Hispanic Star: Selena Gomez

Meet Selena Gomez – once just a girl from Grand Prairie, Texas, who loved to perform for her family. Her courage, drive, and empathy have been guiding posts in her lifelong career since her beginnings on Barney & Friends. Selena’s skyrocket to fame took her from the Disney Channel to becoming one of Time magazine’s most influential people in the world in 2020. An emblem for her generation, Selena shows that you can be exactly who you are and follow your passions wherever they may lead you.

Hispanic Star proudly celebrates Hispanic and Latinx heroes who have made remarkable contributions to American culture and have been undeniable forces in shaping its future. If you can see it, you can be it.  

Millions around the world admire Selena Gomez for her talented artistic career. However, few know about the challenges she faced as a child to become the famous star she is today. For example, in 2016, Selena had to cancel part of her concert tour because she was dealing with mental health issues and fighting Lupus. Selena said, “I need to face this head-on to ensure I am doing everything possible to be my best.” She wanted to show fans “how important it was to get help when you are struggling.” Selena’s story showcases the importance of taking care of your physical and mental health. 

Hispanic Star: Selena Gomez shines a light on social media’s harmful effects and how Selena struggled with her self-image because of it. At one point, Selena realized she needed to step back from posting on social media so she could retrain her mind “to not go to these negative places when you say something wrong, do something wrong when you wear a certain thing or represent a certain culture.” Selena acknowledges that social media made her feel as if she was not good enough. Hopefully, teens will read Selena’s story and learn to limit their interaction with social media. 

Short passages explain key vocabulary and historical information relevant to the book to help readers fully understand Selena’s life and accomplishments. For example, one section explains the kinds of roles in film and television, including background talent, recurring, guest star, etc. Other sections explain the battle of the immune system, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, etc. To make it easy to recognize, the supplementary text appears in a gray box. The book also includes black-and-white illustrations every three to six pages. 

Hispanic Star: Selena Gomez takes a deep look at Selena and discusses how Selena’s hardships have shaped her into a better person. She values self-reflection, thoughtfulness, fearlessness, and empathy and uses her platform to help make the world a better place. Selena wants young people “to take care of themselves and one another; to stay true to who they are and what they believe.” Hispanic Star: Selena Gomez makes it clear that Selena is much more than a singer—she is an advocate for others and wants people to believe in themselves. 

Sexual Content  

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Violence  

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Drugs and Alcohol  

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Language  

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Supernatural 

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Spiritual Content  

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