Yolanda Saldivar, a former trusted employee accused of embezzlement, shot Selena Quintanilla-Pérez to death inside a motel room at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 31, 1995.
In the 30 years since her tragic death, the Tejano queen’s star has never been brighter. Selena has all but become a saint for millions of Latinos, a symbol of modern American Latinidad. Her diverse music, including Tejano, música Mexicana, pop, and dance, inspired a new generation of artists to embrace biculturalism.
“She broke barriers,” pop star Becky G told De Los. “She took our music to places we never dreamed it would go. She showed younger generations, including myself, that we, too, could be on stage one day.”
In honor of the Tejano queen, the De Los team examines Selena’s lasting impact and legacy.
