Singer Vanessa Hernandez aka Nezza says that she performed the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium over the weekend despite officials wanting it performed in English, she claims.
The incident occurred before the Dodgers’ encounter with the San Francisco Giants on the same day that millions protested against the President Donald Trump administration nationwide.
In a video posted on TikTok by Hernadnez, a Dodgers official can be heard saying: “So we are going to do it in English today. I’m not sure if that was relayed.” The clip cuts to Hernandez singing in Spanish with the caption: “So I did it anyway.” Hernandez wore a t-shirt celebrating the Dominican Republic during her performance.
The singer said in the video: “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 version that Hernandez sang was the 1945 form, “El Pendón Estrellado,” which President Franklin D. Roosevelt commissioned in an attempt to improve relations with Latin Americans.
“I didn’t think I would be met with any sort of no, especially because we’re in LA and with everything happening. And I’ve sang the national anthem many times in my life. But today out of all days, I could not. I’m sorry. I just could not believe when she [the Dodgers employee] walked in and told me ‘no.’ But I just felt like I needed to do it para mi gente [for my people],” Hernandez said through tears.
“I’m proud of myself for doing that today. Because my parents are immigrants and they’ve been citizens my whole life at this point,” she added.
According to a Los Angeles Times report, the Dodgers have taken no issue with Hernandez’s rendition and will welcome her back in the future.
In her video, Hernandez alluded to nationwide ICE raids and said that she could not imagine being torn away from her family.
“My parents are immigrants. They've been citizens my whole life at this point; they got documented really early, but I just can't imagine them being ripped away from me, even at this age, let alone a little kid. Like, what are we doing?"
Dodgers fans were asked to comment on the team’s lack of response to the ongoing unrest in Los Angeles regarding ICE activity in the city.
“I don’t feel like they should. Keep sports, sports. And when it’s a community action type of response, then let the community speak,” fan Yvonne Esquivel told KTLA.
“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.
This weekend, the Los Angeles NWSL franchise, Angel City FC, handed out t-shirts to fans that read, “Immigrant City Football Club.”
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