Anything for Salinas: A Knight’s Journey To The Writers Room of Netflix’s Bioseries

By all accounts, Raymond Perez struck gold when he was hired on to be a writer for the second season of the Netflix bioseries, Selena. The  show, based on the life of the Queen of Tejano, premieres on the streaming service today.

Perez, who grew up in San Antonio, has been a storyteller for as long as he can remember. His desire to tell stories that represent his community, his identities has been a driving force for him as he finds his way in the industry.

“In Texas summers my ex-girlfriend described my skin as caramel because the sun does wonders to my body when I go on my runs. My current boyfriend loves my curly hair, something that took me a while to appreciate. And if you ask my chapter brothers, they will likely mention my solid work ethic. If they don’t, let me know 😈.  I am the son of a Mexican immigrant father, a Mexican American first-generation U.S. citizen mother, both of who were teen parents. But above all, I am a huge nerd” says Perez when asked to describe himself. 

Raymond’s journey to screenwriting began at the University of Texas at Austin where he selected Radio, TV, and Film and Marketing as his majors. He graduated from UT in 2014 and he recalls how challenging it was to find a home away from home on the 40 acres. 

“Despite already joining organizations and finding friendships scattered throughout campus, I still sought community. In my second year at UT Austin, Brother Ruben Espinoza, who was fundraising via an aguas frescas sale, introduced me to the chapter. He was smart in linking me up with brothers like Manuel Torres and Rudy Rene Cruz, who I thought were similar to me in their braininess and silliness. Their existence assured me that there was a spot for any man in our fraternity. I graduated with two degrees, but also amazing, strong, lasting relationships with my chapter brothers – as well as outside my chapter. Some ODPhi highlights were my leadership roles as Chi Chapter President and Scholarship Chair for the Central Texas Region” he reminisced. 

In the Fall of 2011, Perez was activated into the Chi Chapter alongside five other men who comprised the Alpha Beta line. He remembers managing 18 credits, 2 jobs, 1 internship, an executive spot within the fraternity, and a couple other leadership roles within other leading organizations on campus while in undergrad.

“It was insane. I would never do it again. I don’t have the same energy but what it pushed me to do was manage my time and focus to seek efficiency. This has helped me tremendously in my career” he explained. 

After several years in the industry, Perez pursued a master’s in and graduated with an MFA in Screenwriting in 2019 from the current #1 film school in the world: the American Film Institute. He had his degree but now, the real challenge presented itself and he was up for it. Breaking into the industry as a Latino writer was going to be the real gamechanger and five years later, he now sits in the writers room for Selena: The Series from streaming giant Netflix.



His involvement with the Netflix series began after a mentor of his asked if he was interested in applying for a spot in the writer’s room of the second season of the bioseries. The mentor, Moises Zamora, is the head writer of the show and he helped Perez navigate the interviewing and application process but most importantly, served as an advocate. After waiting for what seemed an eternity, Perez got the good news that he was in and would be sitting in the writers room for season 2 of the much awaited series. 

Perez understand the massive undertaking that is telling a story that most Latinos know all too well: Selena Quintanilla Perez is a household name in the community and her legacy is etched into the culture. Selena was an up and coming Tejano music star, on the brink of crossing over into mainstream, when she was callously gunned down by the president of her fan club. Selena has left an indelible mark and her place as a pioneer in the Arts and in Music is forever preserved by the legions of fans that, to this day, belt out her songs and collect anything with her name and image on it. 

“At the end of the day as a writer I want to tell the most compelling and dramatic story possible. In a room full of Latinx writers who love and want to champion Selena and her story, I think we all shared that same sentiment. This show alone is so many things: it’s a family drama, it’s a biopic, it’s a historical piece. It was a combination of research, interviews, and talking story within the writers’ room. We want to share the legend of Selena and make great television” he shared. 

Perez also understands what is at stake: not only for the legend that is Selena, to the community that saw her grow up and made her a star, but also to the creatives who are behind the scenes: writing, producing, directing, and acting. Latinos are still underrepresented in the media arts: not only in those capacities but also in the stories that are, or are not, being told.