An amazing announcement from San Diego State University, the school is in the works to offer students a Selena-inspired college course on our beloved icon and superstar of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla Perez. At BoldLatina, we have covered most everything ‘Selena’ from ‘merch’ to the unveiling of Selena’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Star, however, the college university course, is the tops! Selena’s legacy carries on.
Selena was shot and killed on March 31, 1995 in Corpus Christi, Texas by Selena fan president and supposed trusted family friend, Yolanda Saldivar. Gone too soon. However, the college course will enable those students enrolled to further grasp her influence in a meaningful and self-identifying way. Latinx culture, identity and influence personified and centered on a ‘culture and trend maker’ like Selena. Selena’s music career broke boundaries as headlining Latina in a male dominated Tejano music scene and was on the brink of mainstream influence till her life was cut short. As a young trail blazing Mexican-American woman – her visibility mattered therefore, the Latinx community’s visibility mattered.
The importance of Latinx media representation across all mediums delivering mainstream entertainment, news, stories has never been more important than it is now. The college course, ‘Selena and Latinx Media Representation’ will focus on the Latinx narrative centering on the life of Selena.
Assistant Professor at San Diego State University, Nathian Rodriguez proudly made his announcement on Facebook on Selena’s birthday, April 16th. Rodriguez’s ‘years in the making’ project has paid off and never has there been a time to empower students of Latinx descent like now.
The course is a collaboration with SDSU School of Journalism and Media Studies and The Digital Humanities Initiative at San Diego State University. The ‘JMS 496 – Selena and Latinx Media Representation’ will be open for registration this year in Fall 2019 semester for Spring 2020 semester.
