A coalition of Latino advocacy groups is urging the Dodgers to get off the bench and speak out as immigration crackdowns rattle Los Angeles’ Latino community.
Raúl Claros with the Little Latin America USA Network told KNX News’ Nataly Tavidian that Dodger fans feel “abandoned” and “ignored” by the team’s silence in the face of unprecedented immigration raids.
“I understand their neutrality. I understand that they don't want to put a spotlight or bullseye on themselves,” Claros said. “But the moment that they started taking a stand on the Spanish National Anthem, on the guy with the cultural scarf, on the young lady with the ‘No ICE’ sign, you took a stand.”
The Dodgers faced scrutiny over the weekend after singer Nezza performed the National Anthem in Spanish —after a team employee explicitly told her not to.
Claros thanked Dodgers hitter Kiké Hernández as well as Maria Valenzuela, daughter of the late Fernando Valenzuela, for voicing their opposition to the raids. But he asked the organization as a whole to do more to support the community.
Until they do, the coalition is calling for a boycott.
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“We're asking Dodger fans to stay home, watch this at the bars, at the local businesses, at the hubs, go shop local, Little Tokyo, downtown, Chinatown, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Highland Park, our businesses need you,” he said. “So go watch the team – it's not an issue against the players – but don't go give another cent into the stadium.”
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