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New York City – It’s called “Little Argentina”, but lifelong resident Christian Gimenez says a lot has changed in the area where he grew up.
At one time, Argentines who lived in remote areas settled in New York City, many of them migrated during what was called “dirty war“In the 1970s, only a handful of Argentinean restaurants and bakeries remained like the original locations in Elmhurst, Queens.
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But when the FIFA World Cup comes around, the block is filled with bright, white and blue outfits. With Argentina going to the final against Spain on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just a few kilometers (miles) away, everything on the ground – from the tarmac, benches, to storefronts, and even fire plugs – has familiar colors.
As a child, “everywhere you could go, it was in Argentina,” Gimenez, who owns the Rio de la Plata Bakery and is one of the leaders of the decor, told Al Jazeera. “So what I do is try to keep it alive.”
To be honest, the 40-year-old is clearly committed to Argentina’s national team beyond the one-month tournament. The World Cup may only come once every four years, but the masterpieces of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona on the baker’s side are the most important.
For many, it is a reminder of the importance of the rebirth of the traditions of national football, which for many years has been the glue for the Argentine people in New York City, as the community is dispersed.
Seventy-four-year-old Beatriz Jaime recounted watching Argentina in 1978 in the Netherlands during a broadcast at Madison Square Garden, and returned home soon after to find it “full of people” celebrating late into the night.
Jaime, who grew up in Queens, but now lives on Long Island, said: “It’s true that his roots are in Argentina.
“You can’t forget that.
For Henry Pachaco, 45, also from Queens, fandom is a family affair. He stood wearing the national team jersey, his mother wearing a blue shirt with one word, “Hand of God”, referring to the famous handball goal scored by Maradona in the 1986 quarterfinal match against England.
Pachaco called the block “the center” of Argentina fans in the city, offering a view of the stadium on match day – complete with a closed road, music, outdoor television, and street food – at no cost.
For Argentina to be in the final, for Messi to be playing his last game for the national team, and for everything to happen at the doorstep of New York, he said, represents the unity of the nations.
“It’s like bringing Argentina to New York…wherever you go, anywhere in the world, when Argentines gather.
He said: “You will be welcomed here and have the best time of your life.
Gimenez echoes the same sentiment, as he addresses a series of comments from Argentina fans that have marred La Albiceleste’s run in this and the last World Cup. He said this was not representative of the fans.
He said: “No matter what race you are, no matter what kind of race you are, we don’t look at that.
If you help us, we love you. Straight up, like that.
A new fandom is growing in Brooklyn
This is a message that should be well received in the remote, Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn, where there is a fast-growing Bangladeshi community that has given the area the nickname “Little Bangladesh”.
NYC data shows the immigrant population has tripled in the past two decades, one of the fastest growing groups in the changing city. Last year, the community elected the first Bangladeshi American to the NYC Council.
Shafiqul Alam, 66, who has lived in the neighborhood for 36 years, said the area has changed, bringing new support for the Argentine national team.
On game days, large video screens are set up in the area’s pedestrian plazas. He said that if the weather changes, it is not uncommon for people to crowd into his shop and watch television alone.
He said: “The people of Bangladesh love Argentina, and Argentina loves Bangladesh.”
There are many reasons including to strengthen support for Argentina within South Asia, especially Bangladesh, especially the access to television in the 1980s, which coincided with the defeat of the national team led by Maradona in England in 1986.
The Games had powerful political implications for countries still grappling with a history of British colonialism. But for many young fans, support comes down to one man: Messi.
“Knowing that this could be Messi’s last game, everyone will want to watch it,” said Sajid Bhuyan, 31, who lives nearby.
He had trouble thinking that almost 90 percent of the Bangladeshi population in Kensington supported Argentina.
Although the origin stories of their fandoms may be different, Bhuyan felt that the passion from Little Bangladesh to Little Argentina was the same.
He also described a tournament that has repeatedly seen Argentina come back from defeat, most recently with a stunning comeback in the semifinal against England.
“I almost died when Argentina scored those two goals in a few minutes,” Bhuyan said. “I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t speak, I had to take five or six minutes to calm down.
“So if it happens again,” he said, “we’ll enjoy it!”
