For people who like to celebrate the rich cross-section of backgrounds and ethnicities represented in modern major-league cities, baseball has turned an attentive ear. Many teams have responded with heritage-themed promotions, with Hispanic Heritage events a fairly common way of spotlighting the culture of a growing cohort of fans.
The Dodgers, as you might expect, play up L.A.’s Hispanic history. For the past 15 years La Gran Fiesta has capped off a season-long series of family-friendly events that feature Latino culture. But even teams far from the US southern border have gotten into the act. The Kansas City Royals hold an annual Viva los Royals celebration on Cinco de Mayo, with live Latino music, dancing, and a salsa-making showdown before the game.
When it comes to diversity of such celebrations, the Phillies and Marlins are among the leaders. In Philadelphia, Asian-Pacific, Irish, African-American, Italian, Jewish, Latino, and German cultures all are spotlighted. Miami plays to its special demographics with games that highlight the area’s Dominican, Cuban, Jewish, Venezuelan, Colombian, Puerto Rican, and Central American heritages.
