Soccer Institutions, Racial Ideology, and National Integration in Argentina, 1912-1931
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PLAYING AT NATION: SOCCER INSTITUTIONS, RACIAL IDEOLOGY, AND NATIONAL INTEGRATION IN ARGENTINA, 1912-1931 Jeffrey William Richey A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History. Chapel Hill 2013 Approved by: John C. Chasteen Kathryn J. Burns John D. French Joshua Nadel Louis A. Pérez, Jr. © 2013 Jeffrey William Richey ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT JEFFREY RICHEY: Playing at Nation: Soccer Institutions, Racial Ideology, and National Integration in Argentina, 1912-1931 (Under the direction of John C. Chasteen) It is well documented that “in no other Latin American country has a single urban center so dominated national life" as in the case of Argentina and its capital, Buenos Aires. 1 The uneven distribution of political, cultural, and economic power between Buenos Aires and the so-called Interior has created a bifurcated nationhood that remains one of the central tensions in Argentine history and historiography. Departing from this paradigm of a bifurcated nationhood, two overarching questions guide this dissertation: how did exclusivist narratives of racial identity come to be accepted by a racially diverse national population? And second, why, in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic country such as Argentina, did racial division come to feature heavily in discourses of national identity during a period in which other Latin American countries were emphasizing ideas of racial and cultural inclusiveness? I answer these questions by examining the popularization of Argentine soccer between 1912 and 1931. Combining a cultural analysis of popular media with a concrete study of Argentine soccer institutions, I argue that during this period soccer became a key vehicle for Argentine politicians, intellectuals, and players to widely disseminate a 1 James Brennan and Ofelia Pianetto, “Introduction,” in Region and Nation: Politics, Economics, and Society in Twentieth-Century Argentina , ed. James Brennan and Ofelia Pianetto (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000), viii. iii version of cultural nationhood that excluded non-European elements of the national population. I argue that through soccer competitions, Buenos Aires became fixed in the national consciousness as modern and white vis-à-vis the "Interior," and vis-à-vis the rest of Latin America, which together became solidified in the Argentine consciousness as mixed-race and backward. In the first decades of the twentieth century no other event or performance of the time transgressed so many regional boundaries and brought so many Argentines into contact—corporeal or imagined—with one another than soccer. It is through these initial encounters—physical and discursive—that foundational formulations of national identity were propagated by an influential sports press eager to project an image of a capital city that was modern, advanced, and, above all, white. At the same time, soccer also provided an important platform for Argentines from the "Interior" to formulate an influential, long- lasting alternative nationhood that validated non-European cultures in explicit contra- distinction to Buenos Aires—notions of regional identity still influential today. iv To John for patience and support beyond measure to LP for yanking me bodily back from the abyss and most of all to KFF for all of these things and for every day v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Graduate students on the cusp of the Ph.D. regularly speak of “debts incurred” along the way. I even heard someone claim, once, that such debts are “a joy” to accrue and to pay off in turn. For my part, indebtedness strikes me in this case as inadequate and even misleading, for it suggests an agreed-upon repayment, however deferred. No such arrangement could possibly serve to remunerate the guidance, friendship, longsuffering, and generous spirit of John Chasteen, my adviser at UNC and a superlative writer, translator, and teacher. Thank you, John, for believing me in my darkest hours. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill I became a historian. Lou Pérez and Kathryn Burns accompanied me every step of the way, offering not just close readings and valuable suggestions for my work, but also serving as inspiring models for teaching at both undergraduate and graduate levels. A cadre of friends and colleagues from History and Latin American Studies offered indispensable critiques of my work along with general counsel, solidarity, and fellowship: Laura Premack, Josh Nadel, Jeff Erbig, Toby Nathan, Randy Browne, Mike Huner, Enver Casimir, Rosalie Genova, Pam Lach, Jonathan Risner, Bill Wisser, Bill Van Norman, Juan Carlos González Espitia, and Billy Acree figured prominently at different stages of my education. In a departmental setting, I am grateful to Lloyd Kramer, Cynthia Radding, John Sweet, Joy Jones, and Violet Anderson, all of whom offered career advice and navigated university bureaucracy on my behalf. vi I availed myself of the