Latest news with #Chicanx
The Herald Scotland
06-05-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Cinco de Mayo 2025: Mexican holiday's meaning, origin explained
Americans, including people of Mexican American heritage, along with our neighbors in Mexico, celebrate with parades, festivals, music and food. This year, Cinco de Mayo falls on Monday, May 5. While Cinco de Mayo honors Mexico's resilience and bravery in the face of strife, the holiday has also become, for some, an excuse to party. "Everyone thinks that it's just party time, it's Corona time," Mario Garcia, a Chicanx historian from the University of California at Santa Barbara, shared in a May 2023 interview with USA TODAY. "It's OK for people to go out and have a good time on a holiday like Cinco de Mayo -- at least they have some sense that it's some kind of a Mexican holiday," Garcia said. "But we should go beyond that. We should have Cinco de Mayo events that go beyond partying and drinking, where we call attention to what the history is." Here's what to know about the origins of Cinco de Mayo, and how it's celebrated in the U.S. today. Why is Cinco de Mayo often confused with Mexico's Independence Day? Though many might know the lore behind Cinco de Mayo, it is often confused with Mexico's Independence Day, which falls on Sept. 16. It is known as the Dia de la Independencia in Mexico. Part of the confusion about what Cinco de Mayo celebrates likely stems from the names of the two holidays, which might be harder for some English speakers to say. Cinco de Mayo is much catchier than the day of Mexico's independence (Diez y seis de Septiembre), Garcia said. Another issue is that not enough American schools teach the importance of Chicanx history and its peoples' contributions to the U.S. "When you study the history of Chicanos and Latinos, of course, they've been history makers," Garcia said. "They've been involved in all aspects of American history, not to mention the wars ... In World War II alone, almost half a million Latinos - mostly Mexican Americans - fought in the war. And they won a disproportionate number of congressional Medals of Honor." The Battle at Puebla also occurred more than 50 years after the country broke free of Spanish rule. The reason the battle happened in the first place was because French Emperor Charles-Louis Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to claim Mexico for himself. The French sent troops to force President Benito Juarez and the government out of Veracruz, Mexico. An outnumbered band of Mexican soldiers faced 6,000 French troops at daybreak in Puebla, a city in east-central Mexico, on May 5, 1862. Mexico, miraculously, was able to claim victory by the evening, at which time Juarez declared May 5 a national holiday. The victory also helped prevent the French from settling in and helping the American Confederacy in the Civil War, according to Why is Cinco de Mayo more popular in the U.S. than in Mexico? Cinco de Mayo celebrations do occur in Mexico, most notably in the City of Puebla; those events don't compare to Dia de la Independencia celebrations, Garcia said. Meanwhile, in the U.S, it's become an annual celebration of Mexican American culture. It began as a form of resistance to the effects of the Mexican-American War in the late 19th century. The holiday gained popularity during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. "It becomes a Chicano holiday, in many ways, linked to the Chicano movement, because we discover Mexicans resisting a foreign invader," Garcia said. "They link the struggle of the Chicano movement to Cinco de Mayo." Companies, especially beer companies and restaurants, began commercializing the holiday in the 1980s, offering customers "Cinco de Mayo" specials and cocktails. The holiday is now known to some as Cinco de Drinko, and to Garcia as "Corona Day." This Cinco de Mayo, Garcia hopes everyone enjoys their Coronas, but perhaps with a little history lesson to wash it down. Cinco de Mayo celebrated around the U.S. San Diego: San Diego's Cinco de Mayo celebrations were held May 3 and 4 in Old Town San Diego. Activities included live music, folklorico, dining and drink specials. Denver: The Mile High City hosted several holiday-related activities over the weekend of May 3 for Cinco de Mayo Denver, from a community parade to chihuahua races. Events were held May 3-4 at Denver Civic Center Park from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. St. Paul, Minnesota: St. Paul's annual Cinco de Mayo celebration was in the city's West Side neighborhood and was one of Minnesota's largest Latino events. This year, festivities were held May 3 and included live performances, a car show and pro wrestling. San Antonio, Texas: Fiesta San Antonio is a 10-day celebration of state history and culture with parades, fairs, art shows, music and food. Festivities continued until Sunday, May 4. Los Angeles: Fiesta Broadway, one of the largest Latino and Cinco de Mayo festivals in the world, runs down four blocks in downtown Los Angeles. The annual festival happened this year on April 27, according to event organizers. Contributing: Emily DeLetter, Jordan Mendoza and Maria Jimenez Moya, USA TODAY
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What is Cinco de Mayo? What to know about Mexican holiday commemorating famous battle
