Making Room for Cultural Complexity
March 1, 2026
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Like millions of Americans, I found myself riveted by Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show in early February this year. It was a wildly entertaining and multi-layered show that had the hip-hop artist walking amidst sugar cane fields, dancing with street vendors, and even a perched atop electrical utility poles while performing “El Apagon” (The Blackout).
While the music was captivating, what actually captivated me more were the cultural references sprinkled throughout the sets: the plastic stackable chairs, fresh coconuts sold from a cart, a child sleeping amidst a raucous party. I’m not Puerto Rican, but as a Filipina-American, these cultural reference points resonated with me strongly. As former Spanish colonies and U.S. territories, both Puerto Rico and the Philippines have intertwined histories, cultural references, and communities of people spread out across both the homeland and the United States. What also has been surprising is way people from all over the U.S. (and abroad) have used social media to also celebrate our shared cultural references (also known as “Easter Eggs”) that showed up on the halftime show.
Some have analyzed the halftime show as a celebration of Bad Bunny’s high Bicultural Identity Integration, unapologetically embracing his dual cultures (American and Puerto Rico) as compatible and unproblematic. But cultural anthropologists like myself would take this a step further to note that it’s even more complex: more than just about binaries, many people like myself are entangled in a wider ecosystem of multiple cultures, languages, and political histories. As the anthropologist Arjun Appadurai argued that globalization is not a uniform "top-down" process (like simple Americanization). Instead, it is a series of overlapping, fluid, and unpredictable flows. For example, those white plastic stackable chairs on Bad Bunny’s album cover and the halftime show is laden with nostalgia and meaning not just for Puerto Ricans, but could also be relevant for Turkish people, someone from Italy, or a person in South Africa—where these chairs are ubiquitous. The gold jewelry vendor on the street is a familiar sight not just for Latinos, but also for many South Asians and East Asians who also grew up with the ubiquity of gold jewelry as important forms of capital. The gold jewelry vendor on the street is a familiar sight not just for Latinos, but also for many South Asians and East Asians who also grew up with the ubiquity of gold jewelry as important forms of capital.
What does this mean for credit unions and other financial services? It’s a reminder that cultural resonance is rarely a straight line. A strategy designed for the Hispanic community often carries "Easter eggs" of familiarity for others: for immigrant groups, low-income earners, and second-generation members who navigate similar cultural landscapes. By being more intentional about your products and community outreach, you create an ecosystem of belonging that transcends simple labels.
Understanding these layers is where Coopera Consulting thrives. We invite you to connect with us for deeper insights into the cultural complexities of your members. Let us help you build a more inclusive, data-driven strategy that speaks to the hearts of your community.