Hispanic Culture initiation into Adulthood
In the Hispanic traditions a “sweet fifteens” or “Quincianera,” How is traditional named, is a remarkable moment for a young girl’s life. This even is not only important for the honored girl, but also for her family because it is the time to show off their daughter’s transition from a girl to young woman to their family and friends. This tradition can be celebrated in many different ways, but with a same purpose of expressing gratitude, happiness, and love to their new youngest woman. It is celebrate with a great party full of food and fun that will get all of their family and friends together.
A quincianera party can take as longer as a wedding takes, and can be equally meaningful and expensive;
on the contrary of a wedding, a sweet fifteens happens just ones, and it seems as not a regular birth day for the honored girl nor for the parents because it supposed be the most memorable on her life, so on theirs. She will be dress up like a princess with a beautiful gown having the opportunity to be the center of attention for the day. During the process of planning this party many details have to be considered starting with picking the court, which is a special group of friends or family members that are picked out to dance a choreographed waltz at the beginning of the party. Professional photographers, flowers, decorations, food, DJ, and guests need to be perfectly in place for the quincianera to arrive in limo ride to perform a special entrance with her beautiful dress and court gathered dancing the showcase waltz. Usually the older brother or a closer man of the family is the one who dance the waltz with the quincianera, after it is done is time for the father and daughter dance. This is a beautiful moment because is when the father realizes that his little baby girl is turning into a beautiful young woman. What symbolize the changing of the girl into a woman is the traditionally shoes exchange and the last doll that she receives as a girl, when the father take off the quincianera’s shoes and puts on a different pair in most of the cases those are high heels a great thrill can be feel. Therefore a lot of broken speeches came next; her parents, family members, and friends trying to express their love made the moment the most memorable. This party will always be cherish and remember for every single guest because is quincianera is different and means a lot for each family. Even though fifteen years is a pretty young ages in this writer culture means a lot because it is the starting of a new life cycle full of responsibilities, and big expectations. After the party is over everything change people did not see you the same way especially men, they think you are ready to start an adult life.
I shouldn’t have a quinceanera , what’s so important you turning fifteen having a huge party having a big dress , food , make-up , and hair done . every one turn fifteen and some people don’t make a huge party and go all out just for you turning a age , it’s not a big deal turning fifteen you still a teen you're not an adult yet , your still a kid.
The Quinceañera is a celebration in Latin America that is very comparable to our Sweet 16 celebration, also know as the fiesta de quince años. The origination of the word comes from the feminine term of fifteen-year-old in Spanish. The overall celebration marks the transition from childhood to becoming a young woman. In earlier times this celebration was meant to be a teaching point for young women to learn how to cook, weave, and the art of becoming a mother. Depending on the family specifically, some can carry a religious tone, and some can be more traditional and casual.
To conclude, this essay has looked at several ways in which the melting pot myth has been represented in Once Upon a Quinceañera by Julia Alvarez. Practicing one’s cultural beliefs is a very noble idea because it keeps ones culture alive and passed down from one generation to the next. This is what Alvarez describes in her book regarding the quinceañera tradition. However, these coming of age celebrations in America have encountered the MTV era where festivities focus more on the extravagance than on the real coming of age Hispanic culture. Quinceañeras have now become corrupted because they teach girls how to behave irresponsibly when they become women. Furthermore, the ritual itself has now become a show off. It is for these reasons that Alvarez fears the future generation will totally deviate from the original intent of holding quinces.
Envision stepping into the room, seeing your guess smile and talk quietly, the atmosphere of the room glowing, and feeling the warmth grow inside your chest as you know you planned a successful Quinceanera. The day a girl of the hispanic culture turns 15, is the day her fantasies come to life; and she becomes a women. Quinceaneras carry lots of quarks, small details, and ideas; but with these simple steps it can be perfected.
All birthdays are special. Birthdays celebrate life and the passing of time. In a young Mexican girl life, there is no birthday more important then her quinceañera. The quinceañera is a celebration of a girl’s journey into womanhood. The story of my fifteenth birthday is contributed for a better understanding of how special it is to celebrate a girl’s transformation into a lady, and how it differs from any other birthday she celebrates.
Growing up in a Mexican-American family can be very fun and crazy. Having two different perspectives on two different cultures almost daily really shapes you to become a certain way as you grow up, which is what happened to me. Ever since I was about three months old I have been taking trips to my parents home town for a month time each time we have gone. Practically growing up in both Mexico and the United States for six years has really helped me understand my cultural background and the different parts of my whole culture, such as the food, heritage, language and culture.
