Huesos Ganadores: Domino Play and Parks as Sites of Latinx Pla(y)cemaking

Racially and ethnically marginalized populations within the US have consistently used collective playfulness to address the impacts of urban decay and social exclusion, build community, and foster social cohesion. Yet for many low-income Latinxs, public access to collective play, particularly for adults, is often lacking. Focusing on adult male dominoes players, we analyze the significance of public parks within Lawrence, Massachusetts, for Latino men to build friendships and reimagine the city around them. We argue that Latinos’ playful occupation of public parks—what we understand as Latinx pla(y)cemaking—operates to transform these spaces somatically into critical sites of joyful and loving community.