A bold, red lip and studded bustiers paint the iconic portrait of Tejano music star, Selena Quintanilla. Yet, Selena’s presentation only brushes the surface of the musician’s enduring impact on Mexican-American identity three decades after her passing.
“Selena y Los Dinos: A Family’s Legacy” was directed by Isabel Castro and initially premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025, with a Netflix release on Nov. 17. Differentiating itself from previous Selena entertainment media, the documentary presents an intimate portrait of the musician and the family band through never-before-seen footage.
The documentary film highlights the numerous triumphs of the musician, such as the record-breaking attendance of her concert at the Houston Astrodome in 1995, as well as her eventual breakthrough into the English market through Capitol Records.
The film places greater emphasis on what made Selena a powerhouse symbol for Hispanic audiences, showing the musician in her most personal moments as a woman navigating life between Mexican and American identities.
“This documentary shows Selena raw, dark, ‘Mexicana’ (Mexican), ‘pobre’ (poor) and really highlighted the true nature of who she was,” said Nathian Rodriguez, a professor and associate director of the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University.
“Selena y Los Dinos: A Family Legacy” portrays the significance of love and hardship within the band’s relationship, highlighting how they shaped the group’s familial bond and eventual rise to stardom.
“Most of all, I’d like to say thank you to ‘Grupo Los Dinos’ (The Dinos), because without them, I don’t think I’d be anybody,” Selena said in archival footage from her win at the 1987 Tejano Music Awards.
Viewers are reminded of Suzette Quintanilla, Selena’s older sister, and her initial distaste for being the band’s drummer, as well as A.B. Quintanilla, Selena’s only brother, and his crucial role as producer of multiple hit songs in the album, “Selena Live!” This album went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Mexican American Album at the 36th Grammy Awards. This was also the first time a female Tejano artist had won the category.
Through this profound look into the band, viewers can connect on a deeper level with Selena as a person, rather than the artist.
Karina Bazarte, an Emmy award-winning multimedia journalist and SDSU alumna, said Selena has been a personal inspiration for her throughout her life. She said that for her, winning an Emmy felt reminiscent of the moment Selena won a Grammy Award in 1994.
“Selena helped me get out of my shell because of who she was, coming from nothing,” Bazarte said. “Selena impacted my life because I was once that girl who thought she couldn’t do it, but if you don’t try, you’re never going to know.”
The film also strays away from focusing on Selena’s tragic death, which has previously dominated her media narrative. Through extensive interviews and personal anecdotes from Selena herself, as well as from her family and her husband, Chris Perez, the documentary gives Selena greater agency to tell the story of a life that had just begun.
Bazarte mentioned the shift in narrative as a memorable aspect of the documentary.
“It felt like she was telling her story, and you don’t get to hear her voice often,” Bazarte said. “They didn’t glorify [Selena’s death]. It’s just about her and what she was going to become, and she was going to become a big star.”
Heartfelt moments – such as Suzette recalling Selena’s desire to have a family and Perez’s reading of a note of frustration that Selena wrote to him – tear down the walls around Selena and reconnect her with the vulnerabilities of womanhood.
Tender depictions of Selena alongside Los Dinos give light to a greater legacy left behind. Selena’s impact is especially prominent in San Diego, a city deeply tied to Mexican American culture.
SDSU has even offered a course on Latinx identities and representation, analyzed through the life and legacy of the Tejano music star.
Rodriguez said he was inspired to create JMS 453: “Selena and Latinx Media” at the Hispanic-serving institution after he arrived in 2016.
“We didn’t have any classes that spoke to them – that gave them content,” Dr. Rodriguez said. “I wanted to create a class where representation was there, and students saw themselves.”
Bazarte, a previous student in the course, said it is essential to have continued Mexican American representation in today’s climate.
“These times are ugly, and we’ve seen this before,” Bazarte said. “But you look at Selena, who was a role model, and is a Mexican American, and has actually made an impact in the world, and you see we are not bad people.”
Rodriguez also said the documentary serves as a positive representation in the media during a difficult time for Mexicans and Mexican Americans.
“We’re really looking for some sort of reaffirmation that we do belong here… and we aren’t vilified by everybody,” he said. “And Selena, although it is just one documentary, is this continuing legacy that tells us we’ve been here, we are here, and we are going to be here forever.”
