Selena

The Selena mural was painted by Federico Archuleta, the same artist as Lover/Fighter Crayons. Archuleta is a graffiti artist that uses stencils and bright pop-art to make unique Mexican-American inspired art. His artwork is influenced by the combination of his Tejano identity. In “Chapter 15: Recognizing Old and New Realities,” of Texas Crossroads of North America, the authors state“In this era, Tejano music became more widespread and prevalent. The biggest Tejana sensation in this period was a young woman from South Texas, Selena Quintanilla Perez, who became the “queen of Tejano music.”(480).” The mural shows the iconic Queen of Tex-Mex, Selena. She retains an everlasting image of confidence and pride by representing her cultural background. The mural is a symbol of opportunity to thrive in the Texan music industry despite coming from a minority culture. This demonstrates the birth of the Tejano music industry and culture. The mural is tied to the gentrification of East Austin because it represents the cultural pride, and resistance of the Mexican-American community.