Bad Bunny Wins Grammy and Gives Speech Critical of ICE

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4gCEwUy3Xo

 Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — known globally as Bad Bunny — was born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, in 1994. He grew up in a working-class family, shaped by the island’s complex colonial reality. Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory whose residents are U.S. citizens, yet they lack full political representation. This contradiction has profoundly influenced Bad Bunny’s identity and political consciousness.

Bad Bunny began releasing music independently while working as a supermarket bagger. His early tracks reflected the realities of urban Puerto Rican youth: precarious jobs, frustration, ambition, and resistance. His breakthrough came through SoundCloud, as reggaeton and Latin trap — genres long dismissed as vulgar or dangerous — began gaining global traction.

Reggaeton emerged in the 1990s in Puerto Rico, drawing from Jamaican dancehall, Panamanian reggae en español, hip-hop, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. From the start, the genre was closely associated with marginalized communities and was frequently criminalized. Authorities raided clubs, censored lyrics, and portrayed reggaeton as a social threat. Over time, however, it evolved into a global cultural phenomenon.

Bad Bunny’s rise coincided with this shift. Albums such as X 100PRE, YHLQMDLG, and Un Verano Sin Ti broke streaming records and reshaped the global music industry. Yet what sets Bad Bunny apart is not only his commercial success, but his willingness to use music as a political platform.

This became especially visible during his Grammy acceptance speeches. Instead of switching to English, Bad Bunny consistently chose to speak Spanish, challenging linguistic hierarchies in the U.S. music industry. In doing so, he asserted that global success does not require cultural assimilation.

He has also been outspoken about U.S. immigration policies, particularly the actions of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). ICE is responsible for arresting, detaining, and deporting undocumented migrants — a role that has made it one of the most controversial institutions in the United States.

Bad Bunny has condemned deportations and expressed solidarity with undocumented workers, many of whom perform essential labor while living under constant surveillance. His stance reflects reggaeton’s roots: a genre born in communities familiar with exclusion, policing, and state control.

As with many public figures, this activism has generated backlash. Some critics accuse him of hypocrisy, arguing that wealthy celebrities are disconnected from the struggles they claim to represent. Others insist that artists should remain neutral and avoid politics altogether, fueling recurring moral panics about music and youth culture.

Despite the criticism, Bad Bunny continues to dominate global culture while refusing to depoliticize his identity. His success demonstrates that music can function as both entertainment and resistance — transforming a once‑criminalized genre into a global stage for political expression.

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2. Vocabulary Match (Horizontal – Numbered & Shuffled)

Match each numbered word with the correct lettered definition.

1. colonial — m. exaggerated fear about social decline

2. marginalized — h. accepted as valid or rightful

3. deportation — a. suppression of speech or expression

4. assimilation — d. removal of a person from a country by force

5. backlash — g. constant monitoring by authorities

6. surveillance — e. adapting to dominant cultural norms

7. legitimacy — o. social exclusion from power

8. platform — f. intense public criticism

9. criminalized — c. related to political control by another country

10. resistance — i. public space to express ideas

11. persona — j. opposition to power or authority

12. hypocrisy — b. treated as illegal by authorities

13. moral panic — l. claiming moral values one does not follow

14. notoriety — k. public image presented to others

15. censorship — n. fame for negative reasons

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3. Synonym Match (Horizontal – Numbered & Shuffled)

Match each numbered word with the correct lettered synonym.

1. deportation — g. infamy

2. backlash — b. expulsion

3. marginalized — i. stage

4. legitimacy — a. monitoring

5. surveillance — d. validity

6. assimilation — j. outlawed

7. notoriety — f. integration

8. resistance — e. reaction

9. platform — c. exclusion

10. criminalized — h. opposition

4. Speaking & Role‑Play Activities  

Role‑Play A – Grammy Night: Live TV Breakdown

Characters: Awards Host · Conservative Pundit · Cultural Critic
Scenario: Bad Bunny speaks Spanish and criticizes deportations during his acceptance speech.
Starter: Host: “This was supposed to be a celebration of music — not politics.”
→ Debate whether neutrality in pop culture is even possible.

