Bad Bunny and the Politics of Saying “I’m Puerto Rican”

About this episode

This episode discusses the complexities of Puerto Rican identity and the impact of colonialism through the lens of Bad Bunny's music and Becca Ramos's experiences as an Afro-Latina.

When Bad Bunny takes the stage in Spanish, millions celebrate. But for many Puerto Ricans, it lands as something deeper: visibility, resistance, and a reminder of a history the United States still struggles to face. In this episode of Immigrantly, Saadia Khan sits down with Becca Ramos, creator of Welcome to El Barrio, (new episodes release every Tuesday) to discuss colonialism, diaspora, and the complicated politics of calling yourself Puerto Rican—not Puerto Rican American. Becca shares what it meant to grow up Afro-Latina in Texas, feeling too Black in some rooms, not Latino enough in others, and how that tension pushed her to build a platform for her community. The discussion unpacks Puerto Rico’s territorial status, the myth of assimilation, the stereotypes that haunt Latino identity in U.S. media, and why joy itself can be a political act. This episode is about who gets ownership over history, language, and home. And what happens when people decide to define those things for themselves? Join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can find more information at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://immigrantlypod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please share the love and leave us a…

People in this episode

Host: Saadia Khan

Guest: Becca Ramos

Topics covered

• Puerto Rican identity
• colonialism
• diaspora
• Afro-Latina experience
• media representation
• political engagement

Keywords

• Bad Bunny
• Puerto Rican
• Afro-Latina
• colonialism
• identity
• diaspora
• media stereotypes
• political act

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Welcome to El Barrio

Places: Puerto Rico, Texas, United States

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