March 31st is the day Selena-Quintanilla-Perez left us.  It is so crazy to think that Selena (Mexican-American singer and songwriter) has been gone for twenty five years.  Selena Quintanilla-Perez was so much more than just a singer.  She was an inspiration to so many young girls, she was a fashion designer, she designed all of her outfits, she was a model, actress, and built a long lasting legacy that lasts even today.

 First let me mention I purchased this beautiful Selena sweater I am wearing in the photographs below, from my friend Erica's husband.  Erica is a local Sacramento creative over at Eraeholland.com.  You can find this beautiful Selena sweatshirt and more of Erica's husbands gorgeous artwork and apparel at theDopeOnes.com.
Growing up, my parents listened to Spanish music all the time.  We loved Selena's music before her life was portrayed on the big screen.  My parents frequently went to Spanish dances on the weekends and I grew up listening to Spanish music as my mom made homemade tortillas early in the morning hours or whenever she was cleaning the house.  

"Selena" the movie came out in 1997, I was sixteen years old.  While I already loved her, I only fell more in love with her after watching Jennifer Lopez do such a fantastic job of portraying her life story.  After watching the movie I learned so much more about Selena and her family.  Selena began singing with her family at the young age of six!  She broke through a huge barrier, as a female artist in a male dominated market.  When it came to Tejano music, the majority of the artists were male.  It is even amazing to me that her sister Suzette was her drummer, a rare find.  
I think I felt endeared to Selena because she had to learn to speak Spanish and I could relate to that.  Both of my parents are Mexican-Americans and speak Spanish, my grandparents on my moms side only spoke Spanish.  I did not grow up speaking Spanish in our home.  My mom had to learn English as a second language, she struggled in school, when she had my siblings and I, she strongly emphasized education and English.  My mom did not want to see us struggle in school as she did, so she only taught us English. 
I was in the fourth or fifth grade when one of my Aunts and her daughters moved near us, my cousins Angelica and Vanessa were raised speaking mostly Spanish.  My mom, Tia Rosa and cousins would all be conversing in Spanish and my mom would have to translate.  Eventually my mom grew tired of always translating and encouraged me to learn on my own, having cousins and family nearby that spoke Spanish definitely helped and I grew to the place where I understood it and could piece together most conversations.  

 Later in Jr. High and High School I took Spanish classes and learned to read and write Spanish fluently.  Quite a few of my best friends in High School had Spanish speaking families, the more I was around it the more I picked up.  I still felt uncomfortable speaking Spanish, because I felt my pronunciation was not authentic.  Later in life after getting married, I worked for my father-in-laws roofing company Briggs Roofing & Repair Inc., I had plenty of practice speaking Spanish as many of our roofing employees only spoke Spanish, so I have definitely grown in being more comfortable speaking Spanish.  Although since I do not speak it often enough these days I find I forget it.  My husband has encouraged me to teach our boys Spanish and I regret that I have not worked on that. 
My mom was born and raised in Brownsville, TX, my grandparents are from Matamoros, Mexico.  Selena was also born and raised in Texas.  Selena, memorized songs in Spanish that she heard her father sing to her.  I can relate as I too, memorized Spanish songs, that I had no idea what was being said, but loved the music.  After growing in her singing career and traveling more Selena wanted to learn the language as she was often interviewed in Spanish.  

 Selena dropped out of middle school to help at her family owned restaurant.  My mom also left elementary school and worked with her family in agricultural fields and the family gas station.  

 My husband recently spotted the People Magazine which pays tribute to Selena at our local supermarket and I am so grateful he picked it up for me.  The magazine is filled with beautiful photographs of Selena as well as a sneak peak at some exciting Selena news. At the time of Selena's death People Magazine sold over 1,000,000 copies of an issue dedicated to Selena on its release day.  
We have family in Texas and when HEB a Texas grocery store chain released limited edition reusable bags we had our family pick up a couple for us.  These reusable bags were so popular they sold out quickly.  My mom, sister and I went to Texas to visit my grandmother last year and we picked up another edition Selena reusable bag only available at HEB supermarkets.  
Selena's life was cut way to short at the young age of twenty-three.  She was murdered by the president of her fan club and the manager of her boutiques.  After confronting the president of her fan club for embezzlement suspicions, they had agreed to meet up to to exchange missing documents, they met at a hotel, upon leaving the hotel room, Selena was shot in the back.  Selena has been such an inspiration to many.  When I think of Selena I am reminded and inspired by how she pursued her dreams, I love how her family worked together, through facing adversity.  Their restaurant was closed, they went bankrupt, yet they continued pursuing their dream of singing and performing, they did not give up. They hit some bumps along the road, they never quit.  Her father is quoted saying "Family unity made Selena who she was, we covered up for each other's weaknesses.  We depended on each other."  Her managers and promoters were concerned about what the press would do when they found out Selena did not fluently speak Spanish and yet she won everyone over with her heart of gold and her beautiful smile. 

