It had to be soccer that brought some joy back to the most Mexican suburb of Los Angeles. Huntington Park became like itself again, for better and worse. For many months, this community has been one of the main targets of raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE), a pressure that led many of its inhabitants to seclude themselves and avoid public spaces. Inflation contributed to aggravate the situation. But the World Cup changed, at least for one night, the mood of its streets: customers returned to the restaurants to follow the Mexican team’s game and the team’s second victory was enough of an excuse for many to go out and wave tricolor flags. Continue reading
