But is He Mexican Enough?

By: Daryl | February 21st, 2008

Jesus Padilla, not Mexican enough? Chivas de Guadalajara take their Mexican-ness very very seriously. So much so that they will only field Mexican players, and even then they only want players who are very very very Mexican. No gringos. It’s a proud tradition and the fans love it, but it could be bad news for young striker Jesús Padilla.

The 20 year old already has the nickname “Gringo” because he’d spent some time living in California, but now Sports Illustrated have gotten all Lois Lane and dug up some incriminating evidence on the poor lad. Seems Padilla was actually born in California “and not in the Mexican state of Jalisco, as his bio on Chivas’ Web site states.” I don’t care, and you probably don’t care either. But Chivas de Guadalajara fans care. They don’t want anyone born in America wearing The Goats red and white stripes.

Padilla isn’t a Chivas regular yet, and has been playing most of his football for Chivas’ second division feeder club Tapatío. But he did play a few minutes in the Copa Libertadores last week, and is/was (delete as appropriate) considered to have a promising future. But if the cautionary tale of Gerardo Mascareño is any precedent, then Padilla’s future may lie elsewhere.

Mascareño had been around the Mexican league for a while before joining Chivas, and then in 1998 it was revealed he’d been born in Maryland, and his CDG career ended pretty quickly. Claudio Suárez (Mascareño’s teammate at the time and current Chivas USA captain) says the fans just wouldn’t accept it.

“We all thought he was 100 percent Mexican but I didn’t know that, I believe, he was born here in the United States,” said Suárez. “In Guadalajara, there is a great passion for the club and some bring up ‘because they only play with Mexican players.’ So there was the conflict with the fans who did not want Mascareño to play there anymore.”

Harsh. But at least Mascareño already had a career up and running, and played four more years in the top division after leaving Chivas. Padilla is just starting out, so let’s hope the Chivas fans go easy on him.

Some Related Stories:

Category: Mexico, World Football

« Photo of the Day: How’d He Miss That? | Home | Where to Find Soccer News on the Web »

The Offside RSS Feeds

Chris

"How do Chivas de Guadalajara fans feel about Chivas USA?"

Hmm, it is quite a different issue. Chivas USA is more a franchise than a team, like most MLS teams. And it has support on the Mexicans who live in Cali for nostalgia issue, though in Mexico few people care about Chivas USA.
Mayra

Jesus deserves his spot in the chivas, my family grew up with his family in mexico, and he loves the chivas more than any "real" mexican i know! i was born in guadalajara jalisco and i love the atlas and having jesus play for chivas brings our famiy together!! we are so proud of his achievements!! and for those "noisey" reporters, WHAT A SLAP IN THE FACE YOU JUST BROUGHT MORE ATTENTION FOR HIM!! So in a way thank you!! he'll be on the team!! not cause hes a "gringo", but because he deserves it more than anyone!
George

This is the exact same thing that Atletic Bilbao does, what a coincidence! I remember that Bilbao made some exceptions though. Ironically too, Bilbao had a Mexican in there squad too called Iturriaga, but by next season, I guess when the press found out he wasn't spanish, he was transferred to Salamanca.
elisa

California is/was Aztlan. His parents or grands are probably Mexican born. End of.
Lupo562

Nolan, Mexicans live below "el collosus del nord" which since the Monroe Doctrine has made sure Mexico felt like a second class citizen in this hemisphere. There is definitely a similar social dynamic to the basque situation it's just that instead of their own government trying to suppress their identity it's the most powerful nation in the world. Whether this is a wise way for Jaliscoans to express their identity is probably more suited for them to decide than us.
Nolan

"Athletic Bilbao does the same thing, and they don’t get crap for it."

Mexicans don't have an identity that the Spanish government tries to destroy do they?
Josue

Athletic Bilbao does the same thing, and they don't get crap for it.
Melissa

Isnt California part of Mexico?

HAHAHA! Err... sure, why not.

I think the more to this story is our U-20's coach wanted him for last year's World Cup (the one that got Adu his transfer to Portugal I think) and Padilla turned it down so he wouldn't be "exposed." Meh. I guess its time to come out of that metaphorical closet and find a new club to play for.
Martek

Personally, I think this whole situation, while unfortunate for Padilla if he really wants to play for Chivas, could wind up having a huge upside for those of us who are MLS fans. If Padilla can come north to a team that needs a quality striker (Dynamo de Houston) then everyone wins, except for the moronic, racist idiots who follow Chivas, who will lose a quality player for no very good reason at all. If history is any judge, the way to deal wth racists is to indulge them, say sure, go ahead, and then make them pay heavily for their racism. Here's a great chance to do exactly that. Come on Padilla, come north. It's bigger than all of us.
Matt

How do Chivas de Guadalajara fans feel about Chivas USA?
Corey

I think its silly. I understand the idea of playing regional players, but because he was born in California he is not Mexican? Isnt California part of Mexico?

Anyways, its a bit racist and it reminds me of colonial rule in Mexico, where Spanish born Spaniards had higher social strati then Mexican born Spaniards, even though they were both the same nationality. Its a Nazi like view of the world and it is not right. We are all just people born on land, nationalities and boundaries are fictious...