Representation, Pride, and Fear in Today’s America: What Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Moment Means for Latinx Students at Rutgers
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On Sunday, February 8th, rapper Bad Bunny became the first Puerto Rican artist to lead the Super Bowl halftime show as a solo act. An estimated 135.4 million viewers across the United States witnessed the performance. For several Latinx students at Rutgers University-Camden, those 13 minutes were more than entertainment and they felt like it resonated with their roots.
Many Latinx students said the performance offered a sense of representation and visibility during a period marked by heightened political rhetoric surrounding immigration and communities of color. Kimberley Lopez, a Rutgers–Camden student of Latin descent, said Bad Bunny’s performance, on one of the largest televised stages in the country, contributed to conversations about belonging and inclusion.
“Bad Bunny emphasizes the idea that a Latinx artist like him is just as American as any other person despite our different cultures,” Lopez stated. “He definitely opens the conversation for these issues, but there’s still much work to be done to spread awareness.”
English-language performances and mainstream pop acts have historically dominated the Super Bowl halftime show. This year’s halftime show incorporated Spanish-language music such as reggaeton, salsa, and traditional Puerto Rican music, bomba. The show’s performance was led by showcasing various Latin flags and imagery tied to Latin culture, such as sugarcane fields, bodegas, domino tables, a live wedding, and a bad bunnies’ casita.
This year’s performance comes during public discussions surrounding immigration policy, which has caused fear for many Latinx families across the country, particularly with some from migrant roots. Lopez stated that the performance appreciating Latinx culture on a national scale gave her hope while also highlighting existing issues.
“Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl positively affects my views on American cultural inclusion and belonging,” she said. “He gives our community hope that there’s enough room for other cultures to be accepted without tearing each other down. However, there’s still more progress to be made, because while our culture can be praised in mainstream media, it can’t always be said for outside spaces like school or the workforce.”
Many Latinx students at Rutgers-Camden are from immigrant families or have firsthand experience with immigration-related issues such as financial insecurity, facing discrimination, and anxiety about ICE raids. Several students, like Lopez, have stated that their lived experiences affect how cultural moments, such as the Super Bowl halftime show, have a positive impact and strength for their community and themselves during times of hardship.
Another student, Nayeli Feliciano, a member of Rutgers Camden’s Latin American Student Organization (LASO), said the performance reinforced feelings of ethnic pride.
“Watching Bad Bunny represent not only his culture but also other cultures makes me feel proud to be Latina,” Feliciano stated. “I feel like he made everyone feel included, no matter what culture or background you come from.”
Feliciano also expressed that moments of representation on a national scale can influence how people perceive Latinx communities, “I think Bad Bunny’s presence at the Super Bowl helped raise visibility for communities going through hardships with immigration enforcement.”
As national discussions about immigration and representation continue, students at Rutgers have said that they believe moments of visibility can shape not only how Latinx communities, but also other minority groups, see themselves represented in American culture. Cultural events, student groups, and classroom debates have all fostered a sense of belonging at Rutgers Camden. For students, moments like the halftime show make them feel the value of representation and the constant effort required to transform exposure into meaningful inclusion for everyday spaces.
“His message that ‘the only thing more powerful than hate is love’ stood out to me because it encourages unity rather than division,” Feliciano said. Seeing that message on a national stage made her feel proud and hopeful for the future of Rutgers students.
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