J Balvin: Donald Trump’s Message About Latin America Strikes Chord With Latino Singing Sensation

J Balvin was set to make is debut on mainstream national television.

Balvin had finally arrived. He was scheduled to perform on the Miss USA pageant, July 12. However, after he found out that Donald Trump was a partial owner of Miss USA, he put his career on hold to make a point about Trump’s latest comments about people from Latin America. In an interview with US Weekly, Balvin explains why.

“(Miss USA) was going to be my first performance on national (mainstream) television. But we’re talking about our roots, our culture, our values. This isn’t about being punitive, but about showing leadership through social responsibility. His comments weren’t just about Mexicans, but about all Latins in general.”

J Balvin’s irritation with Donald Trump stems from a speech that Donald Trump gave when he announced his intentions to run for President in 2016. At his press conference on June 16, Trump spoke of what he felt some of the issues were facing the United States. He felt that Latin America was a particular problem.

“The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

This generalization of his heritage is what has fired Balvin, a native Colombian, up the most. Balvin has worked hard to get where he is today. His history is void of any drug scandals. He has managed to stay away from all of the things that Donald Trump mentioned in his speech. It hasn’t been easy. In a 2014 interview with Billboard Magazine, J Balvin talked about his struggles.

“It was a middle-class neighborhood, really close to a big ghetto. I was studying in the best high school in my city, but when I got out of school, I was hanging out with kids from the ghetto. I learned a lot from both worlds.

“I saw my dad (spend) too many years without sleeping. And I was suffering a lot, because I wanted to help him.”

J Balvin has made it to the top of the international charts. He attributes his success to what he feels Latin Americans bring to the table.

“Mexico is a Latin powerhouse. And Mexicans, they’re known as hard workers. Here in the U.S., not everybody wants to do those kinds of jobs. I’ve lived. I know what it feels like and what they go through and how families suffer. A comment like that is powerful.”

What do you think of J Balvin’s decision to boycott Donald Trump’s Miss USA pageant? Is it worth putting his career on hold to prove a point, or does this make him even more of a superstar in your eyes?

[Photo by Billboard and Gage Skidmore]