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Singer Speaks Out After Singing National Anthem In Spanish At Dodgers Game Despite Being Told Not To
She was forbidden from doing so, but did it anyway. Her rousing performance drew huge applause from the crowd, but not from officials, who have diverted from usual procedure and didn't feature her rendition anywhere on the Dodgers' web presence.
Nezza posted it to her own TikTok, along with the moment she was told by officials not to sing "The Star Spangled Banner" in Spanish.
In the video, an official can be heard telling Nezza:
"We are going to do the song in English today.”
Nezza also pointed out in her video that the Spanish-language version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was commission by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945 as a way to strengthen ties with Latin American countries during World War II.
But the historical significance goes far deeper than that, so let's have a bit of a history lesson, shall we? Starting with how Dodgers Stadium itself came to be.
The stadium sits on the site of a once-vibrant and historic Mexican-American neighborhood called Chavez Ravine, which was razed using eminent domain in 1950s to build Elysian Park and the stadium, forcibly displacing more than 300 families.
Chavez Ravine was first settled in the 1830s, when California was Mexico, just 15 or so years before the U.S. began a sort of back-door invasion of California via "Westward Expansion" initiatives, in which the U.S. government urged "pioneers" to settle it despite the fact it was still indisputably part of Mexico.
President James K. Polk and his administration hoped that this "homesteading" invasion would inflame tensions that had resulted from the U.S.'s illegal annexation of Texas in 1845 and spark a full-on war.
That gambit worked and the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 resulted in the U.S. claiming an enormous swath of Mexican territory that now forms almost the entirety of the West south of the Oregon and Idaho borders, along with parts of Oklahoma and Kansas.
The very name California, in fact, derives from the "Californios," the families of mixed Spanish and Indigenous descent who populated the area for generations before the U.S. even existed and continue to live there to this day. Many California locales are named after their ranches, in fact, including iconic locations like Malibu.
TL;DR: conservatives can cry about it all they want (and they are, of course), but a Spanish-language "Star Spangled Banner" is more appropriate to California than the original will ever be.
And given the Dodgers' enormous Latino fanbase, that's probably a huge part of why Nezza's performance got a huge round of applause, and it makes Nezza's defiance all the more inspiring.
In a follow-up TikTok, Nezza talked about what the moment meant to her, especially in these times when Latino people are under direct attack from the fascist U.S. government.
She said:
“I just felt like I needed to do it, para mi gente [for my people]."
“My parents are immigrants. They’ve been citizens my whole life at this point, but I just can’t imagine them being ripped away from me. Not now. Not when I was a kid. Never.”
Nezza also joked that it was safe to assume she's no longer welcome at Dodgers Stadium, but the team has since spoken to the Los Angeles Times to say that there were "no hard feelings" and that Nezza is welcome back any time.
On social media, people found Nezza's act of patriotic defiance and solidarity deeply inspiring.
The bottom line is that everyone with white skin who lives in this country is an immigrant, and Spanish-speaking people have been here a lot longer than we have. They're more "American" than we Whites will ever be, and if conservatives don't like that? They should leave.
Hats off to Nezza and everyone else fighting back against this egregious, and egregiously stupid, chapter of the "American experiment."
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Animal Lovers Heartbroken After It's Revealed Hortman Family's Beloved Dog Was Also Killed In Attack
The politically-motivated assassin then traveled to the home of Democratic state Representative and former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and shot and killed her and her husband Mark.
Care, concern, and tributes poured in after Minnesota Democratic Governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz shared news of the shooting later that morning.
One organization that expressed their grief was Helping Paws Minnesota, a service dog training nonprofit. They shared a photo of Representative Hoffman and her dog Gilbert, a golden retriever.
They wrote:
"This morning, we learned of the tragic and senseless death of former Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark."
"Melissa served her community in more ways than one. She was a Helping Paws Foster Home Trainer, a neighbor, and a friend. The Hortman family raised and trained Minnie, who is now a working service dog partnered with a Veteran."
"They also helped raise and train Gilbert, a service dog in training who was eventually career changed and became a cherished member of their family. At this time, we do not have confirmed information about Gilbert’s condition, and our thoughts are with him as well."
"We are also holding Senator John Hoffman and his wife in our hearts and wishing them a full and speedy recovery."
