On Saturday June 28, 2025, I drove from Los Angeles, California through the Sonoran Desert to Phoenix, Arizona to cover the Gold Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Mexico won with a score of 2-0. The Mexican team went on to beat USA in Houston, Texas on Sunday July 6th, 2025, with a score of 2-1 to become the Gold Cup 2025 champions. In covering this tournament I’ve interacted with reporters and photographers from USA, Mexico, Argentina, The Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, and Saudi Arabia.

My interactions with international reporters have taught me that Chicanos as a cultural group are unknown to most people. I am frequently asked what Chicano is when discussing my work. Consequently, I drove back home reassessing my goals for this publication.

On the drive I thought of California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, and the parts of Colorado, Wyoming, and Kansas that were part of Mexico before the Mexican American War of 1848. I thought of the saguaro, prickly pear, and barrel cacti, the sandy soil, and the unrelenting 115-degree heat of the unforgiving desert environment Mexican migrants endure in this region. I thought of Diego Luna of Mexican descent playing for the American team. I began to question how geography, history, and war have impacted the Chicano identity. And I reproached myself for not advancing the work of prior Chicano writers, like Ruben Salazar and Rudolfo Anaya.

I am reminded of the French philosopher Albert Camus’ view of the absurdity of life. He argues we as humans face the Sisyphean challenge searching for meaning in life though it does not exist. Following an impactful personal loss, I am searching for and questioning meaning. What does it mean that most Chicanos root for Mexico when the team plays against the US? Does it come from feeling different from other Americans? Is it to honor our Mexican parents? What does it mean Chicanos praised Diego Luna for his 2-goal performance playing for the American national team against Guatemala? What does it mean he was mocked by Chicanos for his performance against Mexico in the championship game?

The Chicano answers to those questions are what I am writing for. I am working on a traveling art exhibit on the Chicano identity. This is a call to Chicano artists to participate by emailing me (JoelDuran@ChicanoPerspectives.com) photos of their work with a brief description.