Once Upon a Quinceanera: Coming of Age in the USA

by Julia Alvarez

The quinceañera, a celebration of a Latina girl's fifteenth birthday, has become a uniquely American trend. This lavish party with ball gowns, multi-tiered cakes, limousines, and extravagant meals is often as costly as a prom or a wedding. But many Latina girls feel entitled to this rite of passage, marking a girl's entrance into womanhood, and expect no expense to be spared, even in working-class families.

Julia Alvarez explores the history and cultural significance of the "quince" in the United States, and the consequences of treating teens like princesses. Through her observations of a quince in Queens, interviews with other quince girls, and the memories of her own experience as a young immigrant, Alvarez presents a portrait of a rapidly growing multicultural phenomenon with an emphasis on the importance of celebrating Latina womanhood.

Genres: Nonfiction, Coming Of Age, Memoir, History, Anthropology, Audiobook, Feminism

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Julia Alvarez left the Dominican Republic for the United States in 1960 at the age of ten. She is the author of six novels, three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, and eleven books for children and young adults. She has taught and mentored writers in schools and communities across America and, until her retirement in 2016, was a writer-in-residence at Middlebury College. Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine, and inclusion in the New York Public Library’s program “The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, from John Donne to Julia Alvarez.” In the Time of the Butterflies, with over one million copies in print, was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and in 2013 President Obama awarded Alvarez the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling.

Photo copyright by Brandon Cruz González
EL VOCERO DE PUERTO RICO

Reviews

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024: “Education is teaching our children to desire the right things”- Plato
Whenever I suggest a nonfiction book to fiction readers, the work of Julia Alvarez is among the first that I think of. I have been reading her autobiographical fiction and nonfiction for most of my life, imparting my love of this author to my oldest daughter. Maybe it is because I have been steeped in Latino culture for most of my life, but when I decided to take my own advice and reread Alvarez’ year long exploration of the quinceañera life milestone, I did not find it funny at all. What I found was a heartfelt plea from a madrina imparting wisdom to younger generations of Latina girls, encouraging them to follow their dreams. Yes, her description of a party in Queens contained humor, but that is not Alvarez’ message here. Rather, she believes that as the United States moves toward a Latino majority population by the year 2050, the concept of quinceañera marking an unsoiled girl’s transition to womanhood needs to change. Every parent of teens should read this book. When I first read this ten years ago, I didn’t even have a ten year old. Now I have four teenagers making their own way in the world, some choosing paths that I would ever embark on or choose for them. Whether Alvarez is a new author or old favorite, do yourself a favor and pick up her exploration of ritual, faith, and the changing role of Latinos in society. Even if you are not of Hispanic origin, Alvarez’ findings offers profound advice in the parenting of teens, something I need myself at the moment as my children prepare to return to school. It will be enlightening to revisit this again in another ten years to see how much has changed and stayed the same. Bien hecho.

Reposting for Women's History Month

It has been three and a half years since I read Once Upon a Quinceanera detailing the ceremony within a context of Latinos in the United States. I thought it was timely to discuss the rich tapestry of Latina culture and what they contribute to society as a whole, whether as teenagers they participated in a quince ceremony or not.

Julia Alvarez has a knack for making me laugh. Her fictional autobiographies How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent and Yo! are my go to books when I am in need of a pick me up. Her prose has a way of immersing the reader into her world in a serious yet comical way. I must have read each of these books half a dozen times each over the years. In this non fiction account, Alvarez examines the Quinceanera as a celebration in American culture. She follows Monica Ramos of Queens as she prepares for her own Quinceanera in order to view the pros and cons of the coming of age ritual. While the Ramos family would like to keep up with the Cruzes, money is an obstacle. Yet Senor and Senora Ramos would mortgage their future if only to give their daughter the quinceanera of the year, a party that would be talked about for decades.

Alvarez' research took her to many communities so she could present a multi faceted account. She spoke with photographers in Miami, party planners in San Antonio, church groups in Colorado, the Ramos family in New York, and many others including a school group in Connecticut. The gist of her findings is that, like in many other ethnic groups, the celebration has become more for the party than rite of passage as families have been in the United States for two or more generations. For example, Ramos court were supposed to dress like Disney princesses, yet Monica herself cared more about her hair and makeup than she did about the actual ceremony. She was more concerned if her male escorts ran late than if she understood the significance of the day itself. In her parents' and earlier generations, this day meant that the pure girl dressed in white was now ready to enter into society, equivalent to a debutante party. Within a year or two god willing, she would be married, and the first dance at her party belonged to her father. In this current generation, a theme is necessary, in Monica's case Disney, and few girls could care less if this ceremony linked them with past generations.

Equating the Quinceanera with the bar/bas mitzvah celebration, Alvarez found that the once profound religious coming of age marker is unfortunately less about religion than it is about the party. It has become a money making gem for Latino groups across the country. Alvarez in the end decided to call upon her own court- older Latina women whom she could rely upon to impart wisdom to this new coming of age group of girls. Although the court never officially met by the end of the book, it would be fascinating to attend any conference of these women should they decide to confer. Since reading this account, I have read novels by Sandra Cisneros, Isabel Allende, among others and believe that they are worthy choices to impart their wealth of knowledge to the younger generations of Latinas today. Perhaps with the wisdom of their years in an intergenerational rap session, the cultural meaning of the quinceanera will make a comeback. Otherwise, the ceremony is destined to be a eclectic melding of Latino and United States culture devoid of tradition.

