From the Professor

Ah the grammys. An award ceremony that always finds itself in some sense of controversy. Earliest Grammy anger I can remember is when Kendrick Lamar was robbed, in favor of macklemore. Which i feel like should be a unanimous opinion.

Side note if anyone says their favorite author is macklemore please run. Fast.

I normally watch the reels and highlights after the ceremony, but one moment has been stuck in my head, and I feel this moment is a reflection of the time we are in.

Watching bad bunny win his grammys really sat with me in a very particular way. The moment he took to cry and collect himself before accepting the award had my eyes watering. I think of the symbolism of that moment, what it means for his people, for the immigrant community in the US, and the puerto rican community.

There are a few songs of his i have really gotten into, but Dtmf struck a very particular cord for me. When you are a child of an immigrant, there is a kind of relationship to the country you are a part of that is hard to articulate. You feel so connected yet so far away, and for some of us when we visit there is a pain of leaving and knowing things wont be the way they are now when you return.

For me I have a certain disconnect i feel. I am very proud to be panjabi, but the last time I went to india I was an infant. I have a connection to a culture that is attached to a land I haven’t touched in over 20 years. But somehow, the pride is in me, in my blood, in the culture of the familial relationship i have with my mother and nana.

I also have an affection for venezuela, a country i have never been to. A country that gave me a wonderful stepmother and gave me a vibrant side to my family. I have love for a country i have never been to because it gave me people i hold so close to my heart.

So when i heard Dtmf, the first time i cried. Even in my piss pour understanding of puerto rican spanish, i felt the emotion, the wavelength of a person who loves the land and the people they are connected to but feel disconnected at the same time.

Watching bad bunny win was vindicating to say the least. To have an album that articulates the feeling of being an immigrant child, the feeling of that disconnection, and sang in native tongue is astounding.

So many people in this country forget about Puerto rico. they forget it is a part of ou country. They mention it as if it were a vacation island and not a pocket of a vibrant culture. The care for his homeland shakes my chest.

As ice continues to invade communities and break them apart, the symbolism of this moment is not lost on me. I can’t imagine knowing your music won a grammy and the community that has supported it whole heartedly is being systemically targeted by the state.

I cannot wait for him to play the super bowl. It is a brilliant idea in the fact that this is a way for the latin community to see him perform in their homes, for free, and not have to be at risk in regards to ICE.

Immigrants are not illegal, they are not criminals. our communities just want freedom of opportunity, shelter, and to love.