Shakira took the opportunity to address the political turmoil surrounding President Donald Trump’s immigration policies during her Grammys acceptance speech.
After receiving the award for best Latin pop album for “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” from Jennifer Lopez, the Colombian singer thanked her children and dedicated the award “to all my immigrant brothers and sisters in this country,” she said. “You are loved. You are worth it and I will always fight with you.”
Additionally, Shakira took the time to honor “all of those women who work really hard everday to provide to their families.” She concluded, “You are the true She-wolves.”
Earlier that evening, Grammys host and comedian Trevor Noah made an unsightly joke about Colombia and its ongoing battle with criminal activity. He stated that Shakira “was the greatest thing out of Colombia that isn’t a Class A felony.” Noah also explained how the Grammy winners are chosen after a vote of 13,000 members of the Recording Academy, joking that the voting class also included “20 million illegal immigrants.”
The jokes fell flat, seeing that just down the road, thousands of protesters had gathered to combat President Trump’s aggressive policies against undocumented immigrants and promise of mass deportations. In the days since Trump was sworn into office, ICE agents have conducted high-profile raids and sent military and charter planes carrying undocumented immigrants back to their countries of origin, causing mass panic across the nation.
Shakira also addressed this on the red carpet ahead of the show, telling LA Times en Español, “I was also an immigrant who came here to this city with a dream. I know very well what those setbacks are like, but also how strong our people are. Latinos are unstoppable and I won’t tire of fighting with them and for them. Together, we will persevere.”
On a happier note, Shakira is also celebrating her birthday on Sunday, and is just days away from the launch of her world tour. She is slated to perform at the ceremony as a teaser to the upcoming tour dates, which will see her performing in numerous arenas across the North America.
