In a heartfelt display of resistance and cultural pride, Vanessa Hernández, known to her social media followers as Nezza, took a stand during Saturday’s Los Angeles Dodgers home game against the San Francisco Giants. Nezza made the bold choice to sing the U.S. national anthem in Spanish, despite being requested by a Dodgers employee to perform it in English.
In a TikTok video capturing the moment, viewers see a Dodgers employee instructing Hernández to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in English, to which Nezza responds by delivering a heartfelt rendition of “El Pendón Estrellado,” the Spanish adaptation commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt back in 1945. Her decision culminated in a defining moment with the caption, “so I did it anyway.”
Following the anthem, Nezza released an emotional follow-up video sharing her motivations. “I didn’t think something as simple as singing the anthem in another language would be an issue, especially here in LA,” she explained. Nezza expressed her inability to comply with the request given the context of recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles.
Standing firm with tears in her eyes, she said, “I felt I needed to do it para mi gente (for my people).” The decision was deeply personal, as she reflected on her family’s immigrant roots and the privileges they’ve fought to attain. “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.”
Nezza’s performance ties into a broader series of protests against ICE across the country. With ICE director Todd Lyons stating an average of 1,600 arrests a day, tensions have escalated, sparking peaceful protests not only in Los Angeles but also in cities like New York, Boston, St. Louis, and Chicago.
Nezza’s act of defiance, wrapped in melody and meaning, stands as a powerful reminder of the cultural diversity that makes up the fabric of the United States—especially in a city as diverse as Los Angeles. Her performance serves as both a musical and a political statement, symbolizing solidarity with immigrant communities across the nation.
