Mexican Community in Liverpool Embraces Scouse Identity
In Mexico, homesickness is known as the 'Jamaicon Syndrome,' named after former footballer Jose Villegas, who abandoned the national team's European tour before the 1958 World Cup because he missed his dog, spicy food, and Birria tacos. However, for Mexicans living in Liverpool, this syndrome is rare. The ECHO met with Ernesto Sandoval Cuevas, Tommy Martz, and Elí Sánchez Peralta at the Lion Tavern to discuss their lives in Merseyside ahead of England's World Cup last-16 match against Mexico.
From Guadalajara to Liverpool: A Love Story
Ernesto Sandoval Cuevas, 36, moved from Guadalajara nine years ago to study a Master's in entrepreneurship and innovation management. He said: 'I fell in love with the city when I was here. One year felt too quickly. By the time I was finishing the Master's, I was like I'm not ready to go back.' His passion for The Beatles and music led him to join a Scouse band called the Merchants, helping him build roots. He added: 'It is the humour and the way people are so friendly here. I felt similar in Dublin. I didn't connect with London and the South. Here, I can walk into a pub with my Mexican top on and they'll throw a bit of banter but they'll be friendly.'
Tommy Martz: 'I'm a Scouseican'
Tommy Martz, 41, also from Guadalajara, moved to Liverpool four months ago after visiting his friend Ernesto. He said: 'When I moved to Liverpool, I was so sick of my hometown. Many things that I don't like over there, I love here, specifically the music scene. My friends here are more like me. I love Mexico with all my heart, but in Liverpool I felt I found the place. This is my Disneyland. I was born in Mexico, but I feel like I belong here. I'm a Scouseican. I already ask for chicken and coke.' Tommy has developed a hybrid accent, pronouncing 'my' as 'me', and finds Scousers as warm and friendly as Mexicans. He enjoys British pies, particularly steak and kidney, which he compares to the Mexican dish barbacoa.
Adapting to Weather and Food
Ernesto noted that the weather initially appealed to him but now affects his mood: 'My first year I was here I actually liked because I got to wear my big puffy jacket. But as years go by, it actually does affect my mood now. I want to wear my shorts and sandals.' Tommy added that he loves the food, especially pies, saying: 'It tastes like a Mexican dish, barbacoa. It's like Mexico in my mouth.'
World Cup Fever Unites Community
Elí Sánchez Peralta, visiting from Oaxaca on his first day in Liverpool, is a Liverpool FC fan inspired by Steven Gerrard and the 2005 Champions League final. The trio plan to watch the England vs Mexico game at Madre Salon on Hanover Street with other Mexicans. Ernesto said: 'After many years of living in Liverpool, you make Mexican friends. But often they leave so you lose track. [After gathering for the Mexico World Cup games] I met some people that I hadn't seen for a long time so it was like bringing the community back together.'
Scouse Separatism and Support for Mexico
Ernesto noted that some of his English friends will support Mexico, with one colleague wearing a retro 1998 Mexico top to a meeting. Tommy recently learned about Liverpool's historical reluctance to support the England national team due to Margaret Thatcher's policies, saying: 'I just realised a couple of months ago that Liverpool don't support the national team because of Maggie Thatcher the Milk Snatcher.'
Altitude and Heat Concerns
Tommy warned about the challenges of playing in Mexico City, including altitude and dry heat: 'We are very used to the heat in Mexico. Here, the humidity is different. When it's really warm you just want to take off your shirt, but in Mexico it's like they're roasting you. The air is so bad. Every time I go to Mexico City, as soon as I get out of the plane, I start coughing.' Despite this, all three predict a close game that Mexico will narrowly win.
