Corpus Christi Chingona Part Dos
Hola Raza!!
It’s Selena week here, everywhere and the madness has begun! Get Excited!
A few announcements: I will be vending this Saturday, April 7that Chingona Fest in Austin, April 21stat Chicas Bonitas here in Corpus Christi and May 5that Very That’s 5 year anniversary panchanga in San Antonio, Tx. Hope to see you all there! Come shop with us and say HOLA!
Our good friends at Stripes hooked us up with Selena cups before their big launch, and we are super excited. As Fiesta De Flor is around the corner, the Selena fever is everywhere, especially here in Corpus Christi. Word around the campfire is that all hotels are booked for next weekend, which means chingos of tourism and a huge boost for our economy!
We decided to do something fun with the cup, my sewing room and a fresh pizza!
Ok, so here is my personal story of when I met Selena. A little embarrassing, but a magical experience I will never forget. Let me just say that a few people know this story; so to share it with the world is a frightening. Mainly because I don’t have any pictures!! Back then (94-95), there were no cell phones, and no Facebook or Snapchat, but believe me this story is legit.
I had participated in a pageant in my hometown of Eagle Pass, Tx. It was Miss Quinceañera. (I know, weird name). But here’s why it was named that. First off, all the contests including myself were 15, we had to be. Along with winning a crown, a sash, and all that good stuff, the main prize was to be a trophy girl at the 15thAnnual Tejano Music Awards, La Quinceañera.
I honestly don’t remember if there was a swimsuit portion, I’m sure there wasn’t, otherwise I wouldn’t have participated. But there was an evening gown, a casual look and speech about la cultura. My evening gown was borrowed, and I’m sure I wasn’t the best looking in a casual look, but I rocked the shit out of my speech. Oral speaking has never been an issue for me, and because I memorized my bilingiual speech, I killed it! And…I won, and the crown was gorgeous and super sparkly!
Fast-forward to Feb 1995, there I was in San Antonio with other Miss Quinceañera’s from different parts of Texas representing our cities. We were wined and dined, participated in a lot of press events, and we were even treated to hair and make up at the Selena Boutique and Salon.
It was all a dream for a 15 yr old brown girl from the border. The night of the award show, we were all backstage, having fun, oooing and ahhing over all the celebrities, and there she was. Selena. In all of her glorious form. In that gorgeous purple jumpsuit, with the little chaleco, and her hair up with ringlets. She was surround by press, photographers, and media. I would be lying to you if I said she wasn’t glowing. She was shining. (I’m totally crying as I type this.) I had worn a red, black and gold sequined halter dress that I had borrowed from a legit local beauty queen, my hair was permed (very 90s), and I went up to her. I was tiny compared to all the adults just hovering over her. And she shook my hand and all I could say was “Selena, you are so beautiful.” I couldn’t tell her how much I loved her, how much I was a fan, nothing. I just had to tell her about her beauty. I had no control over my words. And in return she said, “oh thank you, you are so beautiful too!” Then I was pushed aside by all the people around her, and I walked away…backwards. That was it! She took two seconds of all that chaos to pay attention to me. With grace, beauty and acknowledging my presence. She didn’t have to do that. That was my moment with her! The following month, March 31st, she passed away.
Living in Corpus Christi, I can’t tell you the amount of love this city has for her. But there are people that feel opposite. Selena was an everyday girl. She was brown. She was bilingual. She looked like me. She looked like you. She was representing a type of Chingona that we didn’t know needed representation. She was humble. She did her own hair and makeup. She was Tex-Mex. She is cultura. She has opened doors for many other Latinas, inspiring others to pursue their dreams and to continue to break barriers. She did all that. She followed her dreams and broke through a male dominated industry with grit and grace. I’ve said before that all the people hating on the Selena madness are the first ones to dance to her music at weddings and quinceneras. Se hagan.
Thanks for reading on my Selena story! It’s super quirky I know, but something that I will never forget. Side note: I don’t know if any of the other Miss Quinceañeras are out there reading this, but if you are, please reach out to me! I wish I had kept in touch! Here is the link to the whole show where Selena swept the house! You can find me handing out trophies to Jamie y Los Chamacos (15.34) and Roberto Pulido and Emilio Navaira (34.33)!! It really was such a cool experience and super fun!
And Stripes!! Thank you again for hand delivering these amazing cups to us! They go live on Saturday at 9am at all participating Stripes stores in Texas and Louisiana! Make sure to go snag one or two! We absolutely love them, and to feature them in our blogs is an honor!! (Oh, and thank you for the free tacos and soda coupons)
For more information on everything Fiesta De La Flor click here!!
I look forward to reading your comments on how Selena influenced or inspired you, so comment below!