Before Cinco de Mayo became associated with tacos and margaritas, the day served as a reminder of Mexico's triumph over the French. Celebrated annually, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over the Second French Empire, led by Napoleon III, at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, hence the name. The holiday is celebrated across the U.S. and in parts of Mexico, particularly in the City of Puebla, where the epic battle took place. Americans, including people of Mexican American heritage, along with our neighbors in Mexico, celebrate with parades, festivals, music and food. This year, Cinco de Mayo falls on Monday, May 5. While Cinco de Mayo honors Mexico's resilience and bravery in the face of strife, the holiday has also become, for some, an excuse to party. "Everyone thinks that it's just party time, it's Corona time," Mario García, a Chicanx historian from the University of California at Santa Barbara, shared in a May 2023 interview with USA TODAY. "It's OK for people to go out and have a good time on a holiday like Cinco de Mayo -- at least they have some sense that it's some kind of a Mexican holiday," García said. "But we should go beyond that. We should have Cinco de Mayo events that go beyond partying and drinking, where we call attention to what the history is." Here's what to know about the origins of Cinco de Mayo, and how it's celebrated in the U.S. today. Though many might know the lore behind Cinco de Mayo, it is often confused with Mexico's Independence Day, which falls on Sept. 16. It is known as the Día de la Independencia in Mexico. Part of the confusion about what Cinco de Mayo celebrates likely stems from the names of the two holidays, which might be harder for some English speakers to say. Cinco de Mayo is much catchier than the day of Mexico's independence (Diez y seis de Septiembre), García said. Another issue is that not enough American schools teach the importance of Chicanx history and its peoples' contributions to the U.S. "When you study the history of Chicanos and Latinos, of course, they've been history makers," García said. "They've been involved in all aspects of American history, not to mention the wars ... In World War II alone, almost half a million Latinos – mostly Mexican Americans – fought in the war. And they won a disproportionate number of congressional Medals of Honor." The Battle at Puebla also occurred more than 50 years after the country broke free of Spanish rule. The reason the battle happened in the first place was because French Emperor Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte wanted to claim Mexico for himself. The French sent troops to force President Benito Juárez and the government out of Veracruz, Mexico. An outnumbered band of Mexican soldiers faced 6,000 French troops at daybreak in Puebla, a city in east-central Mexico, on May 5, 1862. Mexico, miraculously, was able to claim victory by the evening, at which time Juárez declared May 5 a national holiday. The victory also helped prevent the French from settling in and helping the American Confederacy in the Civil War, according to Cinco de Mayo celebrations do occur in Mexico, most notably in the City of Puebla; those events don't compare to Día de la Independencia celebrations, García said. Meanwhile, in the U.S, it's become an annual celebration of Mexican American culture. It began as a form of resistance to the effects of the Mexican-American War in the late 19th century. The holiday gained popularity during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. "It becomes a Chicano holiday, in many ways, linked to the Chicano movement, because we discover Mexicans resisting a foreign invader," García said. "They link the struggle of the Chicano movement to Cinco de Mayo." Companies, especially beer companies and restaurants, began commercializing the holiday in the 1980s, offering customers "Cinco de Mayo" specials and cocktails. The holiday is now known to some as Cinco de Drinko, and to García as "Corona Day." This Cinco de Mayo, García hopes everyone enjoys their Coronas, but perhaps with a little history lesson to wash it down. San Diego: San Diego's Cinco de Mayo celebrations were held May 3 and 4 in Old Town San Diego. Activities included live music, folklorico, dining and drink specials. Denver: The Mile High City hosted several holiday-related activities over the weekend of May 3 for Cinco de Mayo Denver, from a community parade to chihuahua races. Events were held May 3-4 at Denver Civic Center Park from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. St. Paul, Minnesota: St. Paul's annual Cinco de Mayo celebration was in the city's West Side neighborhood and was one of Minnesota's largest Latino events. This year, festivities were held May 3 and included live performances, a car show and pro wrestling. San Antonio, Texas: Fiesta San Antonio is a 10-day celebration of state history and culture with parades, fairs, art shows, music and food. Festivities continued until Sunday, May 4. Los Angeles: Fiesta Broadway, one of the largest Latino and Cinco de Mayo festivals in the world, runs down four blocks in downtown Los Angeles. The annual festival happened this year on April 27, according to event organizers. Contributing: Emily DeLetter, Jordan Mendoza and Maria Jimenez Moya, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cinco de Mayo 2025: Mexican holiday's meaning, origin explained
Indianapolis Star
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
Cinco de Mayo is May 5, 2025. Here's what to know about the history of the holiday.
