For junior Pamela Andrade, seeing a Puerto Rican artist like Bad Bunny headlining the Super Bowl halftime show feels monumental. Andrade said watching a Latino artist in one of the most-watched events in the United States makes her feel seen.

“It feels nice to see someone like Bad Bunny representing Latinos, including me, even if I’m not Puerto Rican,” Andrade said. “He didn’t change who he is to fit in; he’s going to bring reggaetón, Spanish lyrics and his whole vibe to the biggest stage in the U.S., which is huge. The traditional mold has excluded too many voices for too long, and Bad Bunny’s success shows that audiences are ready for authenticity. It’s not just about inclusion anymore; it’s about transformation.”

Despite the excitement surrounding his selection, backlash to Bad Bunny’s upcoming performance has surfaced online, with critics claiming that a Spanish-speaking artist “doesn’t represent America.” To Andrade, that criticism feels like more than just disagreement, it feels personal.

“I would say it feels like an attack on the whole culture,” Andrade said. “The main reason people don’t want him performing is because he’s Hispanic and doesn’t have any songs in English. They should be open to listening to his music and not criticize him.”

AP African American Studies teacher James Ziegler said the controversy around Bad Bunny reveals a deeper truth about how Americans define cultural identity, regarding who gets to be celebrated and who gets labeled as an outsider.

“The selection of Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl halftime performer shows what the U.S. can do when it’s at its best and embraces its diversity rather than try (to) suppress it,” Ziegler said. “It reflects the very essence of the United States and one of the things that truly makes our country great at its core, diversity.”

Ziegler added that music has always been a mirror of America’s cultural evolution. “Music is one of the most influential ways to challenge dominant narratives and call for greater sociopolitical change. It is also one of the most direct ways we can see the multiculturalism which makes America special,” Ziegler said. “Bad Bunny’s performance is part of that legacy of Latino and BIPOC artists who, through their music, have been at the core of American culture, not a threat to it.”

According to a 2023 report from the Latino Donor Collaborative, although Latinos make up nearly 19 percent of the U.S. population, they hold only 3.3 percent of lead roles on television and 5.7 percent in film, highlighting their underrepresentation in mainstream media. These disparities help explain why Bad Bunny’s appearance at such a high-profile event feels symbolic for many viewers like Andrade.

However, Ziegler said the backlash also exposes how much white supremacy and Eurocentric thinking still shape who is seen as “American enough.”

“Rather than seeing Bad Bunny as someone who represents the beauty and diversity of the U.S., some choose to see him as a cultural ‘other,’” Ziegler said. “The idea that he does not ‘adequately reflect America’ because he speaks Spanish or is a person of color is rooted in racist, Eurocentric thinking.”

Junior Shambavi Muralidaren said she agreed, saying that while she doesn’t listen to Bad Bunny often, his selection as headliner is exciting and well-deserved.

“I do know that he’s put out some great songs,” Muralidaren said. “I expect to see someone with talent, regardless of their background. A lot of people come together to watch the Super Bowl, and having a halftime show that makes everyone feel good is necessary.”

Muralidaren said she believes that language plays a large role in how people perceive “Americanness.”

“I think a lot of people feel as if immigrants are ‘less American’ all because they come from a different background and speak another language fluently, which is the worst way possible to view someone.”

She added that this mindset reflects a narrow definition of what it means to represent America, one that younger generations are increasingly questioning.

“Younger people absolutely see American identity differently,” Muralidaren said. “More people are aware that ‘American identity’ doesn’t only apply to a certain group of people. But some still take it the other way, thinking it only applies to that group, and that’s where problems start.”

Ziegler said this debate mirrors earlier cultural flashpoints when artists of color were accused of being “too political” or “not American enough.”

“Whether it was Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar or now Bad Bunny, there’s still a segment of American society that equates ‘American culture’ with ‘white culture,’” Ziegler said. “Assimilation to white norms is a form of cultural erasure. We’re a country of all races, ethnicities, languages and religions. The default should be to embrace this diversity.”

Andrade said Bad Bunny’s performance highlights the importance of representation and the feeling of being included in mainstream culture.

“That stage is watched by millions,” Andrade said. “When someone like Bad Bunny performs, it’s not just entertainment, it’s a statement.”

Muralidaren highlighted that the backlash says more about those reacting than about Bad Bunny himself.

“It says loads about those that have a problem with him,” Muralidaren said. “If you think someone doesn’t belong on that stage just because they sing in Spanish, that says more about your idea of America than it does about him.”