Gloria Estefan criticizes the persecution of immigrants in the U.S.: "I do not recognize my country"

Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan expressed her concern about the treatment of some immigrants in the United States and shared a personal experience she recently had during a domestic flight.

In an interview with Canela News, the artist reflected on the loss of humanity in certain migration practices and explained how her new album Raíces aims to convey a positive message amidst a politically concerning climate.

During the conversation, Estefan recounted an episode he witnessed a few days ago on a flight from Las Vegas, when immigration agents boarded the plane before disembarking. “I saw there was an officer at the plane's door and I thought, ‘oh oh.’ They entered, and there was a lady two rows behind me with a baby. They took the baby from her hands, the woman started to cry, and the baby began to cry as well… Then more agents came and took the lady away,” he said. “When I left, they had her sitting with the agents and the baby in a separate cart. What was the need to take that child from the arms of the mother if they were both going to leave anyway?” he wondered.

The interpreter of "Mi tierra" expressed her concern about the direction of the country and the loss of sensitivity towards the suffering of the most vulnerable. "I don't understand why we have to lose our humanity. We cannot forget to have humanity at all times. It scares me," she said.

In this context, she explained that her new album Raíces is born as an artistic response to social disconnection: “It was important for us to put something positive into the world through music, highlighting love, connection, and roots. To be proud of who we are and shout it from the rooftops in Spanish.”

“This country was made by immigrants. Obviously, there are people who take advantage of the system, criminals who exploit it, and we need to have regulations. But there's no need to go to that extreme. For me, it’s really more of a political message than a necessity. And that scares me,” said the artist, who arrived in the U.S. from Cuba as a child, and has since built a career that has made her one of the most recognized voices in Latin music.

These statements add to those recently made to the newspaper El País, where she reaffirmed her faith in the United States, albeit with clear warnings: “I have faith in this country, I have faith in the judicial system, but we have to be cautious. Democracy is a living being that breathes and, if you do not give it oxygen, it can die.”

Although Estefan asserts that "music is something I want to be a catharsis" and not a platform for political discourse, her career has connected her to various social causes. "I suffered a lot due to politics because of my father, first in the Bay of Pigs, then in Vietnam," she explained in her interview for Canela TV. Despite this, she has engaged in social campaigns, such as in 2023, when she moderated a conversation with then-Vice President Kamala Harris at a climate change conference held in Miami Beach, where they both discussed environmental and social justice issues.

From Miami, where she resides, Gloria Estefan firmly defends the value of Latino culture and identity in the United States: “Spanish is the language of my heart. This music is a tribute to who we are.”

Frequently asked questions about Gloria Estefan's criticism of U.S. immigration policies.