The Dodgers Chose Cowardice Over Conscience on Immigrant Rights
By refusing to stand up, the Dodgers have effectively taken a side.
I’ve been going to Dodger Stadium for nearly 60 years. I bleed Dodger blue. The Dodgers have long been Los Angeles’s team—woven into the fabric of the city and embraced by its diverse communities. One of my earliest memories is watching Sandy Koufax pitch in the World Series on a black-and-white TV in my school auditorium. I was eight. I’ve rooted for the Dodgers ever since—through good seasons and bad—and I’ve always been proud of them.
But now, for the first time, I’m asking whether the Dodgers are breaking faith with the community that has sustained them.
Today, it’s estimated that 40% of the team’s core fan base is Mexican American. That wasn’t always the case. Dodger Stadium was built in Chavez Ravine, on land once home to a thriving Mexican American neighborhood. The forced removals left deep scars, and many in the community refused to set foot in the new stadium.
Then came Fernandomania. In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela’s electrifying season transformed that bitter history into something new. He didn’t just win games—he forged a powerful bond between the Dodgers and the Mexican American community. Since then, Los Dodgers have been more than a team—they’ve become part of Chicano culture, pride, and identity.
That’s why this season feels different—and deeply disappointing.
Earlier this year, the Dodgers accepted an invitation to the White House from a president who has declared war on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Even then, Donald Trump had made clear his hostility toward the values and interests of much of the Dodger fan base—certainly not all, but most. The ICE raids that followed terrorized Mexican American neighborhoods across Southern California, sweeping up both the guilty and the innocent. Through it all, the Dodgers stayed silent.
On Saturday night, I was at the stadium. Nezza gave a moving rendition of the National Anthem in Spanish. You could feel the emotion ripple through the crowd, especially among Mexican American fans. It was a perfect moment: the team, the community, the country—together in one voice.
The next morning, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Dodgers had asked her not to sing in Spanish. She had insisted, saying she needed to honor those resisting the ICE raids.
The Dodgers say they want to stay out of politics. But at this point, that’s not discretion—it’s cowardice. By refusing to stand up, they’ve effectively taken a side. And it’s not with the community that has stood by them for decades.
Dodger blue is starting to look awfully pale.
This was a guest post by Peter Horan who is a California native, investor, and has over 25 years of experience in digital media.
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