Selena Quintanilla's legacy 25 years after her death

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Netflix presents his Selena (2019) 1:10

Editor's Note: Ximena Larkin is a Chicago-based communications specialist and writer. The opinions expressed here are those of the author.

(CNN) - Twenty - five years after her death, Selena Quintanilla Pérez (widely known as “Selena”), murdered at 23 by the founder of her fan club, who had also become her business partner, continues to make headlines. and influencing popular culture.

The artist just joined Elvis on the Houston Rodeo Star Trail of Fame - Netflix recently announced a series about her life and the trailer already has more than 2.5 million views - and the cosmetics company Mac has announced a second one. collection (the first sold out in minutes) inspired by the singer's favorite colors. Jennifer Lopez, whose portrayal of Selena in the 1997 film, led her to stardom, recently posted a video with the Selena theme on Instagram, urging fans to share their own memories of the singer, and saying, “Selena was a Great inspiration for me and I was lucky to be chosen to perform it. As an artist, this movie was truly an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. ” It is one of his most viewed posts, having surpassed the video of the first anniversary of his engagement to baseball legend Alex Rodríguez.

From all this it is clear that the impact of the Mexican-American singer on American culture is stronger than ever. Her spirit lives on because she was a pioneer; his life continues to be a symbol of hope and perseverance.

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Jennifer Lopez played Selena in a 1997 movie.

Her frustrated life gave other Latinos the urge to take the initiative and show the world what they can do. This is evident in Shea Serrano's new book about her, with J.Lo as Selena on the cover, which is featured in The New York Times best-seller list (Serrano and his illustrator are the first Mexican-Americans to achieve this three times). Selena Gómez bears her name and has recognized Quintanilla Pérez for influencing her career. Cardi B. called her alter ego Selena because she is "someone everyone would like to be." It is no exaggeration to say that Selena inspired the careers of many Latinos and non-Latinos alike.

In 1994, Selena became the first woman in Texan music to win a Grammy. The Tex-Mex genre combines mariachi and cumbia rhythms with polcas and European waltzes. She became a celebrated figure on the Spanish music scene and earned the nickname "Reina del texmex". However, the years leading up to Selena's success were peppered with rejection largely because she was a woman trying to operate in a male-dominated space. She was also Mexican, born in Texas.

Selena Quintanilla during a presentation after the queen of the Flower Fair at the Memorial Coliseum on August 12, 1989 in Corpus Christi, Texas. (AP Photo / Corpus Christi Caller Times, FILE)

As a result, Selena was perceived to be not Mexican enough by those with whom she shared cultural roots, particularly because she had not begun to speak Spanish until her teens. The flip side, of course, was that many people did not see his dark features and curvy body as being American enough. She was part of two worlds and neither of them fully received her. But instead of trying to fit in one or the other, he forged his own space. He was never supposed to. For her, success meant that others like her could also achieve it.

Selena burst into a space that rejected outsiders, not only as a woman but as a Mexican-American. In the first episode of "Gentefied", which was born as a web series and is now a Netflix show produced by actress América Ferrera, this is represented in the character of Carlos Santos. He may have a Latin name, dark features, and work in the kitchen, but the other chefs born south of the border don't see him as one of them.

Instead of being carried away by the challenges that a situation like this brings, Selena focused on her goals and created a path that was exclusively her own. In the process, she provided a roadmap for other Latinos to navigate between the two worlds they lived in, particularly regarding language and identity.

Selena struggled to speak Spanish. He recorded his first album in Spanish following only the phonetics. Her openness to be herself won over the masses. This is a memorable moment reflected in the 1997 film with Jennifer Lopez, the same Lopez, of Puerto Rican descent, who was criticized for not speaking Spanish well enough. And although he spoke Spanish at home, López explained that his lack of fluency was due to his parents' idea (common among many Latino households) that English would provide more opportunities for their children.

Just last year, a tweet from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went viral after she admitted that she was struggling to remain fluent in Spanish, despite being her native language. This is a fight shared by many Latinos. They have to defend and justify their command of two languages ​​to show that they are sufficient. Selena's outspokenness set an example and opened the way for other Latinos to admit their own struggles as they navigated the complexities of belonging to more than one culture.

The success that came with this mindset became a light of hope. For the first time, many Latinos were watching someone who looked like them succeed (dark features with thick hips and lips). But it wasn't just her appearance that allowed her to become a hero to the community.

His death itches because it was a reminder of what could have been. Her death didn't hurt just because of the tragic loss of her family or the loss of a promising career. The pain also comes from what that career meant: that her ancestral home was opening her arms. This is a dream that many Latinos fight for, but not all of them achieve it. What "was supposed to be" did not stop her. He worked through rejection and labels to get what he thought was really important.

Selena's perseverance is the reason why she has not been forgotten. He showed people what life can be like when they keep fighting, when they have hope. The Texan singer kicked in the door for a whole generation of Latino talent. Some things have changed, others haven't (J.Lo's snub at the Oscars for “Hustlers” comes to mind) but his enduring legacy showed people that it was worth a try. And that is worth remembering.

Selena Quintanilla