Becky G Receives Key to the City of Coachella, Says She’s Proud To Be a ‘200 Percenter’

Latinos are taking Coachella by storm, and not just at the famed music festival. Last Saturday, Becky G received the key to the city of Coachella from the mayor, an honor for her contributions to the community.

Hundreds of fans greeted the 26-year-old singer with applause and screams at what Mayor Steven Hernandez called “The real Coachella.”

“For us, it’s just an honor to give (Becky) these keys, and we are extremely proud that she is here,” Hernandez said moments before handing the artist a framed key to the city, as The Desert Sun reported.

Although the recognition awarded to Becky G drew backlash from those who didn’t understand what the singer could have done for the city, Hernandez stood behind his decision.

“Becky has been incredibly supportive of the farm worker community through her work with Celebration Nation [which] held an event at our Veterans’ Memorial Park yesterday distributing food and other staples to our residents in need,” he told TMZ.

The real Coachella

While millions of people give all their attention to the famous Coachella music festival, the reality is that a bit further down the road is a city with a pivotal history for the Latino community.

Coachella is one of the largest and fastest-growing cities in California. In less than a century, the city has grown from 1,000 residents in 1946 to 41,941 in 2020. In fact, Coachella is officially bilingual in English and Spanish, with 90% of its residents speaking Spanish.

However, the region made a name for itself thanks to its agricultural area, the scene of Chicano political activism. There, the United Farm Workers organized strikes and protests, including visits by Cesar Chavez in the 1960s and ’70s.

For Becky G, who grew up in Inglewood, the city of Coachella is more than a festival

The singer said she is proud to be a “200 percenter” — 100% American, 100% Latina. Upon receiving the key to the city, Becky G said the identity has nuances and layers, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“We might speak a little Spanglish along the way, and that’s fine, but we will never forget the blood that runs through our veins and the history of our last names and the journeys that our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on took to get us to where we are today,” she said.

In this way, the young singer follows in the footsteps of Latin groups such as Grupo Firme, who received the honor last year. Likewise, Los Tucanes de Tijuana received the tribute in 2019.

“I am so proud to be able to hold the key to Coachella — the real Coachella — in my heart, and it is one that I take with so much pride, and I look forward to spending more time here with you,” Becky G concluded.