"Our deepest sympathies go out to their families, their loved ones, and everyone grieving this unimaginable loss. We remember Melissa for her kindness, compassion, and unwavering commitment to making the world better—both in public office and through her work with Helping Paws."
On Monday, Helping Paws Minnesota would share the news that Gilbert also died as a result of the assassin's attack.
Sharing several photos of Gilbert, they wrote:
"It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news of Gilbert’s passing. We can confirm that he did not survive the attack at the Hortman family’s home early Saturday morning."
"This is a profound loss for the entire Helping Paws community. We are mourning the loss of two dedicated volunteers and one of our beloved dogs who once trained in our program."
"We’ve been deeply moved by the outpouring of support and compassion we’ve received. In response, we will soon make a formal announcement regarding the establishment of a fund in honor of the Hortman family and Gilbert. This fund will support our program placing service dogs with veterans and first responders living with PTSD."
"Thank you for holding this family—and our community—in your hearts."
Minnesota Democratic state Representative Erin Koegel shared that the Hortman's two adult children, Sophie and Colin, were faced with the difficult decision to euthanize Gilbert after learning he could not survive the gunshot injuries he sustained during the assassination of his owners.
Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin, a Minnesotan, shared the news on X.
Alyssa Golob, executive director with Helping Paws, told WCCO News:
"Their love for helping others, their love for doing something above themselves, is just living on every day with the gift that I got from their family."
Of the assassination, she added:
"It's evil on its own, and then you add in an innocent dog, and that's a certain kind of evil."
WCCO also spoke to Aric Elsner, the veteran who received Minnie, a black Labrador retriever the Hortman's spent two and a half years training.
Elsner said:
"She's just the greatest gift, and I've told many people, and I still say this, this dog saved my life."
Minnie lived with the family while Sophie Hortman began Minnie's hands-on training as a high school student. Her father, Mark, finished Minnie's training when Sophie left for college.
Representative Hortman's social media made it clear how much the Hortman's loved Gilbert, who reportedly proved too "happy-go-lucky" for service dog duties. Not all dogs can become service dogs, and Gilbert was too excited to meet people and play to be effective in the job.
One of Melissa Hortman's last posts on Instagram was of Gilbert enjoying a spring day in the yard.
In January 2021, she shared a photo on Facebook of Gilbert as a puppy.
Melissa Hortman/Facebook
And that December, Gilbert was front row for the family Christmas greeting.
Gilbert clearly enjoyed his life as a service dog training drop-out.
Representative Hortman even shared a bit of teething puppy mischief.
When the popular social media account We Rate Dogs heard of Gilbert’s passing, they shared their own tribute to the golden retriever and his owners, giving them all a 14 out of 10 rating.
They wrote:
"This is Gilbert. He was the family dog of the late Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. We've learned today that Gilbert was also killed during the targeted political assassination that took the lives of his humans. In addition to her work championing progressive legislation and expanding protections for abortion and gender-affirming care, Rep. Hortman was a volunteer with Helping Paws, Inc. The nonprofit trains and places assistance dogs with community members with physical disabilities, as well as veterans and first-responders with PTSD."
"The Hortman family raised Minnie, who is currently a working service dog for a veteran, and they were working on training Gilbert as well, but he decided to change careers and became their family pet instead. We extend our deepest condolences to the Hortmans' family and friends after this unspeakable loss. 14/10 for all. You can donate to Helping Paws in Gilbert's memory through [this link] ❤"
Friends, neighbors and strangers sent their condolences for Gilbert and his owners.
@weratedogs/Instagram
@weratedogs/Instagram
We Rate Dogs/Facebook
@weratedogs/Instagram
@weratedogs/Instagram
We Rate Dogs/Facebook
@weratedogs/Instagram
@weratedogs/Instagram
We Rate Dogs/Facebook
@weratedogs/Instagram
@weratedogs/Instagram
@weratedogs/Instagram
@weratedogs/Instagram
We Rate Dogs/Facebook
@weratedogs/Instagram
As one commenter noted, Sophie and Colin Hortman released a statement on Monday, which included ways to honor their parents.
It was shared on X by WCCO reporter Caroline Cummings.
Their third listed suggestion is:
"Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do."
statement from Sopie and Colin Hortman/@CaroRCummings/X
Rest in peace, Gilbert.
You were the goodest boy.
