hablando ni me va ni me viene.. edit: pero eso no es decir que no hay que aplaudirlos por el trabajo que han hecho en los ultimos 10 años..
I completely agree with this post. There's a hint of racism at work here, as I've seen posts very similar to this concerning Mexicans, Costa Ricans, Panamanians, etc. etc. who are naturalized US citizens. I will say however, that there was some outrage on these boards from people at the USA-England match in Chicago. There were many Americans around me who you might consider "English-American" who were rooting for England. There were also a lot of people who you might call neutral observers who were US citizens rooting for England. There was a family of 4 behind me from St. Louis rooting for England. Pissed me off. I think this is a discussion that isn't going to go away that's for sure. When the US team sucked these fans could simply say that they wanted to watch and root for a good team. That was bs then of course, but now it's completely bs.
Hell, my ancestors came to this country almost 160 years ago - similiar reasons to today's immigrants: economics and politics (we'd would have been killed and I wouldn't be here - yes, I know, a loss great to me, at least!). I cheer for France in anything, and can belt out the Marseillaise - except when it plays the USA. It's a cultural thing, transcending politics. As long as everyone is civil, what not to like. The US is #1 in everything, and everyone cheers for David. Human nature, and not a shred of malice, IMHO. And I'm not being PC in this, as that implies patronization, which is ultimately dehumanizing.
In a friendly I dont really care as much, but its always nice to have your NT win, but during friendlies I try to watch more the adjustments and the way the players are playing and to see the younger players.. on neutral observers: they suck, people that root for the better team can burn in Hell, one of the reasons why I will never support Brasil as 90% of the world supports them. As a US citizen I do like seeing the US win but as long as it doesnt hurt my NT which is Panama, when the US plays in the world cup I do root and hope for the best from them.. but since it is not my main NT its not something to turn me into a Sam Army Spazzo, I dont even watch MLS.. edit: btw I dont live in the US
True. I have no problem with people supporting whatever team. They are free to choose, but when the USA beats 'em, I'm the first one to try and talk the sling the most s*** at them for making their choice...all with a smile on my face. That's the fun part...
Maybe i am just too nationalistic, but one thing is to support a team in a game and another one is to feel pride for a team, i supported PAN in all their games, cause i like to support underdogs, but it is not that i cried when they lost, thats why i state that you can only feel nt'l pride for one country Dictionary.com says that nationalistic is " having too much pride in your own country"
Why does it matter that Hondurans (gasp) root for Honduras? I grew up in St. Louis and live in Cleveland. I root for St. Louis and not Cleveland. Yes, even though the people of Cleveland are good enough to allow me to reside here. It is not easy to forget where you came from. Your question #2 irks me. Citizenship is earned, not allowed. People who become citizens do so because they desire it, not because it is the path of least resistance. American citizenship is very challenging to obtain. And even though your great-grandparents were immigrants (as were mine) let's presume what would have happened if the Krepalchistani national team had played here in those olden days (assuming your great-grandparents hailed from Kreplachistan)
Great post. As frustrating as it is to see American citizens rooting for the other guys, their is obviously a logical explanation for it.
The US plays national teams from Latin America on a regular basis; it does not play European, African or Asian teams on a regular basis. However, as noted above, when the US does play national teams outside of Latin America with significant immigrant populations within the US (e.g., v. Poland in Chicago or v. Korea Republic in California) the immigrant populations tend to cheer on their national team of origin. E.g., I suspect that if the US had played a match v. Italy in the US during the early 20th century, you would have seen many Italian immigrants cheering on Italy. It is easy to say that my grandfather always rooted for the US, rather than his country of origin (Lithuania), because the US has never played Lithuania within the US (nor anywhere else).
I think the main problem is that the USA National Team (like our basketball team) is just not a very likable team. I support them, but I really don't like our style of play and how we win some of our games (e.g. the Honduras and Cuba games in the Gold Cup, as well as half of our semifinal games in WCQ [Jamaica x 2 and at Panama... ok those were draws, but they should have been losses so it 'feels' like a win]). So it is easy to see why some (most) people don't like them, even if they are your "home team". I also support Norway (the country my grandparents came from) but don't know who I would root for if they played each other. I guess, honestly, I would have to say Norway, because I know I felt a lot worse when Norway lost 2-1 at Italy than I did when the USA lost 2-1 at Mexico (both for WCQ). Plus the Norwegian team plays a lot more to my liking (big and physical with great defense and poor offense) than the USA's team does.
I think the questions are a bit silly, but not racist. I know that if I immigrated to Greece or Japan or Brazil or wherever that I would always pull for the US even against my adopted homeland, so I don't fault the Hondurans for that. However, my wife, who was not born in the US (and isn't white) and was born to immigrants from a country even different from the one she was born in supports the US in sports over those countries and she didn't become naturalized until she was 18 or 19. I'm sure her parents would support their native country against the US, which I understand, but I also understand why my wife pulls for the US.
Bingo. In American football, I support Alabama. There is no ********ing way I'd ever support Florida, Florida State or Miami. No ********ing way.
That's a totally subjective statement. While I recognize that some of the countries of my ancestors play more attractive soccer than the US, I don't care. This is where I was born and raised. That's all it takes for me to like them. That makes them extremely likable to me. I supported them when they sucked ass and will do so if they suck in the future.
