Last night my mom asked my grandma if she saw the halftime show. She got excited and said “yes, that boy is so talented!” She started talking about his songs, how catchy they are, about the stage, and Ricky Martin and then she went off on how such a small island has had so many talented people, from Raúl Juliá to Rita Moreno, Ricky Martin, Benicio Del Toro and Benito.

My grandma is an 88 year old, very religious, very smart, successful woman and a big Bad Bunny fan. She, like millions of people, is still in awe of his amazing performance on Sunday. Of how he turned the football field into a sugar cane field, with the casita from his residency in Puerto Rico and his tour, and did the best he could to bring Puerto Rico to the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. There was even a wedding during those 14 minutes, including the little boy sleeping during the reception, which you always see at a Puerto Rican wedding. 

Just like abuela, I was in shock and couldn’t take my eyes off the television on Sunday night. I had seen superbowl halftime shows before and had been very impressed but nothing like this, I was at the edge of my seat. Then he brought out Lady Gaga, who I never imagined would be there, dancing salsa; and to top it all off he also brought Ricky Martin. Two incredibly successful Puerto Ricans together in the Super Bowl halftime show, singing in Spanish. They made us all very proud. 

Not just Puerto Ricans, but people from all countries in America are beaming with pride, for being represented on such a big stage, in such a respectful way. I am so happy someone finally stood up and said it out loud, that America isn’t just one country, it’s a continent. Every time I would say it, I was corrected, but I knew I wasn’t wrong. 

Sadly I have encountered people here in Puerto Rico, who still think differently, who are not as proud and think less of other Latinos which makes me both sad and angry. Shows like Benito’s, speak for themselves and have quickly made a shift in people’s minds. 

It makes me very proud to see another Puerto Rican create unity and awareness during a time when every day we are more divided and it shows us all that even if you come from a small town in Puerto Rico, you can change the world. 

Unknown's avatar

Published by mariacristinasanfeliu

I’m an aspiring writer still looking for exactly what I want to write about, with a lot of creativity, imagination and desire to write. I studied Writing and Rhetoric at Syracuse University where I explored many different sides of writing through my classes and extracurricular activities in order to narrow my search for an identity as a writer. I have written for Citrus TV Noticias and La Voz magazine, both of which gave me the chance to explore different mediums in which to write in. Through Citrus TV Noticias I also gained experience in translating from English to Spanish and vice versa, which is also something that I would be interested in working on since I am fluent in both of these languages. I was also an intern at Syracuse University Press where I got hands on experience in what goes into actually editing and publishing a book. Through out the last four years I have faced a lot of challenges, which helped chape the person I am today. After being in a tragic car accident, being in comma, having a Traumatic Brain Injury, and being in therapy for over a year, I am a new me, willing to face challenges and knowing how to deal with them. I want to write about my accident and life after it to help others, show them it can be done and help in any way I can.

Leave a comment