Chatham 250 is an ongoing celebration in Chatham County marking the 250th anniversary of the local government’s founding. The festival seeks to include the entire county and one event is doing just that: a roaming exhibit about the 2004 North Carolina High School Boys’ Soccer champions from Jordan-Matthews High School in Siler City. They were the first predominantly Latino team to win a North Carolina state title, and are better known as Los Jets.
The Los Jets story was immortalized in a book by their head coach and UNC professor Paul Cuadros, titled “A Home on the Field: How One Championship Soccer Team Inspires Hope for the Revival of Small Town America.”
Cuadros’ book has since drawn the attention of national media, and even inspired a mini-series about his team with Jennifer Lopez as an executive producer. The Chatham 250 exhibit on Cuadros and the Jets is a collaboration with the North Carolina Museum of History, which also featured the team in its collections.
Cuadros said he’s honored to be recognized by the county, and credited his players for the achievement. As for what makes the story of Los Jets so memorable, Cuadros told 97.9 The Hill it’s something everyone can get behind.
“It’s a real American story, for one thing,” he said. “Where you have an immigrant story, of people who come to this country and then who begin to find ways to be a part of the country, and also to contribute. I think most people are going to be able to relate to that story, and really buy into the story of the Jets and the boys, and the things they were able to accomplish, and the lives they’re building here in our community.”
“I think it’s a story of a small place, and our potential to change,” said Chatham 250 project manager Hillary Pollan. “And to go through that struggle where we don’t necessarily understand what’s happening, but to be open to the possibility that we can be stronger when everyone is included.”
In the Triangle region, Chatham County is quickly becoming a home for Hispanic residents. In 2019, the county was estimated to be about 12 percent Hispanic, and just less than half of Siler City’s population identifies as Hispanic.
The Los Jets exhibit is a mobile one, traveling around Chatham County to various schools. Chatham 250 has converted materials from the Museum of History into five movable panels, which then turn into a “pop-up” museum at each school they visit.
“We’re a large county,” Pollan explained. “And we really wanted this story to go to the people who really needed to hear it. And so with that, we’re able to go to nine schools across the county, from the far northeast corner, to all the way out in Bonlee. So, that mobile concept really allows people to relate to the story where they are.”
Cuadros splits his time between his work in Siler City and teaching at UNC’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media. His work at Jordan-Matthews High is what’s called “engaged scholarship.”
“For professors at UNC-Chapel Hill, I think oftentimes people think, ‘What do these academics do? What do these scholars do for the rest of the state?'” Cuadros said. “And this is an example of what engaged scholarship really is: where you have this sort of partnership between the university and a community.”
Chatham 250 will continue to celebrate Chatham County through November. Cuadros, meanwhile, said a feature film adaptation of his book is a possibility down the line. Which brings up the inevitable question: who would he want to play him?
“Oh boy, I don’t know. I’m gonna fall on Lin-Manuel Miranda,” Cuadros said. “I’m sure he can rap [about] some coaching.”
Featured image via North Carolina Museum of History
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