The world’s football giants have made their way to the United States, Mexico, and Canada to compete for the FIFA World Cup, the highest honor in the sport. Sure, the big countries that are the favorites—France, Argentina, Spain—are what make the event a spectacle, but it’s the smaller nations where the pride and love for one’s country go beyond the results on the pitch. There is probably no greater example of that mentality than that of Curaçao, the smallest nation in the tournament and one of the countries that will be playing in Houston.
Curaçao has the smallest population of any country that has ever qualified for the FIFA World Cup, with approximately 156,000 citizens calling the small Caribbean island home. Muryad de Bruin, the managing director at Curaçao Tourist Board, told Chron it’s hard to put into words how significant it is to see his home compete in the World Cup.
“The first word that doesn’t even encompass everything is proud. It’s a sense of pride, joy, happiness; it’s an honor to be a part of it,” de Bruin told Chron. “I’m not sure which word encompasses everything that we feel as a nation participating in the World Cup and having our first match in Houston. It’s euphoric.”
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Most of the Curaçaoan diaspora is found in the Netherlands, and as opposed to other Caribbean islands, the country doesn’t have massive footholds in U.S. cities like Miami or New York. Houston is known for its diversity, and the sheer amount of different nationalities that call the city home, but de Bruin shared that he believes there is only one Curaçaoan citizen living in Houston.
Curaçao will play Germany in Houston on Sunday, June 14, as part of the FIFA World Cup.
RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images
For Tara-Elena Jamerson, who has called Houston home for seven years and is the only Curaçaoan in Houston, the World Cup has brought her home country to her front door. The opportunity to reconnect with the small island’s culture and celebrate with her people is very special.
“It’s actually so exciting. You know, I don’t really get to speak my language on a daily basis,” Jamerson told Chron, sharing that she missed the warmth of Curaçaoan culture. “So just seeing all of the people traveling here, you get to see people you haven’t seen in so long, connect with them, speak your language. I cannot even describe it in words, but I’m really excited.”
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Curaçao is “winning long term” just by being in the World Cup
About 7,000 fans from Curaçao are traveling to Houston to support the national team. For fans not able to attend at Houston Stadium, the tourism board is hosting a watch party at a place they have named the Blue Wave Village, near Hermann Park. The event will feature live DJs, food, and drinks, and will screen the highly anticipated matchup against Germany.
While the fans’ trips may be only a couple of days, de Bruin said that Curaçaoans will make the most of their time in Houston.
“Most of the people are having very short trips, but they’ll do the maximum out of the trips,” de Bruin said. “Beautiful city, a lot to do. [We] will be exploring the city and exploring especially the culinary side of Houston, Texas.”
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With so many friends and family coming to her home in Houston, Jamerson has been the go-to for recommendations. Similar to de Bruin, she indicated that Houston is too big to experience in a couple of days, but she has made sure to give her advice on navigating our culinary scene.
“Most people want to go shopping,” Jamerson said. “So, a lot of people want to go to Galleria, but I was like, ‘We are very big on restaurants and good food.'”
Jamerson said she has recommended her personal favorite restaurant, Doris Metropolitan, and also urged visitors from her home country to experience Tex-Mex and the various Mexican food trucks around the city to get an authentic Houston experience. Along with food recs, Jamerson noted that Houston is known for its nightlife, and has been recommending places like Montrose’s The Flat.
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The most important aspect about Curaçao being in the World Cup is the attention it’s bringing to the island and its culture. Jamerson says in her everyday life, most people can’t place her accent or really know about Curaçao at all, but the World Cup is an opportunity to expose the island to the world at large.
“I feel like the World Cup has brought so much attention to Curaçao because we are the smallest country to ever qualify,” Jamerson said. “It’s not only about the wins and losses, but actually, we’re winning long term because now more people are getting to know Curaçao.”