Cinco de Mayo has become a day to celebrate Mexican heritage, especially in the United States, but before Cinco de Mayo became associated with tacos and margaritas, the day served as a reminder of Mexico's triumph over the French. Here's what to know about the holiday. When is Cinco de Mayo 2025? Cinco de Mayo falls on Monday, May 5, 2025. What is Cinco de Mayo? Celebrated annually, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over the Second French Empire, led by Napoleon III, at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, hence the name. The holiday is celebrated across the U.S. and in parts of Mexico, particularly in the City of Puebla, where the epic battle took place. Story continues after photo gallery. How do people celebrate Cinco de Mayo? Americans, including people of Mexican American heritage, along with our neighbors in Mexico, celebrate with parades, festivals, music and food. While Cinco de Mayo honors Mexico's resilience and bravery in the face of strife, the holiday has also become, for some, an excuse to party. "Everyone thinks that it's just party time, it's Corona time," Mario García, a Chicanx historian from the University of California at Santa Barbara, shared in a May 2023 interview with USA TODAY. "It's OK for people to go out and have a good time on a holiday like Cinco de Mayo -- at least they have some sense that it's some kind of a Mexican holiday," García said. "But we should go beyond that. We should have Cinco de Mayo events that go beyond partying and drinking, where we call attention to what the history is." Why is Cinco de Mayo often confused with Mexico's Independence Day? Though many might know the lore behind Cinco de Mayo, it is often confused with Mexico's Independence Day, which falls on Sept. 16. It is known as the Día de la Independencia in Mexico. Part of the confusion about what Cinco de Mayo celebrates likely stems from the names of the two holidays, which might be harder for some English speakers to say. Cinco de Mayo is much catchier than the day of Mexico's independence (Diez y seis de Septiembre), García said. Another issue is that not enough American schools teach the importance of Chicanx history and its peoples' contributions to the U.S. "When you study the history of Chicanos and Latinos, of course, they've been history makers," García said. "They've been involved in all aspects of American history, not to mention the wars ... In World War II alone, almost half a million Latinos – mostly Mexican Americans – fought in the war. And they won a disproportionate number of congressional Medals of Honor." The Battle at Puebla also occurred more than 50 years after the country broke free of Spanish rule. The reason the battle happened in the first place was because French Emperor Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte wanted to claim Mexico for himself. The French sent troops to force President Benito Juárez and the government out of Veracruz, Mexico. An outnumbered band of Mexican soldiers faced 6,000 French troops at daybreak in Puebla, a city in east-central Mexico, on May 5, 1862. Mexico, miraculously, was able to claim victory by the evening, at which time Juárez declared May 5 a national holiday. The victory also helped prevent the French from settling in and helping the American Confederacy in the Civil War, according to Why is Cinco de Mayo more popular in the U.S. than in Mexico? Cinco de Mayo celebrations do occur in Mexico, most notably in the City of Puebla; those events don't compare to Día de la Independencia celebrations, García said. Meanwhile, in the U.S, it's become an annual celebration of Mexican American culture. It began as a form of resistance to the effects of the Mexican-American War in the late 19th century. The holiday gained popularity during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. "It becomes a Chicano holiday, in many ways, linked to the Chicano movement, because we discover Mexicans resisting a foreign invader," García said. "They link the struggle of the Chicano movement to Cinco de Mayo." Companies, especially beer companies and restaurants, began commercializing the holiday in the 1980s, offering customers "Cinco de Mayo" specials and cocktails. The holiday is now known to some as Cinco de Drinko, and to García as "Corona Day." This Cinco de Mayo, García hopes everyone enjoys their Coronas, but perhaps with a little history lesson to wash it down.
