Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 4 February 2020
Super Bowl halftime show draws

praise, tears from U.S. Latinos

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) "It was brilliant," said Agu- viduals."
— When the Super Bowl irre, a writer who has toured The halftime show wasn't
halftime show began, Yol- immigration facilities hold- the only moment for La-
Itzma Aguirre and her rela- ing children. tinos on Super Bowl Sun-
tives watched with antici- Others pointed out that Lo- day. The game began
pation. The El Paso, Texas, pez held up a Puerto Rican with multi-platinum Demi
family was curious how flag — once banned in Lovato singing the national
Colombian-born Shakira 1948 — at a time of anger anthem. The Albuquerque,
Singers Shakira, left, and Jennifer Lopez perform during the half- and New York-raised Jenni- over how President Donald New Mexico-born Lovato is
time show at the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game between the fer Lopez, two of the world's Trump has handled relief a descendant of Francisco
San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs', Sunday, Feb. 2, most popular Latino artists, efforts after the island was Perea, a Hispanic hero for
2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. would seize the stage. hit by the hurricane and a the Union in the Civil War
Associated Press
The performance Sunday recent earthquake. who saw President Abra-
was draped in Hollywood The flag became a sym- ham Lincoln's assassination.
tropes of female sexuality. bol of resilience and hope The rendition by Lovato,
But it also contained subtle following the hurricane, who is recovering from
political messages about which struck in September drug addiction, sparked an
anxieties shared by many 2017 as a Category 4 storm. emotional response from
Latinos in the U.S. — chil- It caused more than $100 the people of New Mexico
dren in cages, Puerto Rico billion in damage and killed — a state with the nation's
in the aftermath of Hurri- an estimated 2,975 people highest percentage of His-
cane Maria and the urge in its aftermath. The flag panic residents that has
to be heard. also became a symbol of historically had some of the
Aguirre, 39, had to watch resistance and justice last country's highest drug over-
the performance again. summer when massive pro- dose death rates.
"My sister was tearing up. tests over corruption and For Shakira, this wasn't her
We saw more things," Agu- other issues led to the resig- first time participating in
irre said. "We stopped car- nation of the island's former an event with a political
ing about the game." governor. dimension. In 2011, for ex-
Across the U.S., Latinos took Luivette Resto, a Puerto ample, she told The Associ-
to social media to praise Rico-born poet who now ated Press that proposed
and dissect the show. lives in Los Angeles, said anti-immigrant legislation
Shakira paid homage to she felt conflicted about in some U.S. states went
her Colombian roots by the use of the flag because against her foundation's ef-
performing the mapalé — of the island's history. forts to provide education
an Afro-Colombian style of "Puerto Rico is still a colo- to poor people around the
dance from the country's ny of the U.S.," Resto said. world. The Grammy Award-
Caribbean coast. She also "We're treated like prop- winning singer said Latino
made a tongue expression erty." immigrants in the U.S. who
called zaghrouta, a way to But Resto said she was glad were facing anti-immigrant
express joy in Arab culture. the appearance of the flag bills would have "justice" as
Her father is of Lebanese sparked needed conversa- public awareness about
descent. tions about Puerto Rico's their plight grew.
During her performance, status. Still, she was disap- "Justice will come. I'm sure,"
Lopez brought out a dual pointed that more Afro-La- Shakira told the AP after
Puerto Rican-American tinos or Mexicans were not receiving an award at Har-
flag while her daughter represented in the perfor- vard University. "Wherever
sang the lyrics to Bruce mance — a critique shared there is ... a kid, who could
Springsteen's "Born in the by many on social media. be the son or the daughter
U.S.A." Her daughter and The legendary Mexican of a Latino immigrant, who
other children with Ameri- band Los Tigres del Norte cannot attend a school in
can flags on their shirts had from San Jose, California, the United States of Amer-
emerged from what ap- opened the Spanish broad- ica, that kid should be a
peared to be steel cages. cast for Super Bowl LIV, but concern to all of us and our
"Let's get loud!" Lopez sang the performance was not responsibility."
as her daughter sang the seen on the English broad- Lopez rarely speaks out on
Springsteen hook. Shakira cast. social issues, and her fian-
hit some drums. Others said they are satis- ce, retired baseball player
In the background, strobe fied by the overall Latina Alex Rodriguez, famously
lights crossed each other to theme of the performance. avoided addressing the
form an image of a cage. "It was a PERFECT example mistreatment of Latinos as
Latinos saw the juxtaposi- of how different cultures an active player.
tion as a call for them to can exist under the 'Latino' But in recent months, Lo-
vote, being mindful that umbrella," comedian Cris- pez has loaned her name
American authorities on tela Alonzo tweeted. "We to causes. In August, she
the U.S.-Mexico border are different from each signed an open letter in sup-
separated migrant chil- other and therefore should port of Latinos after deadly
dren from their parents and be allowed to tell DIFFER- shootings in El Paso, Texas,
locked them up. ENT stories. See us as indi- and Gilroy, California.q