opportunity to complete a significant portion of my class work at Duke. Over the course of graduate school John French proved a tireless source of support, offering insights, citations, and kindness in ample doses and at crucial moments. Laurent Dubois showed me extreme generosity, helping to frame my research questions and pushing me in new directions methodologically. This dissertation has also been shaped by professors Jocelyn Olcott and Jens Andermann, as well as those (former) Duke graduate students whom I am gratified to count among my lifelong friends: Max Krochmal, Liz Shesko, Mitch Fraas, Jacob Remes, and Bryan Pitts. If UNC made me a historian, years earlier Brigham Young University made me a Latin Americanist. Jeff Shumway served as an exemplary mentor, introducing me to archival research in Argentina. His enthusiasm for the profession was contagious, and it propelled me to graduate school. Special thanks are due Kirk Hawkins and Mark Grover for formative research experiences in Venezuela and Brazil, providing some of the most exciting moments of my undergraduate years. Others at BYU, like Kendall Brown, Allen Christenson, Doug Weatherford, and Ignacio García helped me to cultivate a Latin American Studies intellectual base that continues to inform my teaching and writing. As I began my research phase in 2009, several scholars of Argentina aided me in orienting my topical focus and methods. I am thankful for the input of Valeria Manzano, Rebecca Pite, Bea Gurwitz, Matt Karush, Natalia Milanesio, and, especially, Oscar Chamosa, in helping me make the connections between soccer and broader patterns in Argentine social and cultural history. In Buenos Aires, giants of scholarship Mirta Lobato and Julio Frydenberg encouraged my project while directing me toward little-known archives and connecting vii me with other scholars. Carlos Yametti, Jorge Gallego, and Osvaldo Gorgazzi at the Centro para la Investigación de la Historia del Fútbol made known invaluable period sources, while Sergio Lodise went out of his way to introduce me to the world of Boquita at both an archival and hincha level. I proffer a special note of appreciation to Perla Otalora, who gave me unfettered access to AFA’s splendid library and archive. I will forever treasure the friendship and good company of Alicia Benítez, with whom my best memories of Buenos Aires, 2009-2010, are inextricably linked. And old friends from my earliest days in Argentina, Sergio Theules and Elsa Colman (y la Ceci), allowed me return to Laguna Paiva again and again. This work’s successes are theirs, too. In Santiago del Estero, all my paths began and ended at the home of the great Alberto Tasso. One would struggle to find a fuller and more generous scholar, writer, and human being. Through Alberto I met Ana Teresa Martínez and José Mussi at the Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. They both freely shared of their vast knowledge of Argentine and santiagueño history, and their enthusiasm for my project was a boon. The Gómez family—Jorge Alberto, Antonia Carmen, and Mercedes— allowed me a precious glimpse into the intimate past of their respective father, uncle, and grandfather. For their part Antonio Virgilio and Julio César Castiglione regaled me with memories, photos, and historical documentation, as did Dr. Guido Freddiani. Local sports personalities Ricardo Nazer, Franklin Villalba, and Juan Manuel “Chura” Martínez introduced me to the Gómez and Castiglione families. And the wonderful Carolina Malanca at El Liberal and Jorge Rosenberg at Biblioteca 9 de Julio passed on some of the most unique sources for this dissertation. viii I would also like to recognize the institutions that enabled my research and writing in the first place. At the heart of my material support was always UNC’s Institute for the Study of the Americas, and at the heart of ISA are Beatriz Riefkohl Muñiz and Shelley Clarke. Thank you, Beatriz and Shelley, for opening so many doors. I am grateful for funding provided by the UNC History Department, the UNC Graduate School, the Tinker Foundation, the Center for Global Initiatives, the Federico Gil Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the Foreign Language and Area Studies Program of the United States Department of Education. The Pre-doctoral/Postdoctoral Fellowship in Latin American Studies at Lehigh University gave me the precious freedom to finish the dissertation under the most ideal of circumstances. At Lehigh Antonio Prieto, Matt Bush, Steve Cutcliffe, Bill Bulman, John Savage, Hugo Ceron-Anaya, Sandra Aguilar, Edurne Portela, Ricardo Viera, and Roger Simon offered friendship, commentary, and unflagging support in liberal amounts. Nothing makes sense without my family. My parents David and Lucila introduced me to Latin America, through epic road trips to visit relatives in Mexico or through the everyday pleasures of the peerless Tenorio family cookbook. Their multifaceted support through every moment of my higher education has anchored me like nothing else could. The same can be said for my siblings Mike, Kate, Matt, and Laura, and for the magnificent Bernard Fuller.