Juan Javier Pescador presents lecture on Mexican soccer communities in U.S.

Juan Javier Pescador, professor of history at Michigan State University, will present a lecture titled "Wearing La Camiseta Nacional: Mexican Soccer Communities in the United States and the Birth of the Tricolor Brand in the Big-Time Sports Global Landscape " at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, in room 264, Quadrangle Building, Saint John's University.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Latino and Latin American Studies program at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University.

Pescador's presentation will analyze the profile, evolution and transformation of Mexican soccer communities in the United States in the context of current globalization processes that are redefining national identities, recreational activities, ideals of youth and manhood, and consumer practices among people of Mexican descent in the United States. Focusing on the interactions and connections U.S. Mexican soccer communities have developed with the Mexican nation-state and with the increasingly dominant big-time sports global media, the presentation will discusses new ways of producing and framing Mexican nationalist symbols in current global arenas with significant and unexpected consequences.

Pescador teaches sports history, Chicano history and American culture at Michigan State. He has published numerous books and articles on Mexican and U.S. history and culture. He has taught classes on North American culture, history and art in Mexico, the United States and China. A trained photographer and filmmaker, Pescador has also presented his visual artwork in Canada, Mexico, the United States and China.

The mission of the Latino/Latin American Studies program at CSB and SJU is to promote greater awareness and understanding of Latino and Latin American history and culture among the CSB, SJU and local communities.