March 31, 2025, marks 30 years since the death of music superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez.
“The Queen of Tejano” music died at the peak of her popularity after Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club, shot her in a Corpus Christi hotel. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Saldívar parole on March 27.
Decades after Selena's death, her music, style and charisma continue to inspire generations of young Latinas. The Grammy Award winner blazed a trail that has endured far beyond her music career.
Her songs can be heard playing at quinceañeras and family gatherings across the country. Little girls celebrate their birthdays by throwing Selena-themed parties.
From her bright red lipstick to her joyful personality, Selena continues to influence a new generation of Latinas. They point to her as a symbol of empowerment who unflinchingly embraced her culture and identity.
Nine-year-old Trinity Gomez said she’s been listening to Selena’s music all her life. "She inspired a lot of people to sing and dance and be very confident," she said.
Gomez is part of the Danzavida de San Antonio Dance Company, which keeps Selena’s music and dance alive through tribute performances.
Krystal Diaz Mendez, the company’s owner and artistic director, explained that "[Selena] is a magnet to the younger generation and our youth."
Girls ages three to 17 in Diaz’s dance company now don the singer’s iconic purple jumpsuit while dancing to hits like "Como La Flor" and "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom."
Selena’s iconic 1995 concert at the packed Houston Astrodome was her last major performance and took place a month before she was killed.
The concert became a touchstone in pop culture, with hundreds of millions of views on YouTube.
So, what is it that made her stand out to newer generations?
Diaz Mendez said it’s because of the artist’s authenticity and her tenacity.
“Even a little girl from Texas [can ask herself,] 'If she had the ability to make such an impact on people all over the world, then why can't I do it myself?'" she said.
At only 23 years old, Selena became the first female Tejano artist to win a Grammy, broadening the reach of the genre to other audiences.
Sonya Alemán teaches a Selena-centered course at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Alemán uses the singer's music in her classroom to discuss Mexican-American identity.
"When you play her, when you know her, when you sing to her, when you dance to her, it's an affirmation of their Mexican-American or Tejano identity," she explained.
Growing up, Selena’s dominant language was English, yet her success came singing in Spanish. She powered on when she misspoke in Spanish interviews and often laughed it off with a smile on her face.
Alemán says the singer’s bicultural and bilingual identity resonates with her students.
"A good number of them are non-Spanish speakers. They point to Selena as someone who has helped them accept that aspect about their identity," she said.
Nine-year-old Trinity agreed: "It's very [inspiring] to me. Like, as it's hard for me to speak Spanish, that's how it was for her."
Trinity’s mother, Graciela, said it's been empowering to share her own love of Selena with her three daughters and to see them embrace Selena.
She said the singer has become a connecting force in their family.
“They want to know more about her. They want to be more confident. They want to be joyful. And everybody's just together, comes together, and is enjoying Selena as a whole," she said. "To me, it's just something really beautiful to experience as a parent.”
Selena’s career was cut short, but younger generations of girls still embrace her legacy, and they aspire to achieve in their lives what she was unable to achieve in hers.
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