Letter from the editor: 285 South’s World Cup coverage

The World Cup coming to Atlanta is historic. Not just for the city itself, but for residents who grew up in countries where soccer—or fútbol—is, as one local fan put it, “en nuestro sangre.” In our blood.

I recently spoke with Watson Escarment, a Haitian American living in Gwinnett County who’s been working to support newly arrived Haitians here over the last few years. At different points in time since I launched 285 South in 2021, we’ve spoken about conditions back in Haiti, which have reached a point where gangs control up to 90 percent of the capital, making the city unlivable for most. But when we caught up a few days ago, he told me that when Haiti qualified for the World Cup, “people did not sleep.” It was the first time the country had qualified since 1974, and the excitement was uncontainable. “Gangs stopped being gangs, people took the street and were just joyful,” he said. “It was a three-day impromptu carnival.”

That joy spilled over to Haitians here in metro Atlanta—who, like so many immigrants, have been hit with increasingly stringent immigration policies and  ICE enforcement, on top of the higher prices and economic uncertainty we all face. To mark the occasion, Watson said, “we had a World Cup Day at [our] church.”

Eight of the 60 matches will be played at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with teams from Uzbekistan, Haiti, Cabo Verde, and Morocco, among others, flying into Hartsfield-Jackson airport in the coming days. They’ll find some familiarity here: In Alpharetta, the Uzbek restaurant Laghman Express hopes to host the national team, which is playing in the World Cup for the first time. Cabo Verdeans are planning a series of events in the area to mark their country’s debut, and the Alif Institute will be cheering on the Moroccan team from its offices on Marjan Drive.

Others will be watching from Atlanta while their teams play elsewhere; matches are being held in cities across North America. The local Senegalese nonprofit Sencad will have a fan zone for its community members; Colombians will watch their team compete from the popular restaurant La Abuela; and Plaza Las Americas in Lilburn is kicking off with a watch party for the Mexico vs. South Africa game.

In this special series from 285 South, which is also available in zine format, you’ll learn about different communities who grew up with the beloved game, find out how you can support immigrant-owned businesses hosting watch parties, and ways you can plug into local nonprofits. Above all and despite the new challenges we seem to learn about every day, we hope you have fun sharing the love of a sport that transcends so many boundaries. As Watson said, “People were so happy. They’re still happy.”