Selena forever: Anniversary of shooting and killer's parole denial stir singer's enduring fandom
Years after 23-year-old Mexican American music idol Selena was gunned down, news of convicted killer Yolanda Saldívar's parole hearing activated legions of faithful fans.
Fans of the late Mexican American music icon Selena breathed a sigh of relief when the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles announced it had denied parole to her convicted killer, Yolanda Saldívar, on Thursday.
“It is best that Yolanda stays in prison because that crime was more than gun violence,” Lauren Susan, a New York City-based performer, told NBC News.
Susan, who said she “became obsessed” with Selena’s music after watching the 1997 biopic starring Jennifer Lopez, is among the legions of fans who have been reacting to the news. Some have taken to social media to post memes thanking the board for its decision. Others are wearing Selena T-shirts and revisiting her music to show their long-standing fandom for the “Queen of Tejano,” who was gunned down by Saldívar, then the president of the singer’s fan club.
As the 30th anniversary of the March 31, 1995, shooting approaches, emotions around the upcoming milestone and Saldívar’s parole news are not just “about Yolanda, but it’s really more than Yolanda,” said Sonya Alemán, an associate professor of race and gender studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
When it comes to Selena, “there is just such a love for her, and it gets manifested as a need to protect, and in some way try to demand justice,” said Alemán, who teaches a class based on the life and career of the music idol.
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