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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Raúl Vilchis in Mexico City

Julián Quiñones, Blackness in Mexico and the complexities of national identity

Julián Quiñones stretches his pointed hands toward the sky after scoring a goal in Mexico's World Cup opener.
Julián Quiñones stretched his arms toward the fans after scoring Mexico’s first World Cup goal at the opener on 11 June. Photograph: Héctor Vivas/FIFA/Getty Images

On a March night in Guadalajara in 2024, Club América were winning El Clásico Nacional. Julián Quiñones, their star player, had scored and headed toward the sideline. Then a shout at Quiñones, who is Black, rang out from the stands. ¡Puto negro! A racial slur.

Moments later, monkey noises were heard in the stands. The scene was familiar to anyone who follows Mexican soccer. Cell phone videos captured it. Commentators analyzed it the next day. Officials condemned it. Investigations were announced. For a few days, the Mexican game went through its ritual of shock.

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