Selena Quintanilla’s legacy endures

How fitting that Texas-born Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla will soon receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In our eyes, it was never so much a question of whether as it was when. Seriously, what took so long?

She inspires passion from fans across the country as much today as she did more than 20 years ago when she was killed. Maybe even more so.

Sometimes, you hear celebrities described as “role models,” and it leave you scratching your head. Not with Selena. There may be no better example of a transcendent star — loved not just for her barrier-busting music but also revered because she never lost sight of her Texas roots and Mexican-American heritage. There’s a reason that pride endures. By now, you already know the basics of her life story. (No? It was immortalized in the cult classic, “Selena,” starring Jennifer Lopez. It’s worth a watch.)

The Corpus Christi phenom made it big on the Tejano music scene, starting as singer in her family band. She achieved many milestones in her short career, including a 1994 Grammy for Best Mexican/American Album. Tragically, at 23, she was fatally shot by her fan club’s former president in 1995.

And if you’ve lived in this state for any amount of time and haven’t tapped a foot or shimmied to her catchy hit “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” you must have been hiding under a rock. Just in case, Google gave a nifty reminder recently with an animated short commemorating the anniversary of her first, self-titled album.

But here’s why Selena’s legacy lives on after all these years:

• Her music brought Latino communities together and shined a new light on the huge potential of the Latino consumer market. Her career set the stage for many other Latino stars who followed. (Another Corpus Christi favorite daughter, actress Eva Longoria, is expected to be on hand at the Walk of Fame ceremony on Nov. 3.)

• She accomplished the pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps American dream, coming from humble beginnings to the top of her field.

• She was a Latina entrepreneur, with a clothing line and boutique.

“There is something magic about Selena,” explained Mireya Loza, a curator at the National Museum of American History, which currently has a Selena exhibit on display. “Her story connected with so many people, and it legitimized the Latino experience for many, as well.”

She set the standard for what’s possible with hard work and dedication. Success is for the taking with a positive spirit and a vision. That’s a universal message.

There’s no telling what else she might have accomplished had she not been slain so young. We’re glad the Hollywood star will help her legend continue to grow.