Ambiguity and sports
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This article was very interesting, and it made me want to explore why Maghrebies who immigrated to France are drawn to football (soccer) and if there is any link with masculinity. I feel like there must be because it was very frowned upon for women to play the sport.
A few thoughts:
South Asians have both proximity and distances because their identity is ambiguous. This ambiguity is very related to all of our readings on Syrians and Persians/Iranians in North America. But i’d never tied the ambiguousness in the context of masculinity. The stereotype of south Asian men as un-athletic is easily recognizable yet one that I’ve never given thought to. This made me wonder about all the innate stereotypes I hold that I am unaware of unless outwardly pointed out to me.
South Asian masculinity believes itself to be with African American masculinity against white masculinity but in reality they are all competing against one another. I’m not sure if athletics such as basketball and the south Asian basketball leagues help south Asians be further away from whiteness, or give a sense of superiority against African Americans. For example the author cites the “Kallu” which are darker skinned south Asians (usually with one African American parent). In the basketball league they were instantly seen as outsiders. For people that have never really fit in without ever truly being excluded it’s odd to want to exclude as well, and I think that does speak to some sort of want for elitism.
Also I’m not sure if I understood this right but in a way cultural blackness involves privilege.
To perform blackness and black culture which by popular culture is seen as “cool” comes with financial burdens. Because much of the masculine standards are based on appearance, body language and vernacular can only take you so far. One also has to “look the part” stylistically. Wearing the “right” clothes or shoes. Also basketball in general is very American, so to be a part of that community represents a belonging to a nation that transcends cultural barriers. In the case of the basketball leagues then the entry to Americanness and the nation (or the South Asian version of it) also comes with its financial burden.