For one evening, the blue seats at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium turned into a sea of yellow.
Around 71,000 people nearly sold out the stadium for the semifinal of the Copa América soccer tournament between Colombia and Uruguay on July 10.
Sporting the trademark yellow jerseys, the crowds were overwhelmingly in support the Colombian men’s national soccer team, known as Los Cafeteros in homage to the country's coffee cultivation.
The smaller but significant Uruguayan community also made sure to make their presence seen at the stadium in their sky-blue jerseys.
Colombia defeated Uruguay with a score of 1-0 in an intense game. The team advanced to the Copa América final with their victory, to the roar of supporters who made uptown Charlotte streets run with the yellow for hours before and after the game.
Just seeing the sheer amount of Colombian people there was very exciting for me. I didn't expect to get emotional. But I did.Cathy Rivera, Colombian-American from Garner
Fans reportedly arrived from all 50 states and 60 different countries, according to The Charlotte Observer.
The Colombians faced off against world champions Argentina on Sunday night in Miami. They lost to a single goal but accomplished a record tournament run by reaching the final stage for the first time since 2001.
But the semifinal was ultimately about more than soccer — it was a unifying moment for the growing Colombian diaspora in the city and across North Carolina.
Clad in the yellow, blue and red flag, Cathy Rivera of Garner went to support her mother’s home country.
"Just seeing the sheer amount of Colombian people there was very exciting for me," said Rivera, 27. " I didn't expect to get emotional. But I did."
Rivera was born in North Carolina, but felt represented as a self-identified Colombian-American.
"I didn't even expect the Copa América final to be in Charlotte," said Rivera. "I don't think that reality actually hit me until we were driving up to park and I just saw the the sea of people in the jerseys, and hearing Colombian music and smelling the food."
Rivera said that the local Colombian restaurant and bakery Mi Tierra was full of joyous patrons the morning after the game.
Much of uptown Charlotte turned into Little Colombia, as people danced on the streets to cumbia, salsa, and vallenato that blared from curbside speakers. Vendors sold street food like empanadas and Colombian-style kebobs and hotdogs.
Changing population in Charlotte
Roughly 50,000 Colombians live in the Carolinas, according to the U.S. Census, and thousands more in surrounding southern states. Data shows the self-identifying Colombia population skyrocketed by 70% in 2021 from the past decade.
As a result of that growing population, the Colombian government announced this year that a new Colombian consulate will open in Charlotte to help serve expats in the region.
José Hernández Paris — who migrated from Bogotá, Colombia, to Charlotte over 40 years ago — sat close to the field at the game.
"It was overwhelming, to be honest with you, it was surreal," said Hernández Paris.
Hernandez Paris is the head of the Latin American Coalition, the oldest and largest Latino community organization in the state.
He recalls a time when Latinos were a much smaller minority, specifically when he was part of the first cohort of students who learned English as a second language in Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools. Today, Hispanic students make up nearly a third of the school system.
"It's the appreciation of being a migrant and the value that we have of this country and the love of the U.S., while also valuing our roots," he said. "It's an incredible feeling that I'm still processing."
The Copa América in Charlotte speaks to the economic impact of soccer culture, directly tied to Latin American sport culture, Hernandez Paris said.
"The amount of money spent and the economic impact to Charlotte must have been great because when I was walking out, restaurants were full. There were lines everywhere," he said.
For Charlotte community historian Tom Hanchett, the soccer game represented a "capstone" on an era of demographic change.
Hanchett, who runs the blog HistorySouth.org, has studied the city’s demographics for decades.
"Charlotte is coming into its own as a major American city in the last 20, 30 years," said Hanchett.
Indeed, Charlotte has changed. It used to be known mostly for basketball and its skyline was smaller. But migration is behind the city’s new soccer fever and its new skyline built by mostly Latino workers, he said.
"What you're looking at when that stadium turned yellow, was a lot of different stories, a lot of different immigrant streams, a lot of different people, coming here for opportunity," said Hanchett. "And, man, you can kick back and look around you and say, ‘We got a ways to go, but we have made it.’"
