Soccer and hometown associations of Mexican migrants in Chicago: the case of San Rafael

This article explores the relationship between soccer and Mexican hometown associations (HTAs), organizations formed by migrants from the same locality in order to raise funds for community development projects in their place of origin. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Chicago and Michoacán – including participation in San Rafael, a soccer team named after a rural town in Mexico – the article identifies the mechanisms whereby this sport contributes to the formation and maintenance of translocal ties. It shows that, through the crystallization of sentiments of attachment to migrants’ hometown, soccer games can create a favourable environment for them to sponsor the HTA’s activities.