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Twenty-two years after her murder, the legendary Selena Quintanilla has finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The ceremony, held on Friday in Hollywood, was attended by hundreds of the late singer’s fans who lined the famed Hollywood Boulevard for hours waiting for the star to be unveiled.
Stars like Eva Longoria and Edward James Olmos (who played Selena’s father, Abraham, in the 1997 film about her life) attended, along with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Her family, including her father, sister Suzette, brother A.B., and her widower Chris Perez, were also there.
“Selena was an angel,” Garcetti said before reporters and fans. “While she was taken from us way too early, we now have something permanent that generation after generation after generation can see in the most famous neighborhood anywhere in the world.”
Selena’s family and band members honored the singer at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Longoria also spoke about the fellow Texan and “Dreaming of You” singer, saying, “It’s beyond humbling to stand here on behalf of a person that I myself owe so much to.”
Tearing up, the actress said, “I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry.”
“Because as Eric said, this star isn’t only for Selena,” Longoria continued. “It’s for every Latina who’s out there, who has ever had a dream. Growing up there was no reflection of me anywhere, not on TV, not in movies, not in music, and it was as if someone like me didn’t exist in American mainstream.”
Chris Perez
“That all changed when a bright, young singer named Selena came and changed the landscape of music entertainment,” Longoria said.
Suzette helped in the preparation of her sister’s star, and spoke as she accepted the award in honor of her sister and family.
“I feel like we’ve crossed different generations. We’re now in a whole new generation of millennials and I’m very grateful on behalf of my family and myself for them embracing her and finding her,” Suzette said. “I want to keep this short and sweet. I want to thank my parents, especially my father for having that vision and being able to guide us throughout our whole career and for teaching us that we can succeed as long as we put in hard work. I hope that sets the example for all of our youth that’s out there.”
“I think Selena said it best, ‘The impossible is possible.'” she continued. “I’ll leave you with this, Selena said, ‘The goal isn’t to live forever, but to create something that will.’ And I think tonight is a perfect testament of that.”
The late singer’s husband, Perez, laid white roses over her star. On Thursday night, he stopped by the concealed star on Hollywood Boulevard, captioning a photo on Instagram with, “Had to stop by, give a kiss, and say, “I’ll see you tomorrow.””
Quintanilla was murdered in a motel in her hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1995 by Yolanda Saldivar, who worked as a manger of the singer’s clothing boutiques.
The star is a culmination of a busy year for the deceased singer. A MAC Cosmetics line inspired by her signature looks was created, once again proving her legacy was alive in 21st century pop culture.
Google created a Doodle on it’s search bar in her honor in October, while wax replicas of her exist in Madame Tussauds in Hollywood and New York City.