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In deep Big Papi voice: Daa ... Doyers lose! After being outlasted in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium — a marathon of a watch that is tied for the longest game in World Series history — the Toronto Blue Jays are now one victory away from the franchise’s 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. 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 — since the New York Yankees three-peated between 1998 and 2000 — felt inevitable. 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? After team management said they would not be commenting on the matter, there was enough public backlash that the organization eventually committed $1 million “toward direct financial assistance for families of immigrants impacted by recent events in the region.” My colleagues Gustavo Arellano and Nathan Solis recently tackled the internal conflict among many Dodgers supporters in their respective stories. For his column, Gustavo watched Game 1 (a brutal loss) with Conrado Contreras: his sister’s father-in-law and a lifelong fan, who survived a stroke and had to relearn baseball last year. So, how does Don Conrado view things? “Sports shouldn’t get into politics, but all sports owners are with Trompas,” he said. For the non-Latinos reading this, “Trompas” refers to Donald Trump. “So what’s one to do? They kept la migra out of the stadium. If the team had allowed that, then there’d be a huge problem.” The Dodgers did deny federal agents access to its parking lot in June. But was this enough for Latino supporters to overlook the deafening silence? Not according to some of the fans Nathan spoke to for his story. “To 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,” said Sergio Perez, executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law. “I don’t think I’ve 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.” As Nathan pointed out, Perez is still a fan and is hoping that the Boys in Blue win. So is it OK to root for the Dodgers? Honestly, I don’t know. I think those saying it’s not are making valid points, but I also don’t feel like I have the moral high ground to weigh in — after all, I’m a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, and that team’s owner is like the Forrest Gump of being on the wrong side of history. 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 — but it doesn’t make it any less true. Is Spotify your go-to streaming service for music? Well, have I got some bad news for you. We are living in tough times, and I certainly can’t 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’s also hard to ignore that the team’s best player is himself an immigrant— some would even argue that Shohei Ohtani is actually superhuman given his recent heroics. That has to count for something, right? But I also believe that people are entitled to call out the hypocrisy of profiting from a community’s largely uncritical love of the team, only to vanish quicker than Mookie Betts’ offensive production in crunch time the moment that community needs you the most. 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.) And if they don’t, the silver lining is that, should the Blue Jays win, at least the Dodgers will be spared from having to visit the White House — much like they did earlier this season, which they were called out for by fans. That should make it easier for the team to pretend like this summer never happened. No doubt they’ll go back to selling Latinos their culture back to them with their ethnic group appreciation nights. And personally, I’m pretty sure I’ll end up going back to Chavez Ravine for their next Fernando Valenzuela bobblehead giveaway because I’m an easy mark. It’s not an admission I’m particularly proud of, but at least it’s honest. To those who attended our Día de Muertos community event, thank you! The De Los team hosted its first Día de Muertos event at Las Fotos Project on Saturday, and I’m still buzzing from it. Hundreds of people showed up to celebrate the lives of loved ones. It was truly a multigenerational affair — I saw kids learning about their heritage and cultural traditions as they decorated sugar skulls while sitting next to their grandparents. Were you unable to attend? You can watch a recap here. And fret not! One of the goals of De Los is to foster a sense of community with our readers; we’ll be hosting more events in the future, so be on the lookout for that. In the meantime, you can still contribute to our Día de Muertos digital altar, 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. Comic this Week: A drag queen’s path to sobriety Emmy Award-winning drag queen Salina EsTitties opens up about her complicated relationship with her Latinx roots, queerness, and her journey with sobriety. 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) Stories we read this week that we think you should read Unless otherwise noted, stories below were published by the Los Angeles Times. Immigration and politics For this undocumented activist, returning to Mexico wasn’t exile. It was liberation. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Aggressive ICE raids led one man to ask: Should I self-deport? [Capital & Main] Federal authorities are investigating a second ICE shooting in California in a little more than a week. Voters in poll side with Newsom, Democrats on Prop. 50 — a potential blow to Trump and GOP. Latinx families will be most severely affected by SNAP delays. These orgs are looking to help. The Latino population has nearly doubled. Here’s how it’s changed over the last 25 years. ICE and CBP agents are scanning peoples’ faces on the street to verify citizenship. [404 Media] I went to watch the tiny operation that’s making ICE lose its mind. A lot can happen in 24 hours. [Slate] Editorial: Being Latino in the United States should not be a crime. [New York Times] Arts, Entertainment and culture Inside Evergreen Cemetery with Boyle Heights’ resident historian, the Barrio Boychik. Los Espookys: Latin content creators who embody the Halloween spirit. Lío Mehiel’s “After the Hunt” role marks a milestone for trans Latines in Hollywood. For hit singer-songwriter Gigi Perez, Austin City Limits was a graduation. Puerto Rican “pop girlie” Gale unveils new album “Lo Que Puede Pasar.” Vienna’s treasure, Mexico’s wound: The fight over “Moctezuma’s headdress.” Food