USA Today
04-05-2025
- General
- USA Today
What is Cinco de Mayo? What to know about Mexican holiday commemorating famous battle
What is Cinco de Mayo? What to know about Mexican holiday commemorating famous battle Show Caption Hide Caption Cinco de Mayo: How to make margarita mix Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with this delicious homemade margarita mix. Problem Solved Before Cinco de Mayo became associated with tacos and margaritas, the day served as a reminder of Mexico's triumph over the French. Celebrated annually, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over the Second French Empire, led by Napoleon III, at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, hence the name. The holiday is celebrated across the U.S. and in parts of Mexico, particularly in the City of Puebla, where the epic battle took place. Americans, including people of Mexican American heritage, along with our neighbors in Mexico, celebrate with parades, festivals, music and food. This year, Cinco de Mayo falls on Monday, May 5. While Cinco de Mayo honors Mexico's resilience and bravery in the face of strife, the holiday has also become, for some, an excuse to party. "Everyone thinks that it's just party time, it's Corona time," Mario García, a Chicanx historian from the University of California at Santa Barbara, shared in a May 2023 interview with USA TODAY. "It's OK for people to go out and have a good time on a holiday like Cinco de Mayo -- at least they have some sense that it's some kind of a Mexican holiday," García said. "But we should go beyond that. We should have Cinco de Mayo events that go beyond partying and drinking, where we call attention to what the history is." Here's what to know about the origins of Cinco de Mayo, and how it's celebrated in the U.S. today. Why is Cinco de Mayo often confused with Mexico's Independence Day? Though many might know the lore behind Cinco de Mayo, it is often confused with Mexico's Independence Day, which falls on Sept. 16. It is known as the Día de la Independencia in Mexico. Part of the confusion about what Cinco de Mayo celebrates likely stems from the names of the two holidays, which might be harder for some English speakers to say. Cinco de Mayo is much catchier than the day of Mexico's independence (Diez y seis de Septiembre), García said. Another issue is that not enough American schools teach the importance of Chicanx history and its peoples' contributions to the U.S. "When you study the history of Chicanos and Latinos, of course, they've been history makers," García said. "They've been involved in all aspects of American history, not to mention the wars ... In World War II alone, almost half a million Latinos – mostly Mexican Americans – fought in the war. And they won a disproportionate number of congressional Medals of Honor." The Battle at Puebla also occurred more than 50 years after the country broke free of Spanish rule. The reason the battle happened in the first place was because French Emperor Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte wanted to claim Mexico for himself. The French sent troops to force President Benito Juárez and the government out of Veracruz, Mexico. An outnumbered band of Mexican soldiers faced 6,000 French troops at daybreak in Puebla, a city in east-central Mexico, on May 5, 1862. Mexico, miraculously, was able to claim victory by the evening, at which time Juárez declared May 5 a national holiday. The victory also helped prevent the French from settling in and helping the American Confederacy in the Civil War, according to Why is Cinco de Mayo more popular in the U.S. than in Mexico? Cinco de Mayo celebrations do occur in Mexico, most notably in the City of Puebla; those events don't compare to Día de la Independencia celebrations, García said. Meanwhile, in the U.S, it's become an annual celebration of Mexican American culture. It began as a form of resistance to the effects of the Mexican-American War in the late 19th century. The holiday gained popularity during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. "It becomes a Chicano holiday, in many ways, linked to the Chicano movement, because we discover Mexicans resisting a foreign invader," García said. "They link the struggle of the Chicano movement to Cinco de Mayo." Companies, especially beer companies and restaurants, began commercializing the holiday in the 1980s, offering customers "Cinco de Mayo" specials and cocktails. The holiday is now known to some as Cinco de Drinko, and to García as "Corona Day." This Cinco de Mayo, García hopes everyone enjoys their Coronas, but perhaps with a little history lesson to wash it down. Cinco de Mayo celebrated around the U.S. San Diego: San Diego's Cinco de Mayo celebrations were held May 3 and 4 in Old Town San Diego. Activities included live music, folklorico, dining and drink specials. Denver: The Mile High City hosted several holiday-related activities over the weekend of May 3 for Cinco de Mayo Denver, from a community parade to chihuahua races. Events were held May 3-4 at Denver Civic Center Park from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. St. Paul, Minnesota: St. Paul's annual Cinco de Mayo celebration was in the city's West Side neighborhood and was one of Minnesota's largest Latino events. This year, festivities were held May 3 and included live performances, a car show and pro wrestling. San Antonio, Texas: Fiesta San Antonio is a 10-day celebration of state history and culture with parades, fairs, art shows, music and food. Festivities continued until Sunday, May 4. Los Angeles: Fiesta Broadway, one of the largest Latino and Cinco de Mayo festivals in the world, runs down four blocks in downtown Los Angeles. The annual festival happened this year on April 27, according to event organizers. Contributing: Emily DeLetter, Jordan Mendoza and Maria Jimenez Moya, USA TODAY
