Ricardo Pepi, proudly boasting the red, white and blue as he represented the U.S. men's national team at the Copa América, could've easily worn a different set of colors this summer.
Born in the border town of El Paso, Texas, to parents who immigrated to the United States from Juarez, Mexico, the 21-year-old forward grew up balancing the daily duality of being Mexican and American. He spoke Spanish in his household, ate traditional homemade Mexican food and watched copious amounts of Mexican fútbol, but reverted to English once outside the bounds of his neighborhood.