As in Alvarez' fictional books, her prose is littered with humor and in parts I was laughing hysterically despite the fact that her research discusses a serious topic. I keep waiting for Alvarez to write another novel or nonfiction account, but for now she seems to be focused on teaching, on her farm in the Dominican Republic, and on young adult novels. Perhaps she has one definitive book left in her. Until then, I am happy to reread my favorites.

4.5 stars

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought-provoking and well-written. I was interested in the documentation of the quinceanera: the rituals, the meaning, etc., since I am Jewish and I didn't know anyone who had one (but I did have a Bat Mitzvah!). I felt that at the end the autobiographical stuff was a little tangential to her main point, but interesting nonetheless. I think it is important that authors examine the issues around being a Latina. At the same time, I think that some of the issues she explores around being lost as adolescents, college students, and college graduates can be expanded from Latinas to people of other ethnicities as well, and from women to everyone. I believe that currently our society does not provide a good model for what to do after you graduate from college and for the first time in your life, you have no clear direction. I have seen many of my cohort get lost in this period, floating without a job (or with a simplistic dissatisfying job), struggling to decide whether to go to grad school (or whether to drop out of a PhD program), and going through trial-and-error experiments when it comes to relationships. This period can last 10 years or more, since we delay the age of marriage to late 20's/early 30's or even older. So this book was interesting and really spoke to me in a way I hadn't expected.

[Cynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous and Respectful and Curious.
The quinceanera traditions (varied by location) were created to show that one'should daughter was finished with her education and was ready for marriage. Marriage being the only acceptable path in a almost completely paternalistic society.
Alvarez asks some big questions. What does this rite of passage mean in today's society? This question is important because the US government predicts that our population will be 40% hispanic by 2050.
How does this rite of passage help young women? With so many dropouts, teen pregnancies, absent young fathers, how does the quinceanera serve young women? Young women need a rite; they need support. The question: How to find and give that support?
Towards the end of the memior, we find out about her having a quinceanera at age 56. She did not get one at 15 because her family was fleeing from political problems in the Dominican Republic. More power to the lady. Namaste.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, the second I've read by Alvarez. (The first was her first novel which I didn't know was an autobiographical account until some details early on in this book connected it for me.)Much more than just a historical account of quinceañeras, Alvarez explores the present day tradition noting how it has changed/is changing as elements of American culture were/are infused with it and seeks to discover the impact quinceañeras have on girls.

Reflecting on the interviews with quince planners, seamstresses, venue managers, caterers, photographers, priests, and anyone else connected with quince celebrations, and combining that knowledge with her own experiences and observations, Alvarez weaves thoughtful conclusions and presents sage advice between the chapters of the ongoing, collective account of one girl's quinceañera.

In addition to the textbook knowledge about Quinceañeras,readers are presented with insight into Hispanic (as an aside, a term coined by the U.S. government in 1973) culture and struggles faced by emigrants and their children. Although a bit tangential toward the end of the book, Alvarez works her way back.

Throughout, she addresses the themes of Marianisma and its relation to the quinceañera celebration, the blending of the Hispanic/American culture and therefore the inherent struggles for identity and duty, tradition/rituals, and the need for strong, experienced female role models who don't just spout advice, but are sounding boards and engaged participants in the lives of teenage girls because as she states, "Nadie aprende en cabeza ajena" (No one learns in somebody else's head).

She also explores answers to the questions: Why is the quinceañera one of the lasting (however morphed) traditions? Are we doing the girls a disservice by financing and indulging them in a "princess for a day" fairytale? Why do Hispanics have a reportedly high rate of teenage pregnancy, suicide, and drop-out? What role does early intervention and education play in ceasing this epidemic? and, How can the Hispanic community work together to support and empower the girls coming of age in the U.S. in the midst of a culture unidentifiable to earlier generations but with a desire to honor/respect/connect to their roots?

If I had to sum up the book in one sentence, it would be Plato's admonition, "Education is teaching our children to desire the right things" that Alvarez kept coming back to throughout, because if this could be accomplished, it would mean the world.

[Christina LaTouche Loyal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not ABOUT quinceañeras. There was maybe 25% quinceañeras, 25% autobiography, but there was 50% feminist ramblings. I came into the book expecting to learn about quinceñeras and a little bit about the modern latino culture. What I got was 260 pages of this sentence "Our girls should be empowered, so why aren't they?" Over and over and over, with no answer or clear advice. It was obvious that the writer had done tons of research; I applaud her due diligence. But the results of her MANY interviews(of which she relates maybe 50) were people going "oh, there is a big problem. We're trying out 'x' program to fix it." Which is great the first time, but gratuitous after the first 50 pages.

