Angela Arevalo

Honors Journalism
Barefoot
13 March 2017
The Gift That Just Keeps Giving
On April 17th, 1971, a Mexican-American megastar was born, Selena Quintanilla. March

31st of this year marks the 22nd anniversary of Selenas death. Although Selena died far too

young, she gave us more than Jennifer Lopez. Selena and her family both made huge impacts on

todays culture, women, and in Latin music.

Selenas murder (by one of her close friends) came as a shock to many people because it

was so unexpected. Selena died in a time period where famous musicians, such as Kurt Cobain

and Jim Morrison, deaths were self inflicted. The atmosphere in many communities was similar

to the days following the murder of President John F. Kennedy. During the 90s, many Hispanics

did not have opportunities for social and career advancement in America, but the passion Selena

had to follow her dreams motivated many to pursue theirs a well, despite being told they could

not. According to Chron, there was a 53 percent increase of Hispanics moving to America to

follow that dream during the 90s.

For many Latinos, especially women, if you ask who their idol is or was as a child, they

will respond Selena. Selena had a major impact on the Latin music industry because she was not

a pompous rich girl; she came from the streets of a small town in Texas with her family by her

side. Selena sang with a tremendous amount of passion; she moved crowds with the words she

sang and made her fans feel like the lyrics were written for their individual plight. I can even

remember going on a road trip with a close friend and and accidentally getting a speeding ticket

because we were focus a little too much on the music rather than the road. A year before Selena

passed, she was awarded the Best Mexican American Album, at the Grammys for her album

Selena Live; this achievement was important to many Latinas in both their native Latin
countries and in America because it showed that just like men, women could make it in the

entertainment industry.

Selenas heartfelt voice and ardent personality were not the only thing that influenced

culture. Selena used makeup to enhance her natural features achieving a bold and sultry look,

which was rare in the 90s when people shaved their eyebrows off in the name of fashion. Even

after 20 years, Selenas look still continues to be widely popular, her family recognized this and

partnered up with MAC Cosmetics and released a Selena cosmetic line last year. For the first

time ever, MAC Cosmetics had to restock a limited edition makeup multiple times.

Selena was a huge role model for me because there was not someone from a Hispanic

background that I could relate to. Selena was the perfect candidate because her only concern was

not only making a difference in Latin-American music and style, but also helping people. Selena

did so by volunteering with a lot of different humanitarian organizations. The love Selena had for

the world around her inspires me to help give others courage so that they can take a stand against

people that arent morally correct.

Selena is a gift that continues to give even 22 years after her death. The Latin culture will

alway have a hole in their hearts, but she gave them the courage to grow from that heartbreak.

Women gained a lot of courage from Selena, helping them realize that they could go after their

dreams. Selenas spirited personality has and will always stay in the hearts of her fans and will

continue to inspire us, no matter how long its been since we were last graced with her presence.

MICHAEL D. CLARK, Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle. "Selena left a cultural,

musical legacy." Houston Chronicle. N.p., 31 Mar. 2005. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.
 "Awards and Achievements." Awards and Achievements. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar.

2017.

"Tu Me Vuelves Loca, Loca De Pasin." Tu Me Vuelves Loca, Loca De Pasin.

N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

Cazares, Reyna. "Why We Won't See Selena Quintanilla as a Hologram." Selena
Quintanilla Concert Hologram: Why We Won't Be Seeing the Tejano Singer. N.p., 25
June 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.