Los Angeles is home to 1.8 million Spanish-speaking residents reportedly, but it is rare to hear the national anthem sung in that language.
On Saturday night, 51,548 fans were trained on the field at Dodger Stadium and TV cameras were trained on the field, Vanessa Hernández stood behind the home plate to sing the national anthem, traditionally sung before all sporting events in the United States.
Only this time, that was different.
The Dominican American singer was known to fans by its stage name Netza. He won the Dodger Stadium microphone and, contrary to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ wishes, he performed “Erpendon Estrellado,” the official Spanish version of the US national anthem.
It was as bold as beautiful, a protest wrapped in melody, reverberating well beyond the stadium.
The Dodgers told her not to do that. She decided to do it anyway.
Dressed in a shirt decorated with the flag of her family’s hometown, Hernandez’s voice trembled with emotion as she reached the final line, her eyes gushing with tears. But her rebellion was clear. It’s for her people, and Parami Gente – was in a position against the system that “tears the family” as she put it in the waves of immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) assaults that have run through Los Angeles’ Latino communities since June 6th.
When she later shared Tiktok, Dodgers staff had explicitly told her, “I’m trying to do a song in English today.” Hernandez’s reaction was neither loud nor confrontational. I had the courage. She let her speak.
And it echoed like thunder.
Netza had turned the national anthem into an act of protest, but many of the fans present had no idea what to think. Some cheered with applause, others stood with their mouths attacks. Others turned to social media to let them know what was going on in the world, and Netza’s decision was filled with mixed reviews.
“These people are evil,” one user wrote about the Neza protest.
“They should have cut off her microphone and apologized to the audience. This kind of inaction might push many Dodger fans away,” another fan wrote.
“Is her legal status checked? Deport her!” someone else wrote.
However, all the reviews were not negative. Many praised Neza’s courage and courage.
“Her courage is obvious. I’m very proud of her,” wrote one user on X.
“I’m obsessed with her! It was beautiful,” another wrote.
“Amazing,” the user said, summarizing the performance in a word.
Netza will be taking part in the “Mission: Impossible – Final Calculation” Los Angeles Creators Screening at Paramount Pictures Studios in Los Angeles on May 12, 2025. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
While Neza was causing controversy with the production of the national anthem, Shohei ohtani had turned baseball into a souvenir. The existing National League MVP defeated two home runs on the 21st and 22nd of the season. The victory allowed Los Angeles to take the sole ownership of No. 1 in the NL West.
But ask the people there. It was the voice of Neza, not the otani bat that stole the night.
The tension that had held Los Angeles over the past 10 days has reached a boiling point. The ice attack ordered by the Trump administration in the name of “public safety” has torn apart the neighborhood, sparking public protests and public rage. The US Marines deployed at Boyle Heights. East La Helicopter National Guard is circling the Pico Union.
Even the best California officials are caught up in the confusion. Senator Alex Padilla was arrested after a fierce confrontation with Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem. Governor Gavin Newsom appealed for federal forces to retreat. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass calls the attack a “humanitarian disaster.”
A federal judge on Friday ruled that President Donald Trump’s move to federate the California State Guard was illegal, but the enforcement of that ruling was suspended with appeals being postponed.
And halfway through this storm, the Dodgers were quiet.
Until Saturday night.
The Dodgers did not make a statement. They did not comment on Neza’s protest. In fact, they tried to shut it down before it happened.
But when her voice rose to the top of the stadium, the echo of history – the message passed, supported by Roosevelt’s 1945 “Erpendon Estrellado.” This is not about rebellion. It was about belongings.
And no one embodied it more than Hernandez.
“My parents are immigrants,” she said later. “They were citizens of my life at this point, but I can’t imagine them being separated from me. Not now. Not when I was a child. Never.”
The Dodgers have not banned Neza, but they reportedly don’t plan, but she joked online. That may not be true. But what is the truth – she gave the most important performance of the night. It probably has the most meaning in her life.
The franchise’s only public voice came from individual players. Veteran utility man Quique Hernandez wrote on Instagram:
Dodgers utility man Quique Hernandez took him to Instagram on Saturday to express his support for immigration and condemned the recent militarized attacks in the city by US immigration and customs enforcement. pic.twitter.com/qnmii2qopw
– Athletic (@theathletic) June 15th, 2025
Adrien Gonzalez, a beloved former baseman and current broadcaster, called the attack “unconstitutional” and demanded that the government stop the separation of their families.
“To be honest, I don’t know enough,” manager Dave Roberts said when asked to comment Friday.
Maybe he knows a little more now.
Saturday night wasn’t just a baseball game. It was a cultural fault line. It was the moment when the singer stood on the sacred ground of an immigrant city reminded Los Angeles and America what the national anthem means.
“Erpendon Estrellado” is not a translation. That’s a reflection. Let me remind you that the American Dream has never been limited to one language.
And one unforgettable night, under the lights of Dodger Stadium, the dream sang in Spanish.
