This week, the NFL confirmed that Bad Bunny will headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, and honestly, I can’t stop thinking about what this moment means.
For years, Latinos have been told to tone it down, to translate, to assimilate. We’ve been underestimated, overlooked, and too often pushed to the margins of the American story. And yet, here we are. Bad Bunny, unapologetically Puerto Rican, unapologetically Spanish-speaking, is stepping onto one of the biggest stages in the world. No subtitles. No compromise. Just us.
And isn’t that the story of our people?
We’ve endured generations of being told our accents were wrong, our cultures too loud, our dreams too unrealistic. But like Bad Bunny, like so many of us, we turned those doubts into fuel. We created, we built, we thrived. Even in the face of struggle, we keep showing up, in classrooms, in boardrooms, in newsrooms, in every space where our voices matter.
When I wrote Your English is Great, But… it was born out of this same spirit. Out of the moments where I was told my English was “good, but…” — as if it wasn’t enough, as if I wasn’t enough. And yet, those very words became my title, my power, my story. Just like Bad Bunny uses his music to break barriers, I wanted to use my book to celebrate what it means to live between languages, between cities, between grief and resilience.
So when I see Bad Bunny about to take the halftime stage, I don’t just see an artist. I see every abuela who built a life here with nothing but faith. Every worker who sends remittances home. Every student who translates for their parents. Every one of us who has carried more than the world ever realized, and still found ways to shine.
That’s why this book matters. That’s why our stories matter. If you haven’t picked up Your English is Great, But… yet, you can find it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. And if you have, gracias, keep sharing your photos and stories with me. They remind me why I do this.
Because whether it’s on the halftime stage or in the pages of a book, the truth is the same:
We’re not just surviving. We’re thriving. And we’re not going anywhere.
Con orgullo,
José
José Martínez 