Why Bad Bunny Skipped the U.S. | ICE Raids, Racism & Reggaetón's Identity Crisis

In Episode 17 of Reggaetón Con La Gata, I sit down with journalist and cultural commentator Galileo Mendez for a conversation that goes far beyond music. 00:00 Intro: Looking at America From Outside the U.S. 02:35 Galileo Mendez Joins the Podcast 03:15 Latino Racism & Accountability 05:15 Why Black Creators Are Tired of Educating Everyone 05:50 AI Misinformation & The Death of Media Literacy 09:15 Why Older Generations Are Vulnerable to Misinformation 10:10 ICE Raids & Black-Brown Solidarity 12:30 Why Some Latinos Thought They Were Safe 14:15 Doomscrolling, Activism & Social Media Burnout 15:05 Bad Bunny Skips the United States 16:45 Watching America From Germany 18:30 Ad Break 19:50 Racism in Europe vs. the United States 20:55 How U.S. Border Policies Influenced Nazi Germany 22:10 Surveillance, ICE & Global Systems of Control 23:35 Why Reggaetón Is Political 24:35 J Balvin, Blanqueamiento & Whitewashing 26:25 The Erasure of Black Reggaetón 29:15 Why Fans Are Demanding More From Artists 30:40 Should Celebrities Speak Up? 34:10 Hot Take: Your Reggaetón Party Isn't Reggaetón 35:55 Why Perreo Culture Is Being Gentrified 39:35 Rapidito: Gio From Los Angeles 41:45 Is Music Losing Its Artistry? 42:45 Pitbull, Latino Pride & Cultural Identity 43:15 Viva La Raza: Final Thoughts 44:00 Outro From ICE raids and immigration policy to media literacy, AI misinformation, Black-Brown solidarity, and reggaetón's ongoing whitewashing, we unpack how politics, race, and culture intersect in 2026. We also discuss Bad Bunny's decision to skip U.S. tour dates, celebrity accountability, the erasure of reggaetón's Black Caribbean roots, and why the future of the genre may belong to women, Black artists, and queer performers. If you've ever wondered whether reggaetón is political, this episode is for you. Topics discussed: • ICE raids and immigration • Latino identity and racism • Black-Brown solidarity • AI misinformation and media literacy • Bad Bunny's world tour • Reggaetón history and racial politics • Whitewashing in Latin music • Black reggaetoneras and representation • Celebrity activism • The future of reggaetón #BadBunny #Reggaeton #LatinoPolitics #Immigration #ICERaids #MediaLiteracy #LatinMusic #ReggaetonConLaGata #BlackLatinos #PuertoRico #BadBunnyTour #LatinoIdentity Suscribete! https://reggaetonconlagata.com Instagram:   / reggaetonconlagata   Tiktok:   / reggaetonconlagata   Twitter:   / reggaetonxgata   Facebook:   / reggaetonconlagata