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Today, Latino players make up around 30% of major league baseball's talent across the world. You can spot fans wearing jerseys bearing the names of Roberto Clemente and David Ortiz their gravitational influence has changed the game forever. We'll take *** look at the Latino community's achievements and hardships in major league baseball. This is clarified first, let's journey back to where it all began, how baseball came to latin America. My name is Margaret Salazar Porzio. I'm *** curator of Latin X History and culture at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The first Latinos to learn and really absorb and be excited about baseball. I have often been thought of as Cubans. They have been called the apostles of baseball In the 1860s Cubans studying in the United States learned baseball and brought the sport back to Cuba it then spread across the Caribbean and Latin America. So why is this sport so popular in Latin communities? Well, throughout the 20th century, baseball really was at the heart of *** lot of Latino communities, it's really become part Of our cultural heritage. Baseball isn't just *** sport here. It's *** crusade for *** long time. Latinos were limited to playing baseball among the local community in America because until Jackie Robinson broke the colour line in 1947, most Latinos were not allowed to play in the major leagues. It was always like *** family sport. Not only did you bring your family, but you created family so that the communities that played baseball together. Um, They made lifelong friendships the same way baseball created family. It also created new opportunities. *** lot of mexicans went and played for the Mexican League and part of that was not only claiming your own cultural heritage, but then also you had more opportunity to play. And then *** lot of Latinos played in the negro leagues where they found more opportunities than in the major leagues. As latino baseball grew, *** legendary player emerged. Born in Puerto Rico in 1930. for Roberto Clemente began his career with the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League. At just 17 years old, the Brooklyn Dodgers signed him the following year and he would eventually break records with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Clemente would come to collect *** mountain of awards, the world series. M. V. P. 12 golden gloves, four batting titles and 3000 hits. He was adored not only for his talent but his goodwill. He was an incredible philanthropist. He has this incredible example of just humanity and he even died in *** plane crash on his way to bring relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua when he passed away. It really just shocked the world and the Baseball Hall of Fame waived their five year waiting period to posthumously induct him. He was the first afro latino to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame today. Clemente's legacy lives on through his humanitarian foundation. Another part of baseball history is marked by the mistreatment of *** historic latin community in Los Angeles. The birth of the L. ***. Dodgers Stadium began with the removal of three neighborhoods, Palo verde La Loma and Bishop. In the 1940s. This area was comprised of *** predominantly Mexican American community. People who owned their own land. They paid taxes, they served in the military, they were mostly working class. The community was thriving, but the city proposed an affordable housing plan that required the entire community to be displaced. And so they started enacting eminent domain and forcing people out who didn't want to leave the last family. The arrow chica family, they defended their property. The grandmother, the matriarch came out with *** shotgun as sheriff's deputies came to evict them physically from the premises. Then there are these pictures, these heartbreaking pictures of them dragging her out of her house. The affordable housing plan was later cut and instead became the site for the new L. ***. Dodger Stadium. Ultimately, this was *** really dark moment in L. ***. History. It was absolutely terrible. The L. *** Dodgers attempted to redeem their image through the hiring of Fernando valenzuela. He pitched like these these games that wowed everybody. He was this like Mexican hero who also kind of looks like your brother or your uncle and he was very kind of like down to earth. It was almost like *** symbolic reconciliation between the Latinos in L. ***. And the Dodgers. However, people still call for work to be done. In 2021 protesters ran onto the field during *** Dodgers game with banners carrying the names of those displaced neighborhoods. I think that the bigger issue I think that continues um is that you know, the doctors need to acknowledge this history and need to support the families in whatever way is appropriate. These sacrifices have not been left in vain. Latino superstars continued to honor their heritage by succeeding in the game. In 2022, David Ortiz, *** beloved Dominican American baseball player who played for the Red Sox was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Latino baseball players still honor their heritage starting with their names in 2016 MLB started *** campaign called cento called for finally placing accent marks on players uniforms. Adrian Gonzalez of the Los Angeles Dodgers helped spark the movement with the video on twitter. He wrote that after 16 years in baseball, the only thing missing was an accent mark in his uniform. He encouraged his friend Enrique Hernandez to follow suit, which he did. The idea spread like wildfire. Even celebrities joined in. Latin actress Angelica Maria put an accent mark on her name on her Hollywood star citing *** cento as the inspiration. It also spread to basketball with former Brooklyn nets player gravest Vasquez. Through the years baseball has been forever changed by the latino community from *** sport spread by international Cuban students. Baseball has become *** cultural tradition. Thanks to the sacrifices made by the community and legends like Clemente and Ortiz. *** new generation can play ball with pride.