On Sunday, February 2 of this year, a grand total of 99.9 million people tuned in on Superbowl Sunday to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers go head to head. But if you’re anything like me, you know absolutely nothing about sports and wholeheartedly only care about the cool and creative commercials aired at that time, or the coup de grâce that is the halftime show. This year, everyone was prepared to watch Jennifer Lopez, Shakira (and her truthful hips that do not lie), J Balvin and Bad Bunny. But what do all of these powerhouses have in common? Well other than the mass controversy of the performances they gave, all of these people are proud and true Puerto Ricans and Columbians.
In today’s political climate, it is so difficult to really find a good form of representation in the Latinx communities around the country. In a time of racism, strict immigration laws, and immenent hatred towards various people of color, it’s no wonder so many people were talking about this star studded performance. Yes there is a lot of nasty, racist and highly sexist things being said about Shakira and JLo, but there are so many good things being shown off there…and I’m not just talking about music. Any little boy or girl tuning into this performance who comes from a family within the Latinx community might realize “Wow, they’re just like me!” or “Look! They can speak like my family and I can!”. Though this seems small to some, this is indeed a big deal. Families are still being detained and torn apart at our borders, and Ms. Jenny from the block herself did NOT stray away from shining a spotlight on that in her performance. During the medley of songs, viewers saw cameras pan out to show what seemed to be “cages” on the field with young kids sitting inside them. One kid, Lopez’s daughter, Emme Muñiz, exited her structure to sing “Let’s Get Loud” and a tiny section of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” with her proud momma. As another statement to show her pride and optimistic views towards her Puerto Rican heritage, Lopez also donned a gigantic feather cape that broadcasted the Puerto Rican and American flags. While yes it was a fun and upbeat performance, it was a reminder that we still are dealing with a crisis at the borders, and whether you like it or not, some of these people who are getting deported really were born in the USA.
This performance will forever stick out in my mind amongst all of the other half time shows due to the fact that these artists tried their best to utilize their power and fame in society to talk about something they are so incredibly passionate about. They didn’t have to necessarily add that political aspect into their set. They could have all easily white-washed everything and took out the Spanish-speaking parts of the songs. But they didn’t– because all four artists are proud of where they come from. For someone who is indeed a small portion of the Latinx community but is very much passing as a white woman, I still am in awe at the impact these beautiful people caused. I know if I were a little kid watching, I would use this a a small bit of hope that, yes maybe I won’t be performing at the Superbowl, but that anything is possible– no matter what your race is. This is why representation matters. This is why being able to practice your culture matters. The Latinx people are such a proud and strong community no matter where you go, and I hope due to this performance people start realizing that they indeed are human too.