Los Angeles Times
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Selena y Los PhDinos: How the singer's legacy has helped shape academia
Sitting in front of a wall covered in drawings of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, Nathian Rodriguez remembers hearing the news of Selena's death at his family's home in the small town of Balmorhea, Texas. 'I remember I was trying to figure out, 'How am I going to find out this information?' We only had 13 channels and Univision was one of them, but it wasn't really covering it,' Rodriguez said. 'The nearest Tejano radio station was Midland-Odessa, which was about a two-hour drive from us.' In order to get a signal to hear the news, he decided to take matters into his own hands — literally. 'And so I remember taking the coaxial cable out of the wall, then I would get the radio and I'd get the antenna, and I'd touch them together,' he said. 'So the coaxial cable would give it enough power to pick up this station from Midland-Odessa, so I could hear [the news] live as it was happening.' Nearly 25 years after his MacGyver-esque efforts, he found himself once again centering part of his life around the Tejano icon, but this time in the classroom. Now serving as an associate director and associate professor in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University, Rodriguez has been teaching a college course about Selena since 2020. With 'Selena and Latinx Media Representation,' as the class is officially known, he is among the growing number of higher education instructors at universities with sizable Latinx populations who are using the 'Bidi Bidi Bom Bom' singer's life and legacy as an entry point to explore a plethora of topics in Latinx/Chicanx culture. 'When I created this course, I thought, 'Well, this is perfect,'' Rodriguez said. 'I can think of an example for every single thing that I know about Selena that can relate back to the global flow of music, relate back to the issues of machismo and marianismo, the issues about immigration, the issues about women and how they're represented and sexualized and hyper-sexualized. There's ways that I can also relate it back to language and code-switching.' But what is it about Selena specifically that raises her to the level of scrutiny she has acquired? Sonya Alemán — an associate professor of the Mexican American studies program in the race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality studies department at the University of Texas at San Antonio — surmised that it is, in part, because Selena remains among the few examples of a Latinx star achieving recognition across a wide swath of society. 'She still is the one person in the pop cultural world, in the mainstream, that [Latinx people] can look at that reflects us, that we identify with, that tells our story,' Alemán said. 'She's one of the few that has been allowed in. And so we have to keep coming back to her if we want to have any kind of representation, to feel seen in that way.' Alemán got the idea to launch her course on Selena at UTSA in fall 2020 after seeing similar courses about music megastars pop up at her university and throughout the country. 'UTSA offered a course for two semesters on Beyoncé's 'Lemonade' album and it was very successful. It had a lot of media attention and students were eager to get into that class.' she said. 'Over the course of my career, I've seen courses on Harry Potter ... I've seen courses on Prince. In San Marcos, which is just about 45 miles north of San Antonio, there's a course on Taylor Swift. There's a seminar right now at Trinity University [in San Antonio] on Taylor Swift.' What she really hopes is for her students to be able to learn about themselves and see their own cultural touchstones reflected in Selena's Mexican American identity. 'So as much as we talk about her, we are also talking about my students' lives and how they experience the world with that identity,' Alemán noted. 