When someone say’s “hispanic,” what definition comes to mind? Hispanics are not one nationality, nor one culture. Instead, Hispanics are greatly diverse people. Our language and cultural origins are Spanish and Latin American, regardless of race and color. Hispanics can be European, Indian, or of African descent, or any combination of the three. The culture could be linked to Mexico, the Caribbean countries, Central America, South America and Spain. Hispanics were once considered a rarity in the United States, now we are found throughout the country.
Do I even want to have a sweet sixteen? I’ve never seen myself as the quintessential “princess”, in a flowing dress and mile high tiara. I could just wait until my eighteenth, then I’d be considered an adult, at least in American society. Do I even want a Quinceanera? It revolves around the church so much it’s practically the sun and the earth. Besides, could I even have a Quinceanera? My family would have to travel all the way to Mexico.
Since before I was born, my Hispanic heritage played a huge role in who I am and what I have achieved. My great-grandfather immigrated to this country with the desire to provide his family with a better future than his own. My grandpa grew up in Texas on the boarder of Mexico and traveled to Blue Island, Illinois as migrant crop worker. This desire passed down by my grandparents and my great-grandparents has played a tremendous role in propelling me to where I am today. Each generation sought to make the the lives of their children better than their own. My grandma received the opportunity to live in the country of opportunity from her father, and my grandpa paid for my mom to get an education. My mother pushed me to do my best in school and
Child rearing and family structure within the Hispanic culture is noticeably different than what is present in the mainstream Western culture of today. One apparent difference is in gender roles. There exists a vastly different expectation in Hispanic culture for males and females. The male is considered to be the independent breadwinner, and the head of the household. Accordingly, the female role is one of submission and provider of childcare. In contrast, it is more than acceptable in Western culture for a female to maintain a non-traditional role. Hispanic culture additionally differs from Western culture in the traditional makeup of the family. Within Hispanic culture the extended family plays a huge role
The second family that I interviewed was the Lyles family. Both Bro. Scotty, the father, and Mrs. Yolanda, the mother, participated in the interview and three of their children were in the room. Bro. Scotty was born and raised in Alba, Texas on the very same tree farm that he owns and operates today; he is also a deacon at our church. However, Mrs. Yolanda was born and raised in Guatemala. As a child she was raised Catholic, and is part of a large and growing family. She is one of eight children. Their family as well as anybody else in that culture celebrated their daughter’s 15th birthday with a Quinceañera which marked the transition from childhood to young womanhood. This was traditionally the first time the girls would wear make-up, nice
Latinos have struggled to discover their place inside of a white America for too many years. Past stereotypes and across racism they have fought to belong. Still America is unwilling to open her arms to them. Instead she demands assimilation. With her pot full of stew she asks, "What flavor will you add to this brew?" Some question, some rebel, and others climb in. I argue that it is not the Latino who willingly agreed to partake in this stew. It is America who forced her ideals upon them through mass media and stale history. However her effort has failed, for they have refused to melt.
When I was growing up I can always remember myself always saying I didn't want a quinceanera. To me, I have always thought it was such a girly thing to celebrate not only that but because I didn't like to wear dresses. once I turned 14 I remember how everyone would talk about how they were having their quinceaneras and I started to realize I was one of the girls that weren't having one. Once my mom asked I still said no because I didn't want to wear the big dresses and I didn't want to be like others in my family with the same tradition and thing like that. once my mom told me that quinceaneras were a tradition, at that point I started to think about it I started to think about how my moms last daughter wasn't going to keep up with the tradition
My quincenera was a celebration in which I will never forget. Not only because of the party or the dress, but due to the fact that I never felt more part of my culture until then. There has always been two things that I had always wanted in my life. They were to have a quincenera and visit my family in Mexico. Since both of my parents were one of the first of their family to migrate here from Mexico, most of my family members were over there and i never met any of them. However, it was always set that I was most likely not going to do either due to expenses. I was incredibly disappointed, but deep down i understood that money for us was not always available. So I never tried to After I finally lost hope, my mom told me that my sister and I
One of the most important celebrations in Spanish culture is the tradition of quinceañera. Quinceañera consists of a ceremony that takes place on a girl’s fifteenth birthday to mark her passage to womanhood. Quinceañera is often celebrated to give thanks to god for his blessings, and to present a young woman to the community. (...) .Quinceañera is both similar and different from traditions practiced here in the United States for a number of various reasons.