New spaces of belonging: Soccer teams of bolivian migrants in são paulo, brazil

Abstract

This chapter examines new migration movements to Brazil from neighboring South American countries. It explores this topic by conducting ethnographic work on female amateur soccer teams of Bolivian migrants in the neighborhood of Bom Retiro in Sao Paulo. This chapter argues that soccer becomes a space of belonging in the context of migration. The rise of amateur soccer teams and tournaments for Latin American migrants is a common phenomenon not only in Brazil but also in the United States and in major European cities. For migrants, soccer represents an appropriation of space for cultural and community gatherings, whereby the shared origin from a specific nation, region and sometimes even locality is expressed. This appropriation of space, it is posited, is closely linked to cross-cultural strategies: in the case of this study, migrants integrate into Brazilian culture since amateur soccer is a widespread and popular sport in Brazil. Thus, migrant soccer can be interpreted both as a means to maintain or reshape migrants' sense of belonging to their community of origin and a means of integration into the host society.