'When you can create an educational space that validates values and centers that history and those ways of knowing students have a different level of engagement of learning than they have ever had in another course ... and it's just this thirst that they didn't even know they had to value their own histories and the knowledge in their community.' The centerpiece assignment for Alemán's course functions to directly connect students with their community through a series of interviews with a multigenerational selection of Selena fans. One interview must be with a first-generation fan — someone who was alive while Selena was — and two interviews must be conducted with second-generation fans, who were born after the 'Si Una Vez' artist's death. Each of her students is tasked with examining their interviews to look for patterns, differences and similarities among the conversations. They are then grouped with two other peers in their class, asked to critically analyze one another's interviews and create a presentation. That newly discovered information about Selena fans helps to serve as data points that advance Alemán's class beyond the somewhat dated media covered in her syllabus. 'We have learned a whole lot about the second-generation set of Selena fans and that knowledge doesn't exist in the scholarly archive that we use as our course material because they were primarily writing about the first decade and a half after her death,' she explained. Over the course of the four semesters that she's taught the class, Alemán's students have created an impressive database from their roughly 300 self-conducted interviews. 'It's been incredible to use this course as a way to validate the knowledge that exists in our communities about who [Selena] is and why she matters and to help students see themselves as scholars gathering and making sense of that information,' Alemán said. Selena's image and legacy has been used for people to explore more parts of their identity beyond ethnic and cultural ties, as pointed out by Anita Tijerina Revilla, who serves as the department chair and professor of Chicana(o) and Latina(o) studies at Cal State L.A. One way she incorporates Selena into her courses is by looking at the Tejano artist's impact on the LGBTQ+ community. Revilla is an expert in Jotería studies, a field of study that examines the lives and histories of queer and gender nonconforming Latinx/Chicanx people. The name of the academic fields serves as an act of reclamation of derogatory terms that have been hurled at queer Latinx folks for decades. 'You can go to any nightclub, see a drag show and expect to see Selena represented,' Revilla said. 'For queer people, I think it's a sense of belonging, a sense of seeing themselves in this woman with her pride in herself as a woman, as a person who is very performance-based ... so there's lots of people who can resonate with her.' As someone who identifies as queer, Rodriguez also dedicates a considerable amount of time in his course to Selena's ties to LGBTQ+ culture. 'We look at drag queens and how Selena has become very much this cultural icon for drag queens and for gay men. We look at this idea of the diva and how gay men — whether you're Mexican American or whatever — what you had in the past to look up to were women,' Rodriguez said. He also pointed to the song 'Amor Prohibido' as having queer undertones with its theme of sharing a love that society isn't willing to accept. But no academic conversation about Selena would be complete without discussing the gender dynamics at play with the purple jumpsuit-wearing pop star. Jose Anguiano, a professor of Chicana(o) and Latina(o) studies at Cal State L.A., commented on how the 'Dreaming of You' singer's life embodied a 'quintessential' Chicana story. 'I think a lot of Chicanas relate to the idea of not quite being accepted in the mainstream or having these different expectations put upon you,' Anguiano said of the struggle of being caught between two cultures. '[Selena had] a conservative dad, right? A lot of Chicanos, I think, grew up with a very socially, sexually conservative dad.' Even after her death, the Quintanilla patriarch has continued to control his daughter's image. 'He's tried to shape as best he can and control the narrative around Selena,' Anguiano said. 'He's tried to be the one who gets to tell her story and the family story through the TV show [and movie].' Rodriguez added to this theme of control of Selena's image and the gendered implications of it all. 'When we see [family-authorized Selena media], it's a very controlled narrative that really feeds into this marianismo idea of what a woman is supposed to be. Yes, she was curvaceous and she was bustier and she broke down barriers, but she was also very chaste,' Rodriguez said. Marianismo refers to a traditional and conservative archetype used to describe women from Latin America and its diaspora that's modeled after the Virgin Mary. But despite the Quintanilla family's best efforts, it's Selena's loyal fans who have given the music idol ever-growing layers of complexity and have crafted a continuously morphing image of Selena and what she represents in society. 'When [someone] becomes a community folklore hero, it's up to the community and the fandom to really take control of how we remember them, and they become in some ways a blank canvas to be able to project onto them particular ideas,' Anguiano said. 'It's incredible that 30 years later we're still talking about her life and it continues to still be significant in the past and for today's Chicanos and Chicanas.'
