Culture war

The city of Kenner, which borders New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, announced on June 16 that it was canceling the Hispanic Heritage Festival, an annual event featuring international acts, due to the increasing number of arrests by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the United States' deportation police. More than 30% of Kenner's residents are Hispanic, a prime target for ICE, and according to the city, they were worried about attending the cultural event and ending up in jail.

At the country's most important sporting event, the Super Bowl, Kenner's illustrious son, singer and pianist Jon Batiste, played the American national anthem, the most anticipated moment, and repeated the line "land of the free" three times, a small change from the original version. Batiste's decision to repeat the phrase was understood by many, including defeated candidate Kamala Harris in a statement on social media, as a warning to US President Donald Trump , who was present at the stadium and had been sworn into office three weeks earlier.

The first half of February had been marked by an intervention at The Kennedy Center, located in the capital Washington and run by the federal government. Trump removed members of the cultural center's board of trustees appointed by his predecessor, Joe Biden, and ended up appointing himself chairman of the organization after installing cronies in the empty seats. This broke the tradition of the board being composed of representatives from different political spectrums. Among the members removed was Batiste.

The Kennedy Center, home to the National Symphony Orchestra, is a must-see venue for international classical music artists touring the United States. Trump’s interference was seen as a breach of diversity and an imposition of the new administration’s political agenda. The backlash was immediate. One of the world’s greatest pianists, Hungarian-British András Shiff, canceled all of his performances in the country. He said at the time that he felt “morally” obligated to make such a decision amid the “unprecedented” changes in the United States. Other sought-after classical music artists have also canceled tours, angered by the White House’s policy, including German violinist Christian Tetzlaff and pianist Schaghajegh Nosrati.

At the same time, other musicians faced problems entering the United States after the new visa policy for foreigners came into effect. ProgPower USA 2025, a progressive metal and power metal festival that brings together international icons of the genre, felt the tightening of the rules firsthand. Members of several bands listed on the event's schedule were not allowed to enter the country. A statement from the organization, due to the incident, announced the cancellation of performances by the groups Jelusick, from Croatia, All For Metal, formed by Germans and Italians, Temic, from Norway, and The Night Flight Orchestra, from Sweden. The German band Iron Savior had previously withdrawn from performing at the festival, because they disagreed with the measures announced by Trump.

Musicians have been prevented from entering the country. Or they have canceled shows in protest.

Not even the famous Coachella in California was spared. British singer FKA Twings was forced to cancel her performance at the festival, held in April, because she was unable to obtain a visa. DJ Alok, the only Brazilian performer at this year's event, had recently moved to Los Angeles, a "relief," according to reports to the press. Anitta, however, was hit hard. The pop star was scheduled to perform at Michelada Fest, an annual event in Chicago, but the traditional Latin music festival was canceled. In a statement, the organization cited uncertainties regarding the granting of visas to Latin artists and the "political climate" at home.

In the federal capital Washington, which also holds an annual event in the Northern Hemisphere summer aimed at the Latino community, with folklore performances and bands, the Latino Festival, also opted to cancel. Organizers feared that the audience would be depleted due to the persecution of immigrants.

Mexican artists have become constant targets. Grupo Firme, one of the most popular in the country, canceled its performance at La Onda Fest in Napa Valley, California, due to visa issues. Romantic singer Julión Álvarez had his work permit revoked and also canceled his shows in the United States.

Among American artists, Batiste was not the only one to protest. Bruce Springsteen, an outspoken supporter of the Democratic Party, has launched fierce criticisms of the Trump administration’s policies. The singer and songwriter even released the EP Land of Hope and Dreams in the form of a manifesto, in which he calls the government “corrupt, incompetent and treacherous.” The work, a recording of a show he held in Manchester, England, in May, angered the US president, who threatened to investigate him. Neil Young, Bono Vox and the group Pearl Jam have shown solidarity with Springsteen, who is considered a rock legend. And the band Dropkick Murphys, who was in Brazil for performances and is a reference in punk rock, participated in the Hands Off protests in Boston against the government, which are held regularly in several American cities.

And all this in just six months of government. He still has three and a half years left in his term, if Trump doesn't try to change the Constitution to stay in office.

Published in issue no. 1369 of CartaCapital , on July 9, 2025.

This text appears in the printed edition of CartaCapital under the title 'Cultural war'