Brenda Jaimes walked through a cheering crowd in downtown Santa Ana Thursday night, standing in the middle of Fourth Street and drawing attention to herself by yelling, “Me! Me!”
An hour ago, Mexico beat South Korea 1-0 in the World Cup. Jaimes, a 22-year-old Santa Ana resident, was one of the thousands of people who packed the many bars and restaurants to watch the thrilling victory, then spilled out onto the streets to party.
Fans honked and spun loud, chanting “México!” and “¡Thank you!” They displayed the Mexican flag prominently everywhere: on banners, painted on the cheeks, taped to the top of Jaimes’ tube. They stood on the back of the trucks and sounded the bells.
An Orange County Fire Authority truck flashed its sirens. A line of drivers made their way down Fourth Street — the historic cultural and economic center of Latino Orange County — to the top of the crowd and allowed people to wave their cars as if everyone was inside a bounce house.
Jaimes wanted something amazing.
He lay in the arms of some men wearing blue Mexican soccer jerseys. They counted to three, launched him a good eight feet up, and caught a laughing Jaimes.
Scenes like these have multiplied in Southern California after the game, from Koreatown to Boyle Heights to Pacoima to Huntington Park — really, anywhere there’s a large Latino population. It happens whenever Mexico wins a lot in soccer. But the episode more was announced in Santa Ana.
Last year, Fourth Street was empty. Federal immigration agents were arresting people all over the city. The National Guard set up a complete roadblock with armored Humvees for more than a month, a block away from where Jaimes and many others were celebrating.
One of the largest Latino cities in the country was trembling with fear. On Thursday night, Santa Ana erupted with excitement.
“This is the opposite of last year’s raid,” said Sandra De Anda, who was wearing a Stetson and Tigres Mexico soccer team jersey and waving a South Korean flag. He is the director of legal policy and strategy for the Orange County Rapid Response Network.
Last June, the Santa Ana native joined thousands as they marched down Fourth Street for days demanding that ICE and the National Guard leave the city. Throughout the year 2025, he and others in the Rapid Response Network fight these migrations in the courts and by raising money for immigration detainees and their loved ones.
“They tried to bring down our community, but they didn’t stand a chance,” added De Anda as her boyfriend ran to join the celebration. “We Mexicans are always beaten, but we are proud. Tonight, you can see how we stand up when needed.”
James agreed.
“It’s very important to do this, especially after last year,” he told me after only a short time as a Cirque du Soleil performer. “We don’t care what Trump has to say about this. It was his birthday recently – who cares? the original.”
One lady screamed as she sailed above us. James pointed at him, then looked at me. “Throw in.” also [also]bro!”
I got so stuck banging on the lids and windows of so many cars that my hand turned black with soot.
Seeing Mexico become the first country to win their World Cup group would be an exciting experience any year. But in 2026, when Trump continues to meddle in Latin American affairs during his tenure migra the goons continue to raid across the country, the satisfaction is overwhelming.
Few things annoy Trump and his supporters more than Mexicans succeeding in anything. Eleven years ago this week, he declared in his presidential campaign that Mexico “doesn’t send the best immigrants” but instead, people he said were mostly rapists and drug traffickers. Trump has spent his two terms focused on the US-Mexico border, attacking anything that provokes dissent and belittling Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum as if she were the CEO of one of many failed corporations.
Conservatives and more than a few liberals are always outraged when Mexican Americans raise the flag of their ancestral country – but supporting the Mexican soccer team is toxic. The fans far outnumber the fans of the American football team during games in this country, which brings suspicions of rebellion to Mexican Americans although other diasporas do the same, nowhere near the same opprobrium.
Haters don’t get it why many Mexican Americans are from El Tri. The group embodies what it means to be Mexican: they are a great group of people who always seem to get a bad break and never succeed against the powers that be – but never stop fighting for a better day, while having fun doing so.
That is why Americans of all races should support Mexico and the American side in this World Cup, which Trump has canceled. The Department of Homeland Security has banned a Somali referee from entering the country because he is said to be “talking to the worst people,” according to a White House World Cup task force. The Trump administration forced the Iranian team to be based in Tijuana, which means it has to fly to games in Los Angeles and Seattle instead of taking a short bus ride like all the other teams.
Every victory for Mexico should comfort the underground and confirm the belief that the solidarity of nations engaged in friendly competition is better than Trump’s tendency to launch indiscriminate attacks and bombings. Fun in Mexico is about as American as you can get right now.
Sydney Tran took her turn at the Fourth Street parade in a Honda Civic filled with friends. The crowd shook his car so hard that the 23-year-old Westminster resident couldn’t sing as people shouted at him.
“This is crazy!” shouted Tran, who was wearing a Mexican soccer jersey. “I’m Vietnamese, but it’s nice to see my Mexican friends so happy. They deserve to be happy – it’s been hard for them. It’s been hard for all immigrants.”
Mexican fans celebrate a goal while watching the FIFA World Cup soccer match between Mexico and South Korea at Boyle Heights on Thursday, June 18.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
The festivities were still going strong when I left. Restaurants that usually close at 10pm had lines out the door. Dance parties sprout up in the streets. Rancheras, funk and oldies are blasting everywhere. The police could not even be seen as they dispersed protests against ICE last year with rubber bullets and tear gas.
Discrimination consumed me for a moment. Mexico, who won with a one-goal goal and two miraculous saves, could not beat football giants like France and Argentina when the knockout stage of the World Cup began. Trump’s immigration team vows that there are more criminals to come. And I can only hope that a much younger crowd will put the love they have shown for Mexican football into the ballot box this November.
Then I relaxed.
Everyone around me sighed and cried and expressed their frustration with our nation in the most hilarious way imaginable. The truth would return the next morning – but for one night, for a few hours, life was good for Mexican Americans, and better days ahead seemed possible. Thank youindeed.
