Latinx Twitter Reactions to ‘Selena: The Series’ Following Premiere

After a year-long wait, “Selena: The Series” is now live on Netflix and fans have mixed feelings about it. The nine-episode series follows the life and tragic death of the Queen of Tejano music. It stars Christian Serratos (Selena Quintanilla), Gabriel Chavarria (A.B. Quintanilla), Ricardo Chavira (Abraham Quintanilla), Noemí Gonzalez (Suzette Quintanilla), Seidy López (Marcella Quintanilla), Madison Taylor Baez (Young Selena Quintanilla),  and Jesse Posey (Chris Perez) and is executive produced by Suzette and Abraham Quintanilla. The family’s seal of approval however hasn’t translated to an authentic portrayal of the beloved icon according to some fans who took to Twitter (#SelenaNetflix) to share their thoughts.

I’m going to try and get past these Selena characters that look nothing like them. #SelenaNetflix pic.twitter.com/9WHPLanHvE

— 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚊🌻 (@_MarinaDelRay) December 4, 2020

Selena the Series is far worse than I could have ever imagined possible. This is truly an abomination. They somehow made her into a supporting character. There are too many men working on this show & it shows. Selena is not even a sidekick in Abraham’s deluded memory of her rise.

— Thicklena (@mala_munoz) December 4, 2020

The famously passionate fanbase has been vocal about the series since the announcement and while there are several critical takes, many fans are also happy to see Selena’s legacy is remembered.

Just watched the 1st episode & it was good enough 2 keep watching. I'm from Houston & Selena was EVERYTHING! I didn't see the point of a series when I heard about it but I understand now. It's more detailed than the movie could be of course. Seems worth watching #SelenaNetflix

— Diana McShan (@diaclaybo22) December 4, 2020

I wanna know what ppl actually want from #SelenaNetflix series? I’m a huge fan & I’m gonna give it a chance & love it Bc it’s her story. But what did y’all want? Her actually standing there? For it to b JUST like the movie? What do y’all want?! pic.twitter.com/ttHWHC7Jyr

— sam (@sama5616) December 4, 2020

Serratos, 30, is half Mexican and shared in a statement that she understands that many Selena fans feel a close bond with the singer and her story. ” I think many Latinas feel personally connected to Selena’s story — we all feel we have a claim to her story because she really did feel like a family member to so many of us. My mom is Mexican, I’m second generation. I grew up in a Spanish-speaking household, but English was
my first language.”

She opened up about the struggles that she and Selena experienced trying to learn to speak Spanish. “I had a lot of insecurities about speaking Spanish when I was young, which sometimes made me feel like I wasn’t as connected to my culture, my heritage, my language, as I should have been. To play Selena, someone who had similar struggles as an American performer with Mexican heritage, was so personally important to me. I’m trying so hard to speak Spanish at home with my three-year-old daughter.”

Serratos shares that working with the family and learning about the time and commitment that Selena put into working on her craft before she hit it big showed her she knew less than she thought she did about the star. This coming of age storyline is a major focus of the series and one aspect fans appreciated according to Twitter.

I'll give ONE compliment on the #SelenaNetflix series so far. I like how they focus on selena before she hit big. That's one thing I'll give them. Other than that 🗑️so far (started ep 3) but going to finish tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/90TK2jEiIF

— 🔻Need Environmental Justice Now (@SarahEastcoast) December 4, 2020

Despite the controversy, a majority of the fans have already finished the series since its early morning premiere. The fanatical response and this series itself are a testament to Selena’s legacy 25 years after her death. Serratos shared in a statement how both professionally and personally Selena inspired her.

“I think that on a professional level, Selena broke barriers in the music industry for women — and it’s still a very male-dominated space to this day. She worked so hard to make her dreams come true, and that’s always inspiring and relatable. On a personal level, she was so young and so smart, and she handled fame and pressure with an incredible amount of grace. She’s someone who will always be inspiring to me, and I think to fans old and new, no matter how much time passes.”

“Selena: The Series” is available for streaming now on Netflix.