Singer Nezza performs U.S. national anthem in Spanish despite being told to sing in English only: "Today, Out of All Days… I Needed to Do It"

Nezza ignored Dodgers' demand, sang anthem in Spanish (Getty Images)
Latin pop singer Nezza took a bold step at Dodger Stadium this past weekend. Amid rising tensions due to aggressive immigration crackdowns under the Trump administration—tensions that have sparked protests and even the deployment of 700 Marines—Nezza chose to honor her roots and community by performing "El Pendón Estrellado," the Spanish-language version of the U.S.
national anthem, before the Dodgers' 11–5 win over the Giants.
Spanish 'Star-Spangled Banner' at Dodgers game sparks controversy, singer says it was an intentional act of protest
Just moments before her performance, a Dodgers staff member informed Nezza, 'We are gonna do the song in English today. I'm not sure if that wasn't relayed.' Despite being visibly shaken, she stood firm. 'I didn't think I'd be met with any sort of no,' she later shared in a video. 'Especially because we're in L.A., and with everything happening… I just felt like I needed to do it.
Para mi gente.'
The rendition struck a chord not only with those in the stadium but also online, where a video of her performance and emotional behind-the-scenes reaction quickly went viral. Clad in a Dominican Republic shirt, Nezza—whose full name is Vanessa Hernández—was seen with teary eyes, standing tall and belting out the last line of the anthem in Spanish, her voice trembling but proud.
'This was easily one of the scariest days of my life,' she wrote in the caption accompanying the video.
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'I sang 'El Pendón Estrellado,' the OFFICIAL Spanish star-spangled banner (commissioned by President Roosevelt), at the Dodgers game after being told I couldn't. And I'm so proud that I did.'
Commissioned in 1945 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy to improve U.S.–Latin American relations, the Spanish version is indeed an official translation—a fact Nezza passionately reminded viewers of in a follow-up TikTok.
Beyond the anthem, her performance became a symbol of resistance in a city currently grappling with fear and unrest. With ICE raids ramping up and families being separated, Nezza's act resonated deeply. 'My parents are immigrants… I just can't imagine them being ripped away from me,' she shared. 'Even at this age, let alone like a little kid. What are they doing?'
While Dodgers manager Dave Roberts offered a neutral comment, saying he hadn't 'dug enough' into the issue to speak on it, the silence from the organization has been noticed. Especially when longtime player Kike Hernandez voiced clear support on social media: 'I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart.'
In a time when silence can feel complicit, Nezza's voice didn't just sing—it roared.
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