The Future of Soccer in the US is...

latino. Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in our population. We don't have to convince them to like the game or choose our sport over others. They already grow up with the game and play in the streets with their friends. They're growing presence is already happening. That U-20 that took Mexico to overtime was predominantly hispanic, and some of them were quite good as well. If and when MLS turns into a major league the majority of the Americans in squads will be Hispanic. The MLS will be to latinos as the NBA is to blacks. If and when the US becomes a world cup contender, the majority of the squad will have names like Hernandez or Fernandez or Chavez or Gomez. This is the future of US soccer. Agree? Disagree? Think this is stupid? Discuss.

Yes and no. If you ask me, the future of American soccer should mirror the future of America in general. It shouldn't be "being overtaken by latinos" or anything. It should represent a blending of cultures, an integration into each other's culture, etc. America itself needs to stop being "here are the Americans, and here is a large but separate chunk of latinos." Hispanic immigrants need to learn English, and all the folks here who only know English need to frickin learn Spanish. It should be a two way thing.

Same as in soccer. If a program focuses on bringing in latinos, it's going to be missing lots of viable people groups--and soccer traditions--that can combine well to bring success to the club. Conversely, if a team does not put any effort into either catching latino players or attracting latino audiences, there also are vital attributes and fans that will go missing.

All in all, the focus for agents and marketing should not be to cash in on latinos. America is made up of all sorts of people, and it should be much more of a blend than it is.

If any of that makes the sense I hope it does.

The first part of this statement is correct, the second two are completely wrong.

I have nothing against Hispanic immigrants, but it's up to them to integrate into American culture, not the other way around.

Learning Spanish can certainly give someone an advantage in certain industries, but I don't really see it as being worth the effort for most Americans. It's heavily dependant on where you live, too. And I don't like the implication that non-immigrants should feel the obligation to change to accomodate immigrants.

That being said, I want my kids to learn a 2nd language and Spanish would be one of the top choices.

My point was not that Hispanics should do more to fit into American culture, but that American culture should do more to reflect Hispanic presence. There seems to be this frustrating bias against any sort of ground given to the Hispanic portion of the population, at least in terms of culture legitimacy. I'm not saying we should change our culture just to fit in people who show up, but at least we could let our culture reflect our demographics a little bit. It's not about immigrants vs. born citizens.

Heck, the fact that we're the "melting pot" and have one of the more embarrassing percentages of monolinguistic native English speakers (not even focusing just on Spanish here) is a little irritating. I dunno. It's something that's bugged me for years. I work in the financial sector, and I am not in a area with a significant number of Hispanic citizens, but I meet people every day who are native Spanish speakers. It's not a bizarre thing at all to think that your average born-American might want to learn a second language.

But yeah, I know. It's a hassle, it's a struggle--heck, my Spanish is abysmal. I just wish the country would stop looking down on the language of Spanish and start raising its children to be bilingual.

...which has little to do with soccer. Oops.

As if the European settlers integrated into American culture when they arrived here.

No one should have to integrate into anything. Everyone's free to practice whichever culture they want, as long as they want to. Even Serbians can stay Serbian as much as they want.

Why? you are saying that American Culture is so perfect and pure that we in no way can be enhanced by other cultures. That we in no way should move to integrate other cultures into our own? Or is it code for accusing the Hispanic population of not trying to assimilate? This argument has been made about every immigrant group from before the country even existed. From the Scotch/Irish, Pennsylvania Dutch, to the Germans (a bit redundant), Irish, Jews, Italians, Japanese, Chinese, and finally Hispanics. The argument that this group will not adapt and add to American Culture the way previous groups have because .... fill in your excuse here (religion, language, rural vs. Urban). And history has shown us that this is simply not true.

So now how does this relate to soccer, well we should be spreading our net as wide as we can. And if the US national team really is representative of the soccer playing population as a whole than the US national team should have a larger number of players from a hispanic background.

You mean white American culture, right?

Because American culture is, quite frankly, a combination of all sorts of cultures from elsewhere. Hyphenated Americans are still Americans. And while you were sleeping since the early 1980s, or decrying the loss of "your country" and all that, "American culture" became influenced by Latinos (both native-born and immigrants), just like generations ago it was influenced by Irish immigrants and Italian immigrants and German immigrants and Japanese immigrants, and, once upon a time, English immigrants.

But, hey, ******** those people, right?

Yes, damn those immigrants. Even though most of us are descended from them. But, hey, when you're born here, you get to make the rules. Just like...well, no one.

Nope. But feel free to flog that strawman, if you want.

I wasn't born here.

Hard to say what the future ethnicity is; one could say it would be a cross section of America, but as we all know that isn't the case. I don't have to say what I mean, but you know what I mean.

To me it doesn't matter, I love the game and it matters not a whit to me who contributes to it as it keeps the game I love going.

And that's one of the top reasons to keep "official language" a state decision. (in my opinion)

Back on topic: the ethnic future of the US may be Hispanic, but depending on it is not much of a business model. The flow of immigrants (I believe) has slowed, so keep shooting for a general audience in case that "white people are the minority" date continues to back up.

