They also have mentorship programs to help players do well in school and prepare them to succeed as adults since it’s often harder for them to get opportunities due to their backgrounds.
I had the opportunity to sit with Jorge Bolaños, the president of Dragones de Lavapiés, to talk more about what this community means to him. Jorge immigrated to Spain from then Canary Islands in 2005, and he expressed his own experiences with discrimination as someone who is blind. He made it clear that his personal mission, and his mission through Dragones de Lavapiés, is to normalize differences through integration. He stressed, “We’ve never wanted to be a ghetto. Ghettos are created by the state. We are a community.” Jorge, as well as some of his players, made sure that I would share the importance of programs made by and for the people of a nieghborhood. No one knows the history and the needs of a neighborhood better than the people in them, so it is important that we take care of our own spaces. Spain, and much of Europe, is less diverse than the U.S., and it is more difficult for immigrants to succeed due to certain laws and personal prejudices. For this reason, building up communities from within and normalizing differences is extremely important.
Jorge hopes that Dragones de Lavapiés serves as an inspiring example of how you can take the first step in creating a community and meeting its needs in creative ways through your own unique talents! Respect differences, create conversation, find common ground and play!
