The Haitian community in Massachusetts is excited about the country participating in a World Cup for the first time since 1974. But pricey tickets and restrictive immigration policies are deterrents.
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In just more than two weeks, Haiti’s national soccer team will face Scotland in the World Cup. To see Les Grenadiers in Massachusetts could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the third largest Haitian community in the U.S., but scoring tickets could take a small miracle. From member station WBUR, Simon Rios reports.
SIMON RIOS, BYLINE: It’s not every day that a soccer announcer gets to call a match that ends in a country’s second ever World Cup qualification.
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UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: Haiti, for the first time since 1974, are going – yes, sir. They are going to the World Cup.
RIOS: That moment was a big deal for the 80,000 Haitians who call Massachusetts home, and a lot of them could fit in the 64,000-seat stadium just south of Boston. But unlike the Scotland fans, who’ve chartered 20 school buses to the game, many on the Haitian side are still scrambling for tickets.
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RIOS: A few hundred people gathered recently for Haiti’s flag-raising ceremony outside Boston City Hall. Among the Haitian dignitaries, surely some would have landed tickets by now. Right? We asked a business owner, a pastor, Haiti’s consul general in Boston. They all said they’re still looking. Yionel Jean Torres chairs the board of a neighborhood nonprofit in the heart of Boston’s Haitian community. He’s all but given up on going.
YIONEL JEAN TORRES: I’m not even trying ’cause I don’t even want to stress myself out (laughter). If they come, great. If they don’t, I’ll deal with it. I’ll deal with it.
RIOS: Haiti’s World Cup appearance is a source of immense pride for the poorest country in the Americas. The tournament is expected to be the most expensive in World Cup history, and many Haitians are concerned about restrictive immigration policies. A U.S. travel ban means only Haitians who already have visas will likely be able to enter the country.
WADNER PIERRE: Haitian would love to come to support the team, but they won’t get a visa. Can you imagine?
RIOS: Haiti fan Wadner Pierre says people are also worried about potential immigration enforcement near the stadium.
PIERRE: I mean, the reality is you will have more federal agent deployed around the stadium. You don’t want to chance that.
RIOS: Pierre thinks Haiti fans will still show up to cheer on the team. Scotland supporter Ian Cox says the World Cup is all about having fans from all countries represented. He’s organizing a group of more than a thousand Scots flying in for the game with kilts and bagpipes.
IAN COX: The Scots are well known for creating a party atmosphere with everyone wherever they go. I’ll be very disappointed not to share that with lots of fans of the opposing team.
RIOS: A big reason many locals don’t have tickets is the high cost on the resale market, starting around $600. But Cox says there’s a chance resellers will cut prices as the game nears.
COX: There’s a lot of people who’ve been consistently saying hold, hold, hold. These prices will drop because they’re not sustainable.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Thank you so much.
RIOS: Back at the Haiti flag-raising in Boston, activist and teacher Charlot Lucien says he’ll take his chances waiting for cheaper tickets. He lives walking distance from the stadium, and he’s planning to go there with a group of friends ahead of the 9 p.m. coin toss.
CHARLOT LUCIEN: So we will all walk with Haitian flags, and then singing, chatting and eating. Those with no tickets are hoping that at around 5 of 9 (ph), prices will drop, and then they’ll start buying tickets so we can get into the game.
RIOS: Lucien says they’ll watch at his place if that doesn’t work out. And in case Haiti struggles on the field, he’ll have some medicinal teas on hand at home, one tea for the nerves and another for indigestion. For NPR News, I’m Simon Rios in Boston.
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