I'm one of those realists that believe if you are not of Navajo, Cherokee and such and such blood, you should be a lot more respectful about "forcing" others into speaking a European Language in this side of the ocean, I am not kidding or being sarcastic here, pm me if you have any questions about it.

As far as soccer, the best players should be on the national team, it doesn't matter what is their skin color or language, and by best I mean the Zidane's, Drogba's and Magico Gonzalez of American soccer.

A lot more respectful? They shouldn't try to force anything at all.

Just trying to get at your meaning here. You are counting English and Spanish as European languages, no? You're just talking linguistic roots, I assume, since both of those have been dominant languages here for centuries (and, as a fun side note, there are more English speakers in China than there are in the US).

Linguistic oppression is forcing people to only use the language you want them to. Teaching kids to be able to use a second that a large and growing portion of the population speaks natively is simply giving the next generation important tools. English is not the official language of the US, or even of many states. What it is is the language of media, of tradition, and of and money. But languages are just languages. I wish people would stop freaking out about them. Children can learn them very rapidly. I am not in any way pushing for everyone right now to drop what they're doing and learn Spanish--just drop the opinion that learning Spanish will turn this country into Mexico part deux.

Which is French. I know.

My meaning is, if you want people to only speak English, move back to England, we don't want you here in America, you are not welcome.

I don't care you if your great great grandfather is George Washington, we took too many crap already from people like them, this is no a place to come and tell people what language they should speak, this isn't Spain, the Franco's need to stay on the other side of the ocean, in America people can speak whatever the f. they want, this is a multicultural nation whether we want to accept it or not.

Sometime I am tempted to go to Law School just to confront these trashy people that think they have the divine right to force other to speak a certain language, no you don't have any divine right to do that and is awfully wrong in every way.

In a funny but serious way, they need get out of their small towns and read more books.

Well, you can speak whatever language you want (Navajo, Cherokee, Polish, Japanese, whatever). But when the bulk of the country speaks only English (and especially so in states that aren't on the border with Mexico), you're cutting yourself short by not learning English. Now, maybe 100 years from now, it'll be Spanish instead. But that's a long way off, and maybe only in a handful of states. No one is forcing you to speak anything, but you can't deny it's important in the United States to know English.

As a father I will encourage my children to learn as many languages as they can.

Again thats a choice, I could choose to send them to a private catholic school where they will only learn spanish, italian and latin so they dont have to socialice with primitives like you that think if you dont speak english in America you should go to jail or jump out of a bridge (joking).

Kind of being funny and sarcastic here but that crap "this is America, speak English" need to stop, is no funny, is not cool and it only show how stupid and ignorant a lot of "Americans" are, as a new American, I feel embarrassed by people like you, you make other "Americans" sound primitive and uncivilized just like you.

There are Canadians that only speak French, yet still have a nice country with a great economy and a great education.

Again, if you are not happy with people no speaking English, go live in England, you will save a lot unecesary confrontations with mestizos like me.

He didn't say that you (or people residing in the US) need to speak English but that in some areas of the US you'd be at a disadvantage if you don't. I don't see how you can argue with that. Similarly if I moved to Quebec, I'd be at a disadvantage if I didn't learn French.

meh, small towns with bunch of unaducated people, where 15 yeard old girls have 2 kids.

No gracias

I thought you said you were from SC?

It's not a strawman. It's basically what you're saying by not defining "American culture."

When the fact is Latinos and Muslims and Croatians and Italians and Africans and all the people who have come here have contributed to what is now actually "American culture."

There is no need for Latinos to "assimilate to American culture." Their culture is now part of our culture. That's what happens in the world's largest melting pot.

I just get so ********ing sick of people acting as if Caucasians of European descent are the only cultural group that matters in this country, and that everybody who is not that has to conform to Caucasian European traditional culture. It's bullshit.

Oh, LOOK AT YOU. That gives you the right to play the "Hey, I assimilated" card!

Look, hyphenated-Americans are still Americans. They don't have to ********ing assimilate.

Well, you can be embarrassed by people like me and call me primitive and uncivilized and that's fine. It's your right to do so. However, the US is not like Canada. There is no state in the US like Quebec in Canada. Also, it works because almost everyone in Quebec speaks French (and if you move to Calgary, you'd need to know English). Every state in the US has a majority of English speakers. Some states have English as an official language. New Mexico has English and Spanish, Louisiana has English and French. But in every state, English is extremely important. Yes, you can get around without knowing English, just like you can start a business without taking an accounting class. But in both cases, it's significantly harder.

This is all beside the point though. The point is how this relates to the future of soccer in the US. It may well be Hispanic, but it's a tough argument to make this early on when the most obvious example is struggling Chivas.

Let me amend that: they don't have to assimilate to please you.

As a practical matter, anyone has to learn as much about a country they move to (or are forced to move to) to be able to conduct business, commerce and interpersonal relationships efficiently. That does not mean they have to stop being what they are or sublimate their culture to whateverthe******** you think "American culture" is.