Shakira says lives “in constant fear” as an immigrant in the United States.
The comments came in a new interview the Colombian-born pop star gave to BBC News this week. Reflecting on her own journey to the United States, she said she arrived “like many other Colombian immigrants who come to this country looking for a better future.”
Back then, at just 19 years old, Shakira “didn’t really have Google or ChatGPT to [help]” her learn English, but with “Spanish-English dictionaries” and through studying the lyrics of great English-language songwriters, she began mastering the art of writing songs in English, and eventually found success.
Today, though, she fears immigrants face even more challenges. When asked by the BBC how it feels to be an immigrant in the United States today, she replied, “It means living in constant fear, and it’s painful to see.”
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Continuing, she called on immigrants to stand together in the face of adversity. “Now, more than ever, we have to remain united,” she said. “Now, more than ever, we have to raise our voices and make it very clear that a country can change its immigration policies, but the treatment of all people must always be humane.”
Shakira’s remarks come in the wake of protests in Los Angeles against ICE and Donald Trump’s ongoing raids targeting the immigrant community. And she’s not the only musician weighing in on the situation — FINNEAS was allegedly tear-gassed at the protests, and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong told ICE to “fuck off” in a post supporting the protestors.
The Latin pop star is about halfway through the US leg of her “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour,” which will wrap later this month in San Francisco after shows in Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and more cities. Get tickets here.