WATCH: This Colombian-Dominican Artist Defies the Dodgers & Sings National Anthem in Spanish
Courtesy of the artist.
While the Los Angeles Dodgers are staying quiet during hometown ICE raids, Colombian-Dominican artist Nezza is not ignoring the city’s political climate. On Saturday (June 14), the bilingual pop singer sang the Spanish-language version of the national anthem after the organization told her to sing it in English.
In a recent TikTok video, the singer born Vanessa Hernández describes what went down behind the scenes. She explains why she sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” in Spanish, pointing out that it was commissioned in 1945 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy to help “foster a better relationship with Latin America.” She then gets emotional, saying that because of that, she didn’t think the team’s representatives would say no to her singing the song’s official Spanish version. She says out of all the days, she “felt like [she] needed to [sing the Spanish version]” for her people. She then tells her audience she was proud of what she did because her parents are immigrants.
Though she says at the end of the video that she’s not allowed in the Dodgers Stadium after her decision, the Los Angeles Times reports that an official team member said “there were no consequences from the club regarding the performance and that Nezza would be welcome back at the stadium in the future.” In another viral video, she shares a clip of someone from the Dodgers team telling her that they are going to do the song in English, with the text: “Watch the Dodgers tell me I can’t sing the Spanish Star Spangled Banner that Roosevelt literally commissioned in 1945.” The second video clip shows her singing the song in Spanish with the text: “So I did it anyway.”
The Colombian-Dominican is a singer, dancer, and social media personality from the Bay Area. She is known for her songs like “Corazón Frío,” “Poison,” and “Heaven.”
Social media users are praising the rising star for standing up for her people. Becky G also reposted Nezza’s video on her Instagram story, saying: “Dodgers don’t you dare turn your backs on us now. We as a city have embraced you & need your support now more than ever. THINK ABOUT WHO FILLS UP YOUR STADIUM!!!” Latino make more than 40 percent of their fanbase, per the LA Times.
The Dodgers have yet to publicly say anything about Nezza’s video. They also haven’t said anything about the ICE raids, and the LA Times reports that they don’t plan to. When asked about the raids and protests last Friday (June 13), the team’s manager, Dave Roberts, reportedly said: “I know that when you’re having to bring people in and deport people, all the unrest, it’s certainly unsettling for everyone. But I haven’t dug enough and can’t speak intelligently on it.” Only one of their star players, Enrique “Kike” Hernandez has expressed his POV online, saying he’s “saddened and infuriated by what’s happening in our country and our city… 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.”