Dear Americans: It can be called ‘Football’ and ‘Soccer.’

Growing up overseas and coming to the U.S. for college meant being ambushed by everyone calling my beloved favorite sport “soccer,” rather than “football.” 

Upon arriving stateside, I was greeted with phrases like “Want to go watch the soccer game,” “Oh, I love soccer” and “You play soccer?”

I knew this was going to happen, but I was still shocked. Everytime the word was used it felt like shedding another layer of the culture I had grown up in. 

I grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and moved to the U.S this fall to attend Loyola. I’m a U.S. citizen, as both of my parents are American, and I wanted to study in the U.S. because of the great programs here. Although I travel here in the summers, I’m still continuously struck by the cultural differences I see and experience everyday. 

Coming into college as a first-year student and being surrounded by so many Americans was difficult. 

Whenever you meet another student, the typical question to ask is where they’re from. I always hear different states thrown at me — and I’ve learned how to act interested in Nebraska. 

I’m always hesitant when I get asked where I’m from. I’m tired of the shocked looks, people asking where it is on a map and downright idiotic questions being thrown at me, like asking if people speak English in Malaysia, if the country has internet access or if I lived in a hut. 

For those wondering, the answers are yes, yes and no. 

Why do some Americans find it so difficult to be educated about the world? Is it really so hard to recognize the existence of other cultures and people? 

Despite the irksome questions, when I meet people, I still always say I’m from Malaysia — even if it means I need to stay patient and plaster a fake smile on my face while showing people where it is on a map, which part of me still can’t believe.  

I always have a slight naive hope of finding other international students. All I wish is to find more connections to other countries and international communities. 

Upon arriving at Loyola, I searched for an international club, or at least ways to explore new cultures around me. Maybe I’m just not looking in the right places, but so far I’ve come up short. 

I went to an international school in Malaysia and grew up around a plethora of cultures. My core friend group in high school was made of people from India, Brazil, Finland and more. In my mind, this was normal, even expected. 

At my supposed international orientation, I was expecting to be met with people from all over the globe. 

Instead, I was met with the orientation leaders asking us who we thought had traveled the furthest to get here, and someone from Utah proudly raising their hand. I had to restrain myself from rolling my eyes. 

As for football, in my mind when people say the word “football” outloud I still always think of my football — the sport most Americans call “soccer.”

The sport, originally called “association football,” was shortened to “soccer” in the late nineteenth century, according to The Guardian. While the word “soccer” itself is entirely of British origin, the British decided to switch from using it because it was considered as Americanism.

The bottom line is the word “soccer” is reasonable and makes sense here because it distinguishes the sport from American football. I’m not denying this obvious fact.

My issue is how I’m made fun of, teased or looked at weird when calling the sport football. This is usually in a context where the reference makes complete sense — no one is confused by my differing dialect. So why should I shed my culture in order to adapt to Americans around me?

It feels like many Americans don’t understand other places use other vocabulary, and other cultures don’t need to conform to the Western point of view. 

Growing up at an international school meant I grew up calling my favorite sport football. My parents are American — and technically, according to my passport, so am I — but they still recognized where we lived and who we lived around. 

This is clearly indicative of how the environment we grew up in — both the people and location — became an integral part of who we are today. Football — not soccer — is an important part of who I am. 

The bottom line is these names don’t really matter. I’ll always recognize and respect the name “soccer,” simply because it eliminates the confusion which would occur otherwise. I only ask others to respect me and the word the rest of the world uses in return. 

Instead of taking the time to learn about each other’s history, home and culture, Americans often spend time arguing about a name only they use. 

So, to Americans reading: if someone near you calls the sport “football,” instead of arguing about it, ask. This could give you some insight into said person’s life and their culture, because there’s never any harm in learning about — trust me on this.