article_snippet: (CNN)When Selena was breaking concert attendance records at home and abroad, there weren't a lot of crossover pop stars who looked like CNN)When Selena in the United States.
article_snippet: Selena Quintanilla-Perez started singing the Tejano music that eventually made the Mexican-American singer famous in the Mexican-American singer father's restaurant in Lake Jackson, Texas.
article_snippet: In his book, "To the Mexican-American singer, with Love," Perez said they practiced speaking Spanish before they first big publicity blitz in Mexico.
article_snippet: I'm going to learn Spanish and surprise everybody,' " Perez wrote.
article_snippet: "Dreaming of You," went to the top of the Billboard 200 the first week it was released.
highlights_snippet: Selena's music attracted Latino fans in the U.S. and Spanish-speaking fans abroad .
  
highlights_snippet: Selena had to learn Spanish to conduct interviews in Spanish-speaking countries .
  
highlights_snippet: Selena English-language album went to No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 chart after Selena died .