“Hermano” energy beats rivalry as Mexico-Korea plays out in L.A.

“Hermano” energy – In Koreatown’s Seoul International Park and Boyle Heights’ Mariachi Plaza, thousands watched Mexico vs. South Korea under a blanket of cross-cultural friendship—an outgrowth of the 2018 World Cup and years of shared immigration struggles in Los Angeles.

When the first celebratory chants rose in Koreatown on Thursday night, they didn’t sound like a rivalry. They sounded like recognition.

At Seoul International Park, thousands of fans in red and green jerseys packed in for the Mexico vs. South Korea match—soccer’s newest love story playing out in plain sight. South Korea fan Ben Lee. 31. was doing soccer kick-ups with a pack of Shin Noodles when he spotted Kevin Gonzalez walking by in a Mexico shirt. Lee called out, “Hermano!” and the pair, just moments after meeting, snapped a selfie. Gonzalez, 28, grinned for the camera as he held up his Korean bulgogi beef quesadilla.

“No matter who wins or who loses, it’s all love,” Lee said. He drove from Orange County to attend the massive watch party.

That spirit of camaraderie—equal parts football and family—pervaded the evening at both Koreatown and nearby Boyle Heights. At Seoul International Park. the bond between Mexican and Korean supporters was traced back to the 2018 World Cup. when Mexico’s tournament hopes were left hanging after a 3-0 defeat to Sweden. Advancement depended on South Korea pulling off an unlikely victory over Germany. South Korea delivered the win, even though their own path forward had no bearing on the final standings.

For Mexican fans, the result didn’t go unnoticed. Gratitude spread quickly—so quickly that the chant “¡Coreano, hermano, ya eres mexicano!” was born. The phrase translates to “Korean brother, you are Mexican now!”

Leo Hernandez. a Mexican American soccer fan from Orange County who is known as El Soccer Guy on Instagram. was clear about why he wasn’t focused solely on Mexico’s side of the scoreboard. “With Mexicans, and myself included, when someone helps us with something really big, we never forget,” Hernandez said.

He described Thursday’s match as the only World Cup moment where he wasn’t gunning for a decisive Mexico victory. “I’d be happy with the tie,” he said. “I think it would hurt me if South Korea loses against us, but I do hope Mexico and South Korea both advance to the next round.”

Hernandez said the connection runs deeper than sports. The two cultures, he said, share an underdog spirit, strong family values, and a passionate love for a good party.

On the streets of Mexico earlier this summer, that shared energy kept spilling across borders. Videos showed “Gangnam Style” dance parties taking over streets in Guadalajara. Sombrero-wearing fans took selfies with tourists in Korean red jerseys, turning a global pop moment into a cross-cultural greeting.

Kenji Kumagai, 37, said he experienced Mexican hospitality firsthand during a visit to Guadalajara two weeks before Thursday’s watch party. He described being repeatedly stopped in plazas as locals welcomed him. “I went on a tequila tour and everyone was like. ‘Oh. Koreans are hermanos. you guys are Mexican too. ’” Kumagai said. Then, he said, they made him do a keg stand and threw him up in the air. “It was great!”.

At the Koreatown watch party, Kumagai attended with his girlfriend, Denitza Ceballos, who is Mexican. He too said he was hoping for a tie—but added that whatever happened on the field. he planned to go home happy. “Yes. it’s a competition. but it’s also when nations come together for friendship and to exchange culture. ” he said. “We’re from Koreatown, which is basically half Mexican, half Koreans, so it’s the perfect place for us.”.

The comparison isn’t just poetic. It reflects a long Los Angeles history built through overlap—sometimes close, sometimes hard-won.

A massive wave of Korean immigrants arrived in Los Angeles after the 1965 Immigration Act. and many settled in Koreatown and other central city neighborhoods. Those neighborhoods. the story goes. had experienced decades of disinvestment tied to redlining. racist housing covenants. and other discriminatory policies. leaving them among the city’s more affordable areas.

As a result, many working-class Korean and Latino immigrant households lived side by side and confronted similar challenges: substandard housing conditions, landlord abuses, and underfunded public schools.

More recently, both communities were hit hard by ICE raids last summer. Korean and Mexican mutual aid groups worked together to share information about where agents had been sighted and to help connect families with legal resources when loved ones were detained.

Today. Koreatown is among the largest South Korean diasporas in America. while also being slightly more than half Hispanic residents. according to census data. It’s a neighborhood where cultural collaborations can take an everyday form—like Roy Choi’s famous Korean barbecue taco truck—and where K-pop songs sit in the same playlists as mariachi music.

Lee. the South Korea fan from Orange County. said he believes the two immigrant communities show love and respect because they often share backstories. “Our parents came from nothing and built something for us,” he said. “I feel like Koreans and Mexicans feel that and understand that; we know our parents went through so much coming to America.”.

That blend of shared memory and shared celebration carried into Boyle Heights, too. At a game watch party in Mariachi Plaza—a historic and prominent Mexican American community—the crowd was nearly entirely dressed in Mexico’s forest green. Aidan Lee, 23, who is of Mexican and South Korean descent, stood out in a red South Korea jersey. It didn’t isolate him. It landed him in the center of the party.

“I got given like four free beers,” Aidan Lee said. “I felt all the love.” He described the cultural fit as simple: “To Lee it’s a no-brainer that the two cultures click. ‘We love to have a good time, we love drinking, we’ve got great spicy food, we love family, we love L.A.,’ he said.”

When the match clock ran out and Mexico held onto its single-goal lead, the plaza exploded. Cheers rolled through the space, beer was showered over the crowd, firecrackers set off, and Mexican flags waved high against the setting sun.

Then the chant that had echoed in Koreatown found a new voice in Boyle Heights. A man jumped onto the stage, grabbed the microphone, and led the plaza in a thunderous victory chant: “¡Coreano, hermano, ya eres mexicano!”

Mexico vs. South Korea Koreatown Seoul International Park Mariachi Plaza Boyle Heights World Cup ¡Coreano hermano ya eres mexicano! Ben Lee Kevin Gonzalez Leo Hernandez Leo Soccer Guy Kenji Kumagai Denitza Ceballos ICE raids 1965 Immigration Act