ESSAY: Bad Bunny’s Upcoming Super Bowl Performance Reminds America That Language Is Power
Language is inheritance — and sometimes, rebellion.
Growing up bilingual can be both a flex and a burden. Twenty-two percent of Americans over age five speak a language other than English at home—so for many of us, English becomes a quiet test of belonging. How many times have we heard, “Your English is so good,” and had to smile and say, “Yeah… because I was born or raised here?”
This week, I’m writing about that in-between space — what it means to speak the colonizer’s tongue fluently, and the complicated feelings around passing (or not passing) our mother tongue to our kids.
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With love and gratitude,
Jennifer
As award-winning Puerto Rican singer, rapper and songwriter Bad Bunny prepares to headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, he’s already sparking controve…
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