Transnational Sport in the American West: Oaxaca California Basketball

(Hardback)

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Description

Transnational Sport in the American West is the story of how a sport can cross physical and cultural borders. Catholic missionaries first brought the sport of basketball to southern Mexico in the early twentieth century, but over time the sport has grown into a cultural tradition in states like Oaxaca (Wa-hak-a). The ball bounced across the Mexico/U.S. border into Los Angeles, CA during the 1970s and pick-up games in the park eventually became organized tournaments. In 1977, an annual tournament called the Benito Jurez Cup was established in Guelatao, Oaxaca to celebrate the culture of basketball in the region and to honor former president of Mexico, Benito Jurez. Now, generations of youth from the U.S. travel to Oaxaca to play in the tournament. Follow the story of three youth who describe their culture and the significance the sport of basketball has played in their life. They have different experiences based on age, gender, skill, and birthplace but they all have one thing in common. Basketball is a part of them, and although the sport can be played many different ways, this is their game.

Reviews

Dr. Bernardo Ramirez Rios rich ethnography of Oaxacan basketball transports us from rural villages in Mexico to immigrant neighborhoods in the US. It captures the value and meaning of sport in the lives of the players and their families, and details the complex ways they negotiate transnational identities, indigeneity, and modernity. -- Jeffery H. Cohen, The Ohio State University

Author Bio

Bernardo Ramirez Rios is assistant professor of anthropology at Skidmore College.