{"id":32047,"date":"2025-10-31T16:05:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T16:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/32047\/"},"modified":"2025-10-31T16:05:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T16:05:13","slug":"some-latino-fans-are-having-a-hard-time-rooting-for-the-dodgers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/32047\/","title":{"rendered":"Some Latino fans are having a hard time rooting for the Dodgers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In deep Big Papi voice<\/a>: Daa … Doyers lose!<\/p>\n

After being outlasted in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium \u2014 a marathon of a watch that is tied for the longest game in World Series history \u2014 the Toronto Blue Jays are now one victory away from the franchise\u2019s first championship since 1993 (they also won it in 1992). The series, which stands at 3-2 in their favor, will now resume in Canada.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who walked through the playoffs like Thanos with all the Infinity Stones, have struggled to get hits from its very expensive lineup. They were so dominant in the postseason that their coronation as the first team to win back-to-back World Series \u2014 since the New York Yankees three-peated between 1998 and 2000 \u2014 felt inevitable.<\/p>\n

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Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So much so that the prospect created an ethical dilemma for many Latino Dodger fans: Is it OK to root for the team during the World Series, despite the franchise staying silent amid the immigration raids that rattled Southern California over the summer?<\/p>\n

After team management said they would not be commenting on the matter<\/a>, there was enough public backlash that the organization eventually committed $1 million<\/a> \u201ctoward direct financial assistance for families of immigrants impacted by recent events in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

My colleagues Gustavo Arellano and Nathan Solis recently tackled the internal conflict among many Dodgers supporters in their respective stories.<\/p>\n

For his column<\/a>, Gustavo watched Game 1 (a brutal loss) with Conrado Contreras: his sister\u2019s father-in-law and a lifelong fan, who survived a stroke and had to relearn baseball last year.<\/p>\n

So, how does Don Conrado view things?<\/p>\n

\u201cSports shouldn\u2019t get into politics, but all sports owners are with Trompas,\u201d he said. For the non-Latinos reading this, \u201cTrompas\u201d refers to Donald Trump. \u201cSo what\u2019s one to do? They kept la migra out of the stadium. If the team had allowed that, then there\u2019d be a huge problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"People <\/p>\n

A staging area for federal agents outside Gate E at Dodger Stadium on June 19, 2025. <\/p>\n

(Myung J. Chun \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

The Dodgers did deny federal agents<\/a> access to its parking lot in June. <\/p>\n

But was this enough for Latino supporters to overlook the deafening silence?<\/p>\n

Not according to some of the fans Nathan spoke to for his story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see the Dodgers take such a PR-conscious approach to [the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids], seeking not to alienate certain folks while sacrificing other communities, has been really dispiriting,\u201d said Sergio Perez, executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve seen any statements from them specifically calling out the raids, and they certainly have not come out in solidarity with the undocumented population of Los Angeles and the broader Southern California area.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Nathan pointed out, Perez is still a fan and is hoping that the Boys in Blue win.<\/p>\n

So is it OK to root for the Dodgers?<\/p>\n

Honestly, I don\u2019t know. I think those saying it\u2019s not are making valid points, but I also don\u2019t feel like I have the moral high ground to weigh in \u2014 after all, I\u2019m a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, and that team\u2019s owner is like the Forrest Gump of being on the wrong side of history.<\/a> <\/p>\n

I do believe that there is no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism. That might sound like a cop-out, and maybe it is \u2014 but it doesn\u2019t make it any less true. Is Spotify your go-to streaming service for music? Well, have I got some<\/a> bad news<\/a> for you.<\/p>\n

We are living in tough times, and I certainly can\u2019t begrudge anyone for finding moments of joy wherever they can. For many people, including Perez, their Dodger fandom is inherited, passed down from immigrant parents who began cheering for the club after establishing new roots in this country. It\u2019s also hard to ignore that the team\u2019s best player is himself an immigrant\u2014 some would even argue that Shohei Ohtani is actually superhuman given his recent heroics<\/a>. <\/p>\n

That has to count for something, right? <\/p>\n

But I also believe that people are entitled to call out the hypocrisy of profiting from a community\u2019s largely uncritical love of the team, only to vanish quicker than Mookie Betts\u2019 offensive production in crunch time the moment that community needs you the most. <\/p>\n

I do think that the Dodgers have no one to blame for this fallout but themselves. Perhaps the team was hoping that winning the World Series would be enough for fans to look the other way and forgive them for not meeting the moment. That could still happen. (If it does, I can already envision the countless emails from people calling me a casual or a bandwagon fan.)<\/p>\n

And if they don\u2019t, the silver lining is that, should the Blue Jays win, at least the Dodgers will be spared from having to visit the White House \u2014 much like they did earlier this season<\/a>, which they were called out for by fans<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That should make it easier for the team to pretend like this summer never happened. No doubt they\u2019ll go back to selling Latinos their culture back to them with their ethnic group appreciation nights. And personally, I\u2019m pretty sure I\u2019ll end up going back to Chavez Ravine for their next Fernando Valenzuela bobblehead giveaway because I\u2019m an easy mark. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not an admission I\u2019m particularly proud of, but at least it\u2019s honest.<\/p>\n

The De Los team hosted its first D\u00eda de Muertos event at Las Fotos Project on Saturday, and I\u2019m still buzzing from it. Hundreds of people showed up to celebrate the lives of loved ones. It was truly a multigenerational affair \u2014 I saw kids learning about their heritage and cultural traditions as they decorated sugar skulls while sitting next to their grandparents.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Were you unable to attend? You can watch a recap here<\/a>. And fret not! One of the goals of De Los is to foster a sense of community with our readers; we\u2019ll be hosting more events in the future, so be on the lookout for that.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, you can still contribute to our D\u00eda de Muertos digital altar<\/a>, a project The Times launched in 2021 that allows readers to make an ofrenda for a loved one who has passed by uploading a photo of them along with a brief message.<\/p>\n

Comic this Week: A drag queen\u2019s path to sobriety<\/p>\n

Emmy Award-winning drag queen Salina EsTitties opens up about her complicated relationship with her Latinx roots, queerness, and her journey with sobriety.<\/p>\n

\"Next <\/p>\n

(Julio Salgado \/ For De Los )<\/p>\n

\"Earlier <\/p>\n

(Julio Salgado \/ For De Los)<\/p>\n

\"Growing <\/p>\n

(Julio Salgado \/ For De Los)<\/p>\n

\"Salina <\/p>\n

(Julio Salgado \/ For De Los)<\/p>\n

\"Hollywood <\/p>\n

(Julio Salgado \/ For De Los)<\/p>\n

\"Salina's <\/p>\n

(Julio Salgado \/ For De Los)<\/p>\n

\"After <\/p>\n

(Julio Salgado \/ For De Los)<\/p>\n

\"By <\/p>\n

(Julio Salgado \/ For De Los)<\/p>\n

\""I <\/p>\n

(Julio Salgado \/ For De Los)<\/p>\n

\"For <\/p>\n

(Julio Salgado \/ For De Los)<\/p>\n

Julio Salgado is a visual artist based in Long Beach. His work has been displayed at the Oakland Museum, SFMOMA, and Smithsonian American Art Museum. (@juliosalgado83<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Stories we read this week that we think you should read<\/p>\n

Unless otherwise noted, stories below were published by the Los Angeles Times.<\/p>\n

Immigration and politicsArts, Entertainment and culture \"Orange <\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Food