The past year has certainly been successful for Bad Bunny. But what does that mean beyond his Grammy victory and Super Bowl performance?
There is something to be said for what Bad Bunny represents to the Latino community. Not only did “Un Verano Sin Ti” become the most-streamed album in the history of Spotify, but he was also the first Spanish-language artist to earn a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year, the first Spanish-language Latino artist to headline Coachella, and broke multiple tour gross records. Bad Bunny represents both an admirable level of resilience against oppression and what the American Dream is supposed to mean for immigrants. His parents, being a truck driver and a teacher in Puerto Rico, add to his character; his unwavering refusal to remove his Puerto Rican culture from his music and public image speaks to his pride and sets an example for younger Latinos in the United States.
Beyond this, you might wonder why Puerto Rico is the choice for Latino representation if it’s a U.S. territory. Puerto Rico’s status as a victim of American colonialism allows for a certain kind of platform to be created, since there is less of a security issue when it comes to deportation. Puerto Rican culture is inherently tied to colonialism, with both the Spanish and the U.S. having reigned over it throughout history. It is no coincidence that Benito is outspoken on being an anti-imperialist. What happened to Hawai’i was that the U.S. overthrew its ruling Kingdom in 1893 and made it into a state in 1959. His song “LO QUE LE PASO A HAWAii” refers to this through the lyrics:
“Quieren quitarme el río y también la playa
Quieren al barrio mío y que abuelita se vaya
No, no suelte’ la bandera ni olvide’ el lelolai
Que no quiero que hagan contigo lo que le pasó a Hawái”
These lyrics serve as a warning to all other nations that the U.S. coming to your country to “free it” is a guise. The United States’ seizure of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Hawai’i, and Guam through the Treaty of Paris in 1898, with the context of how these islands are doing now, provides proof of what the U.S. does to these vulnerable areas. They will take “the river, and the beach too. They want my neighborhood and for Grandma to leave. Don’t let go of your flag…I don’t want them to do to you what happened to Hawaii.” Especially now, this mindset is so essential to Latin America. With the abduction of the dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, there is now an outcry from some Latino voices to see the same fate in their nation, the kidnapping of their authoritarian leader, with a promise to seemingly instate democracy and peace, without a clue of what is to come if the U.S. arrives at your shores.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was controversial because various right-wing people, as well as voices representing the establishment, perceive Bad Bunny as “not American enough,” even as a citizen born in a U.S. territory. This notion is a direct insult and a declaration of war on Latin-American identity. How can a nation be deadset on the annexation of so many Latin American countries but deny us our inclusion in the nation while taking advantage of our labor and resources?
Nevertheless, Bad Bunny did everything in his power to show the world what was up. The very explicit use of the light blue Puerto Rican flag, which signifies independence from the U.S., was only scratching the surface of what he wanted to do. At the end of the performance, he says “God Bless America,” which is usually intended to be a blessing for only the United States. Instead, he follows it by stating “O sea”/ “I mean” and naming every country in the Americas and saying “Seguimos aqui” or “We will stay here,” a rebellion to the backlash Latinos receive as migrants.
Freshman Ramona Banos is the Photography Editor. Her Email is vbanos@fandm.edu.