Viva logo

When It's Too Hard

Do it.

By Maya ConroyPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
Like
Selena Quintanilla-Perez

Role models are abundant. There are writers like J.K. Rowling who was rejected twelve times before becoming the author of one of the most popular series of books ever. There are actors like Robert Downey Jr. who overcame substance abuse and are now uber successful in his industry.

But out of all of them, Selene Quintanilla-Perez is one of the greatest role models in my opinion for both people of color and for women.

Selena was born in 1971 and started singing at a young age and made her way into the Tejano music industry in the ‘80s. Tejano music was largely male-dominated but she had a passion for music that kept her going in her career. She had multiple hits and even toured with her band multiple times. Los Dinos may not be as remembered as the singer herself but that is because of all the adversity she had to overcome.

Being in a male-dominated genre in the ‘80s was very hard, especially considering she was singing in Spanish in a country that often attacks those who they believe don’t belong here. She was able to prove them all wrong when she performed in the Astrodome with many of her amazing songs such as “Como la Flor” and while she did share the event with other singers, she showed all the naysayers what a determined Latina could do when she even won a Grammy in 1994.

She was able to overcome every obstacle thrown her way, from being one of the first and most famous Tejano singers to even transgressing this genre and creating multiple English songs. It’s a difficult thing to change your look and style in any industry, being able to successfully expand your fan base past genres, stereotypes, and languages is even more impressive in my opinion.

Never giving up when she achieved fame, Selena built her own business, Selena Etc., which was a boutique, salon, and clothing store in her home of South Texas with two locations. The third never opened because of the star’s death; however, the Texas stores managed to be successful until 2009, fourteen years after her death.

After her tragic demise, Selena manages to still inspire people. While she may no longer walk this Earth in person, her music and legacy is still inspiring and still has an impact on people all over the world.

She was able to show the entire world that even though she would have to overcome sexism, she could and she did. Now when you look up Tejano music, seven of the first sixteen results are all Selena Quintanilla classics.

She was able to overcome racism, and spread her influence from both Spanish speakers and English speakers, inspiring little girls and even boys of every nationality to follow their dreams and pursue their goals despite their skin.

I may have been born after she was long gone. But as a Hispanic girl who did face racism and has humongous dreams, it is easy to look up to this artist. I may never be a successful businesswoman and artist, but knowing that I can overcome every obstacle that comes my way is greatly inspiring. No matter how many times Selena was laughed at or refused gigs, she didn’t give up and that is exactly what we all need to do. I may want to give up every time and I know that she isn’t the first person to persevere and achieve her goals, but she is one of the people like me who did. She is one of the only people in my life that I have always looked up to from the moment I listened to her music as a kid to now when I still dance along to it. She shows me every single day that even when you fail, even when you are denied and laughed at, you just have to keep working. It was hard and almost impossible to prove her worth and she did it.

She may have died 23 years ago but her legacy lives on.

She showed them.

Selena Proving the Haters Wrong

Selena is now a role model for many aspiring artists and determined people showing that you can overcome sexism, racism, and every ounce of prejudice that attacked her on her rise to the top.

celebrities
Like

About the Creator

Maya Conroy

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.