Resistance in Representation: The Diasporic Politics of Club Deportivo Palestino

This article explores the relationship between soccer and diasporic resistance through an examination of Club Deportivo Palestino, a professional football club based in Santiago de Chile. The first ‘Club Sportivo Palestina’ was founded by Palestinian immigrants in the Chilean capital in 1916. Currently, Palestino plays in the Chilean first division and is among the top teams in the country. Meanwhile, the club is often claimed to represent the Palestinian people and has been a foundational pillar of a diasporic community to which the Palestinian struggle is a central mobilizing force. In this article, which is based on long-term fieldwork, I seek to show that the political potential in this kind of diaspora club lies first and foremost in representation, and, furthermore, that notions of resistance in this case are closely tied to a wider struggle for an enduring Palestinian presence.