I just finished a good read, Once Upon a Quinceanera, by Julia Alvarez.
In the book, Alvarez, who was raised in the Dominican Republic, travels to four cities, Miami, San Antonio, Los Angeles and Lawrence (Massachusetts) to attend four quinceaneras.
She documents her experiences at those “quinces” and delves into their history. There are so many theories that it leaves my head spinning. Some experts say quinceaneras have French roots or Spanish or Aztec or Mayan or Mexican or a mixture of them all! Whew!
Did you know that 400,000 Latinas turn 15 in America every year?
Why don’t boys have quinceaneras? As you know, in Jewish culture, boys have bar mitzvahs when they turn 13. And, girls have bat mitzvahs when they turn 12. So, in Jewish culture they both receive a “rite of passage” ceremony, whereas in Hispanic and American (Sweet Sixteen) culture the boys get left out.
Anyways, I’m still halfway through reading it. If you want to impress you parents, make sure to read this!
Palmyra
