Is it disrespectful to sing the US anthem in Spanish?
Is it disrespectful to sing the US anthem in Spanish?
I’ll be very upfront from the outset: I don’t understand this. Is it disrespectful to sing the US anthem in Spanish before a ball game? For me, no. But my reasons for saying that could be very diffeent from yours.
Let’s back up a bit: To open a match in June 2025, the LA Dodgers invited singer Nezza to perform the national anthem. Apparently, she had prepared to sing it in Spanish, but was asked at the last moment to sing it in English. She went ahead and sang it in the language she had prepared it in, Spanish.
This led to conflicting opinions. Although her version was well received by the audience (many of whom identify as Latinos), comments on social media show some people took this is a sign of disrespect.
Jonathan Santamaria on Facebook summed up the opinion of many, “I believe the national anthem shouldn’t be sang in any other language except English and people should respect that.”
User RossMGoBlu on Bluesky gave the opposing viewpoint: “She followed her heart and did it anyway. If you can be anyone in life, be a Nezza”. @rossmgoblue.bsky.social
So is singing the US anthem in Spanish disrespectful?
This issue comes back every so often. It’s worth giving some context. The US anthem has a number of authorized versions, including German, Yiddish, Louisiana French and Spanish. None other than President FD Roosevelt commissioned the official version sung by Nezza.
What’s more, the Dodgers have many Latino fans, and the stadium itself was built on a Latino neighbourhood. So singing the anthem in Spanish does not seem either disrespectful or unusual to me. Nezza herself said, “I just felt like I needed to do it. Para mi gente (for my people)”. The English lyrics on a screen behind her.
However, the match happened in the heat of the ICE raids that principally targeted Latinos. So there was perhaps a subtext.
My question: why play the anthem before matches at all?
The tradition of playing the national anthem before US sports largely started as a patriotic move during the second world war. “[It] was heard everywhere,” notes historian Marc Ferris. “Before the opera, before the movies, before the theater.” And, of course, before sports events. But US readers should know that this is unique to the States. Other countries only play national anthems at international competitions, when different national teams play against each other.
Nezza thought there might be some kickback. After her performance, she posted a comment to Tiktok: “Safe to say I’m never allowed in that stadium ever again.” Contrary to some rumors, however, the Dodgers have not banned her. The team reaffirmed to CNN that there were “no hard feelings” on their part. A team spokesperson confirmed to The Times, “She is certainly welcome back at the stadium. She is not banned.”
(Michel Leahy. Source: MSN et al. Photo: © Matt Weller / Unsplash)
Click here to find lyrics by Michael Leahy