Role‑Play B – ICE Raid at Dawn

Characters: Undocumented Worker · ICE Officer · Neighbour Witness
Twist: The neighbour is a Bad Bunny fan who recognizes the worker from a concert line.
Starter: Neighbour: “You play his music in your car every day.”
→ Clash between law, empathy, and contradiction.

Role‑Play C – Record Label Emergency Meeting

Characters: CEO · PR Manager · Artist
Scenario: Sponsors are threatening to pull out because of political statements.
Starter: CEO: “This controversy is costing us money.”
Artist: “Silence would cost me more.”

Role‑Play D – University Debate: Is Reggaeton the New Punk?

Characters: Sociology Professor · Student Activist · Media Commentator
Starter: Commentator: “This genre glorifies excess.”
Professor: “Punk was accused of the same thing.”

Role‑Play E – Family Dinner, Election Year

Characters: Immigrant Parent · U.S.-born Child · Uncle (law-and-order voter)
Starter: Uncle: “If they’re scared of ICE, they shouldn’t be here.”
→ Explore fear, legality, and belonging.

5.Immigration & U.S. Contradictions Exercises

Table of Contradictions

Goal: Help students identify and discuss contradictions in U.S. policies, culture, and history.
Instructions:

1. Provide the table below.

2. Students work in pairs or small groups.

3. For each example, students explain the contradiction and give a real-life example.

U.S. Ideal / Value	Reality / Contradiction	Example / Evidence	Student Reflection
Land of opportunity	Harsh immigration enforcement	ICE deportations, family separation
Freedom of speech	Censorship / moral panic	Outrage over artists speaking Spanish or political views
Democracy	Limited political representation	Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens but cannot vote for President
Equality	Systemic racial or economic inequality	Disproportionate policing of minorities
Immigration nation	Hostility toward new immigrants	Anti-immigrant laws and raids

Extension: Students add 2–3 more contradictions of their own.

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6 – Discussion Carousel: Immigrants in the U.S.

• Why is the U.S. called a “nation of immigrants”?

• How do current immigration policies contradict that identity?

• How does Bad Bunny’s activism highlight this contradiction?

• How might immigrants feel when a country built by migrants treats them harshly?

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7– Role-Play: U.S. Immigration Debate

Goal: Students argue different perspectives and explore moral and political tension.
Characters / Roles:

• ICE Officer

• Undocumented Worker

• U.S.-born Citizen

• Politician

• Human Rights Lawyer

• Journalist

Scenario: Congress is debating new immigration policies. Each student must defend their role, respond to challenges, and negotiate compromises.

Starter Questions:

• How do you justify your actions or beliefs?

• What moral or legal dilemmas exist in your role?

• How do historical values of the U.S. clash with current enforcement?

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8. Discussion Questions

• Why is reggaeton treated differently from other genres?

• Is speaking Spanish at the Grammys a political act?

• Should artists remain neutral?

• How does ICE shape immigrant fear?

• Why do moral panics target certain communities?

• Does wealth weaken political credibility?

• Who controls cultural legitimacy?

• Can music be resistance without intention?

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9A. Fill in the Blanks

(Word bank: colonial · marginalized · backlash · platform · deportation · surveillance · legitimacy · resistance · criminalized · persona · hypocrisy · moral panic · notoriety · assimilation · censorship)

1. Bad Bunny used the Grammys as a political _________.

2. ICE is responsible for arrest and _________.

3. Reggaeton was once heavily _________.

4. Puerto Rico’s _________ history shapes identity.

5. His speech caused immediate media _________.

6. Immigrants often live under constant _________.

7. Speaking Spanish challenged cultural _________.

8. Some accuse celebrities of _________.

9B. Fill in the Blanks II

1. If an artist refuses to adapt, they reject _________.

2. If fear is exaggerated by the media, it creates a _________.

3. If someone becomes famous for scandal, they gain _________.

4. If speech is controlled by institutions, it is _________.

5. If music challenges authority, it becomes _________.