On Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, singer Nezza made headlines for singing El Pendón Estrellado, the official Spanish version of the U.S. national anthem, despite being told to sing it in English.
The bold move was in protest of recent immigration raids in Los Angeles carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Highlights
- Singer Nezza defied instructions and sang the US national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium to protest ICE immigration raids.
- Nezza wore a Dominican Republic jersey and dedicated the performance to her immigrant community.
- The Spanish version of the anthem was commissioned by the US government in 1945 as part of FDR's Good Neighbor Policy with Latin America.
The moment happened before the Dodgers’ game against the San Francisco Giants, which ended in an 11-5 win for the hosts.
Nezza sang the Spanish version of the U.S. national anthem at a Dodgers home game
Image credits: Mark Von Holden/Getty Images
But before the game began, Nezza, whose full name is Vanessa Hernández, delivered a powerful performance that was not part of the team’s plan.
Earlier that day, a Dodgers staff member was heard on video telling Nezza, “We are going to do the song in English today, so I’m not sure if that wasn’t relayed.”
The video, later posted by Nezza on TikTok, shows the moment she was told not to sing in Spanish.
It ends with a video of her singing the Spanish version, captioned, “So I did it anyway.”
She performed the Spanish version of the Star-Spangled Banner on the field. Nezza, wearing a Dominican Republic jersey, said she sang the song for her people.
Nezza later posted another emotional video on TikTok explaining her decision.
In tears, she said the Spanish version she sang was originally commissioned by the U.S. government in 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
This was a part of his “Good Neighbor Policy” to build stronger ties with Latin America.
“I didn’t think I would be met with any sort of no, especially because we’re in LA and with everything happening,” she said in tears.
“And I've sung 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].”
“I’m proud of myself for doing it today,” she said, still crying.
Nezza, 30, explained that her parents are immigrants and have been U.S. citizens for years. She couldn’t imagine being separated from them as an adult, let alone as a child.
The Dodgers have not made any public statements about the incident.
However, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the team does not plan to take any action against Nezza.
A team official said there were no consequences for her performance, and she is welcome to return in the future.
Manager Dave Roberts said last Monday, “I just hope that we can be a positive distraction for what people are going through in Los Angeles right now.”
He commented further on Friday, saying, “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.”
Dodgers player Kiké Hernández, who is from Puerto Rico, spoke up on Instagram.
“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.”
Nezza sang the anthem as an act of protest against ICE raids
Image credits: Andy Kuno/Getty Images
Nezza’s performance was met with loud cheers from the crowd. Her videos online quickly went viral, and supporters praised her courage.
Los Angeles has been seeing ongoing protests since June 6, with major demonstrations on June 14.
Protesters are unhappy about U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policy and ICE’s actions and arrests in the area.
“This is a city of immigrants. This is a city that wants to help you get your legal status,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
“This is a city that embraces everybody that is here, regardless of when you got here or where you came from,” she added.