 The Selena movie opened at #2 of the United States Box Office, according to Box Office Mojo "Selena" the Movie is the 15th highest grossing musical biopic of all time.  Her name and legacy still live on with clothing and cosmetic lines, a huge festival celebrating Selena has taken place in Corpus Christi, TX and grown over the years.  
I heard a TED Talk by America Ferrera where she shared how she struggled with her identity because she did not feel Mexican enough and at the same time did not feel American enough.  This reminds me of the scene in the Selena movie where Abraham her dad is telling Selena she has to be more Mexican than the Mexicans and more American than the American's.  It's a funny part but so true and I know resonates with so many Mexican-Americans.  America Ferrera shares how people looked at her as too fat, too brown, too poor, she viewed her identity as an obstacle she had to overcome.  America felt she had to straighten her curls, she thought she had to lose weight, sound more latina, and more.  She shares how she didn't think it was possible to exist in her dream as she was.  In her Ted Talk America shares how you can be the person who wants to genuinely see change but also be the person whose actions keep things the way they are.  She challenges us each to question our own fundamental values and beliefs and then see to it that our actions lead to our best intentions.  She encourages us to stop resisting and start existing in our full authentic self.  She encourages us that our identity is a superpower not an obstacle, to just be YOU!!! I see this in Selena, she was not afraid that her Spanish was not perfect, she was free to be HERSELF.  Her confidence came through in her singing and performances.  
I strongly encourage you to take the time to listen to America Ferrera share on TED Talk, not only if you are a latina but we can all learn from it.  We all tend to be affected by stereotypes, by descriptions and labels people place on us and labels we place on ourselves, too often we blame others for the labels, but I have found I am the one ultimately responsible for accepting those labels.  

 Being my authentic self is something I have worked on this past year. Pushing past insecurities and fears are essential in being your authentic self.  Looking inward at your fundamental beliefs and aligning your actions to support those beliefs is essential in being your authentic self.  I truly believe in a fundamental belief that you reap what you sow. I strive to encourage and support others, I support all people, no matter their race or socioeconomic status. I have a fundamental belief that as you spread kindness, kindness will be shared with you.  I have a fundamental belief that all people are beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator.  We all are a gift and a facet of God and we all benefit and can learn from each other. 

 No matter the rejection or obstacles you may have faced I encourage you to shine on like Selena.  Pursue your dreams, shine bright with your smile and be your authentic self spreading kindness, love, joy and hope.  I have purposed to align my actions with what I believe.  Rather than focus on labels, or others actions, what ultimately matters is do I remain me, a light, a gift, kind, compassionate, a sharer.  Yes, I am a Mexican-American, more importantly I am a child of God, fearfully and wonderfully made,  He loves me just the way I am.  I do not have to be Latina enough, less Latina, or prove who I am.  Selena and America Ferrera are the famous people who have inspired me to be free to be me.  There is not enough room to list all the people who have impacted and encouraged me along this journey.  This week I am remembering Selena and her legacy and I hope you will allow her life and legacy to remind you to pursue your dreams, be your authentic self, find what you love and do it well with all your heart.    
I am proud of where I come from, proud of my mom who dropped out of school and struggled reading, how she raised us to love reading and learning. Proud of both my parents who left where they grew up and ventured out to Arizona and then to California, who have worked hard all of their lives to do the best they could.  My mom has always worked even from home while raising us kids, she babysat, she cleaned houses, she and my dad worked night shifts as janitors, while my dad worked during the day in construction.  She has sold burritos and tamales out of the trunk of her car, she has catered company dinners, she is an amazing woman that I am so proud to call mom.  She passed on her love of Spanish music to me and introduced me to the beautiful Selena Quintanilla-Perez.  
Thank you Selena for living an inspiring life, thank you to Selena's family who even with their tragic loss of their beautiful Selena they have continued to share her life and legacy with us all. I've read how the family had to jump right into the filmmaking process, in the middle of mourning their loss, because others were putting things in print and film trying to profit off her death.  If you have not yet watched the "Selena" film, I highly recommend it.  If you are unfamiliar with Selena's music, one of my favorite YouTube videos is of her last concert which was televised, she performed at the Houston Texas Astrodome.  Her last concert was just a little less than a month before her death.  She performed in front of a record setting audience of 66,000 fans, here is the link https://youtu.be/ITootLpeqXk.

Netflix is developing a series about Selena's life that will debut this year in 2020.  Producer Jaime Davila says this Netflix series is a "chance to tell a great American-Latino story.  It's more important than ever to tell this story of what Latinos can achieve and of how you can achieve success by being true to yourself and true to your roots." 

 Selena Quintanilla-Perez April 16, 1971-March 31, 1995.
Known as the Queen of Tejano Music.
At the Age of 10 became the lead singer of the family band.
Selena was married to her guitar player Chris Perez for only three years at the time of her death.
Selena played a mariachi singer in the 1995 film "Don Juan DeMarco", starring Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway, and Marlon Brandon.

 Albums
Selena Solo Debut (1989)
Ven Conmigo (1990)
Entre a Mi Mundo (1992)
Live (1993)
Amor Prohibido (1994)
Dreaming of You (1995) - Released after her death.  

 Had seven Number 1 Hits and fourteen more that landed in the Top Ten.  In 1986 Selena won awards for "Best Female Vocalist of the Year" and "Performer of the Year".  In 1993 she won a Grammy for "Album of the Year".  

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