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Once upon a quinceañera : coming of age in the USA / Julia Alvarez.

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: New York : Viking, 2007.Description: 278 p. ; 22 cmISBN:
  • 9780670038732 (alk. paper)
  • 0670038733 (alk. paper)
Subject(s): LOC classification:
  • GT2490 .A45 2007
Online resources: Summary: The quinceañera, the fifteenth birthday celebration for a Latina girl, is quickly becoming an American event. This legendary party is a sight to behold: lavish ball gowns, extravagant catered meals, DJs, limousines, and multi-tiered cakes. The must-haves for a "quince" are becoming as numerous and costly as a prom or wedding. And yet, this elaborate ritual also hearkens back to traditions from native countries and communities, offering young Latinas a chance to connect with their heritage. Writer Alvarez explores this celebration that brings a Latina girl into womanhood, attending the quince of a young woman in Queens, and weaving in interviews with other quince girls, her own memories of coming of age as an immigrant, and the history of the custom itself. The result is an enlightening, accessible, and entertaining portrait of contemporary Latino culture.--From publisher description.
List(s) this item appears in: Women's history month 2023
Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Call number Copy number Status Barcode
Circulating Book Collection Circulating Book Collection Albright College Library CCM--Ask at Reference Desk General collection 395.2 A473o 2007 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 31856002227179
Total holds: 0

Includes bibliographical references (p. [277]-278).

The quinceañera, the fifteenth birthday celebration for a Latina girl, is quickly becoming an American event. This legendary party is a sight to behold: lavish ball gowns, extravagant catered meals, DJs, limousines, and multi-tiered cakes. The must-haves for a "quince" are becoming as numerous and costly as a prom or wedding. And yet, this elaborate ritual also hearkens back to traditions from native countries and communities, offering young Latinas a chance to connect with their heritage. Writer Alvarez explores this celebration that brings a Latina girl into womanhood, attending the quince of a young woman in Queens, and weaving in interviews with other quince girls, her own memories of coming of age as an immigrant, and the history of the custom itself. The result is an enlightening, accessible, and entertaining portrait of contemporary Latino culture.--From publisher description.

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