Singer and social media personality Nezza performed the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night, despite being told beforehand she was expected to sing it in English.
“So we are going to do it in English today. I’m not sure if that was relayed,” an official can be heard saying in a video Nezza posted on social media. Instead, she chose to sing the Star-Spangled Banner in Spanish — a version originally commissioned in 1945.
In a video posted to TikTok, Nezza shared an emotional explanation: “I just felt like I needed to do it. Para mi gente,” she said. “Safe to say I’m never allowed in that stadium ever again.”
The performance came during heightened tension in Los Angeles surrounding recent ICE activity, with some residents urging high-profile organizations, like the Dodgers, to speak out — and others urging them to stay silent.
“I don’t feel like they should,” fan Yvonne Esquivel told KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw. “Keep sports, sports. And when it’s a community action type of response, then let the community speak.”
“You know, you have differences on both sides, and I think they should remain neutral,” said another fan, Walter Jones. “Everybody has an opinion, and I think personally, when it comes to sports, it’s sports.”
Others disagree.
“We are really disappointed that the Dodgers, given their influence in the city and their importance to the culture, haven’t said anything publicly about the horrors that people are going through,” said Mike Hurst, a longtime fan.
The team has not released an official statement regarding the protests or ICE raids but did clarify that fan misconduct will not be tolerated. During a recent game, a spectator was removed from the stands for holding an anti-ICE sign, prompting both boos and cheers from the crowd.
Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernández addressed the issue on social media, writing: “This is my second home, and I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.”
Manager Dave Roberts, when asked by the Los Angeles Times, said: “I just hope that we can be a positive distraction for what people are going through in Los Angeles right now.”
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