The World Cup brings joy to these NJ communities in a time of strife
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Cheers erupt at packed restaurants and cafes. Flags whip from car windows. Horns blaring as fans spill onto streets, hugging, dancing and chanting.
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Across New Jersey, the World Cup has turned neighborhoods into scenes of celebrations. For a few hours at a time, the weight many families carry — political turmoil, war, deportation fears — gives way to an entirely different feeling: collective joy.
For Palestinian and Haitian communities in particular, that joy has arrived in the midst of grief and uncertainty, offering a temporary reprieve from crises unfolding abroad and at home.
In South Paterson, where vigils and protests over Israel's attacks on Gaza are a common sight, the streets have taken on a different energy. Crowds have flocked to restaurants like Abu Rass and city-sponsored watch parties, cheering not only for the teams, but for countries they see as cultural allies.
“People went crazy for these games,” said Adnan Abu Rass, the chef-owner of the Palestinian restaurant, adding that Morocco, Egypt and Jordan drew the biggest crowds. “With the situation back home, people just want something to make them happy.”
Excitement has also rippled through New Jersey's Haitian community, which is celebrating Haiti's first World Cup appearance in 52 years.
"We love soccer. We are crazy about soccer," said Yves-Mary Fontin, head of cultural affairs for the Haitian Civic Organization of Paterson. "With soccer we forget about stress and negative things in our lives. We see each other like brothers and sisters."
Joy and pain
When Fahim Abedrabbo of Clifton attended Paterson's June 13 watch party for Morocco's match against Brazil, he found himself surrounded by a sea of fans in red Moroccan jerseys.
"It's not about politics — it's about the people," said Abedrabbo, a Palestinian American. "People live through music, sports and food."
“It’s creating an escape from the genocide in Palestine, from the bombardment of Lebanon, from everything that’s going on politically,” he said. “It’s a way to release and really focus on sports and bring the community together.”
With no Palestinian team in the tournament, many have rallied behind countries across the Middle East and North Africa, including Morocco, Egypt and Jordan.
"People have been celebrating on the streets, from Morocco to Turkey,” he said. “It's really bringing everyone together."
Haitian Americans, meanwhile, have been riveted by their national team’s long-awaited return.
At a June 19 watch party at Hinchliffe Stadium, the loudest cheers came when Paterson resident Derrick Etienne Jr., who plays for Haiti's national team, entered the match.
"It felt like we were in the stadium with our team," Fontin said. "So many of us had the privilege to sit down with one another and cheer,” he said. “It was a good vibe."
But the celebrations come amid a time of hardship.
In South Paterson, sometimes called "Little Palestine," many have mourned relatives killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza and the West Bank. In May, Paterson unveiled a "Gaza Love" monument outside the South Paterson library honoring more than 73,000 killed in the territory.
Haitians are grappling with a different kind of uncertainty. The Trump administration has moved to end Temporary Protected Status for many Haitians, raising fears of deportation to a country gripped by political instability and gang violence.
Pride in their teams
Yet amid that strain, the World Cup has become a source of pride.
Abedrabbo said Palestinian Americans have been encouraged by displays of solidarity from players and fans around the world, including those waving Palestinian flags.
"In Arabic, there's a saying: it lifts the head and the spirit," he said. "It makes you proud to see folks from different countries be in support of Palestinians."
Across Arab communities — Lebanese, Jordanian, Syrian, Egyptian — the games have also stirred a sense of shared identity, as fans rally behind regional teams.
For other communities, including Lebanese, Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians and other groups, the games have also stirred a sense of shared identity and pride, as fans rally behind regional teams.
Pride has also resonated among Haitians.
Bergson Leneus, a Haitian-American councilman in East Orange, said qualifying for the World Cup felt like a victory. Because of unrest in Haiti, the national team has spent years training outside the country. U.S. travel restrictions also prevented many supporters from attending matches in person.
"The fact that we were able to get there despite everything happening in Haiti, despite all the turmoil, it was the biggest high," Leneus said. "Even though we lost, people were dancing. We were just so happy that we made it."
Leneus, who emceed the Paterson watch party, also hosted a gathering in East Orange for Haiti’s June 24 match against Morocco.
“To see everybody with their national flags — Haitians, Moroccans, people from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Brazil, Canada — for a brief moment it felt good to take our minds off everything happening back home and everything we're facing here,” he said.
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But the relief was fleeting.
On June 25, a day after Haiti’s final World Cup match, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the cancellation of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. About 350,000 people could now face deportation if they lack another legal status.
"You wake up and it's utter disbelief and shock," Leneus said. "It was the biggest gut punch."
Fontin said many in the community are anxious about what comes next — especially once the tournament ends.
"One of my worries," Fontin said, "is after July 19, when the final is over. How is my community going to be when they don't have these games to keep them smiling?"
For now, he said, they are continuing to celebrate the final two weeks of the World Cup, and the community togetherness they have found.
“So many have said, 'We need to have events like this more often,' " he said. “We’ll never forget this moment.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: The World Cup brings joy to these NJ communities in a time of strife