SELENA

I recently re-watched the film about Selena, the popular Chicano singer, played by Jennifer Lopez (although of Puerto Rican ethnicity, I thought she did a great job portraying Selena). The part of the film that related to our class was when we talked about Chicanos and the need to keep their culture alive. This theme was central to the plot of the movie. Selena was born in the USA of Mexican immigrants who wanted to keep their culture alive. Her father saw the music industry as a way to earn a living in the USA. He insisted that his children learn to play instruments and Selena was a good singer, so they formed a band. Selena’s father insisted that the children learn Spanish and to play to the Chicano people in the USA. At first the children didn’t like the idea because they thought of themselves as American, but the father persevered. Unfortunately, Selena met with very untimely death, but while she lived she was extremely popular and her father was very proud of his family.