Really this book would have been much better served to have been arranged as a collection of essays. The format of the book was really its greatest flaw. The style is rambling a la "The Tipping Point" without clear destination to anything, aside from the narrative relating the actual quinceañera and the portions of the autobiography - the inclusion of which comes at random.

I had really wanted to enjoy this book. I find Spanish culture fascinating and have many friends who are latinos to whom I want to understand and relate. But, this book did not give me the insight into the latin culture or thought that it might have. Sadly, I would not recommend this book.

[Rosa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good Grief! This was pure fluff! And very disappointing coming from one of my favourite authors. This read like a term paper and really wasn't worth the effort or time. It basically focuses on the 15th birthday celebrations of Latinos in USA. I got the message after the first chapter the rest was the same thing over, and over again. Give this one a miss

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years back, Eva read and reviewed this book and inspired me to buy it. And it’s been sitting on my shelf ever since. I am not sure what finally pushed me to read it but I finally did, and I was rewarded by that decision by an excellent look at a cultural ritual that is quickly becoming as mainstream as weddings and funerals.

What I really liked about this book was how it was a mixture of journalism, cultural analysis, and it had a memoir feel at times as well. Alvarez digs deep into the historical significance and modern execution of quinceaneras while at the same time reflecting on her own childhood and experiences growing up Latina in the US.

She tries really hard not to get too judgmental about Latino parents who give their daughters elaborate, expensive parties they clearly can’t afford, although she doesn’t quite get there. It’s obvious to any reader just how silly Alvarez thinks it is to spend fifteen thousand dollars on a party when there is no money saved for that child’s college education (and I happen to agree). But besides that, she really gets involved with these families and gets to know these girls, way beyond just learning about their fifteenth birthday parties. Her analysis and feelings about these celebrations are clearly influenced by how close she got with some of the families, and she put significant effort into not showing any one person or family in a negative light.

While Alvarez shares her own thoughts and opinions about the quinceanera, she leaves things really open for the reader to make his/her own interpretations and conclusions. The book is mainly a look at how the quinceanera celebration is just one manifestation of Latino culture meeting American culture and the many different Latino cultures influencing and changing each other (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, etc.).

I really liked this one and I mostly appreciate the fact that it’s about a topic I wouldn’t have chosen to read on my own, without the subtle influence of a more cultured and well-read friend. (Thanks Eva!) I think it’s important to open oneself up to reading about and experiencing cultures other than your own, and I’m glad I did that with Once Upon a Quinceanera. Highly recommended!

[Athziri · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this book was very informative, but had too much opinion from the author. Julia Alvarez inputs her strong opinion throughout the story, almost forcing it onto the reader. Alvarez has a strong opinion which sets a very judgmental tone and setting in the story. She compares a few modern quinceañera to the ones back then and how they used to be where they originated. She is quick to assume that the quinceañeras interviewed are the only types of quinceañeras out there. I personally speak from experience that not all quinceañeras are the same even if they are from the same time period. For example, some quinceañeras are over the top, elegant, and expensive, however, others are very simple. It depends on what the quinceañera wants and how much money a family is willing to spend. Julia Alvarez is quick to judge and assumed that all modern quinceañeras are over the top and families spend money that they do not even have. Also, Julia Alvarez states that the dress is always so expensive, unnecessary, and that the tradition behind it has been abandoned as they turn into more of a sweet sixteen than an actual quinceañera. Alvarez thinks that people have opted to have the celebration of a quinceañera at sixteen instead of fifteen and still call it a quinceañera when it is more of a sweet sixteen. However, I know from experience that some opt to wait until sixteen because they are short on money at the moment, or had decided too late to have one and felt too much pressure to get everything thing done, so they just wait until the following year. Julia Alvarez includes the statistic of young latinas topped the charts in rates of teen pregnancy, suicide attempts, school dropouts, and substance abuse. She judges families by saying that we are just crowning them only for them to end up pregnant and a school dropout. These things have nothing to do with each other and is just being judgmental and rude. All of this is just a stereotype and not all latinas end up pregnant and dropout of school. I do not think this information was necessary and her opinion was inappropriate. Overall this story lists more of all the stereotypes and not the true story.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you ask yourself, how would you describe what a quinceñera is? The book entitled "Once Upon a Quinceñera" , written by Julia Alvarez embarks what it really means to have a quinceñera . A quinceñera according to the book is a party that celebrates a girl’s passage into womanhood with an elaborate, ritualized fiesta on her fifteenth birthday (Alvarez, 2). The book ventures to different quinceñeras to get the scoop of what a quinceñera looks like now that the tradition has become Americanized into a big lavish party, rather than it being a religious ceremony where it celebrates on tradition. The book throughout tells key points from the author, Julia Alvarez, who is concerned for the statistics showing on Hispanic girls, who are at the top of the charts for dropping out of school, committing suicide, and also becoming impregnated. The author is trying to get people to see the problems with what is happening to these girls who are getting big lavish parties. These girls are feeling trapped inside to be the best they can for there parents, but influences are causing them to turn to habits. The tradition of the quinceñera is suppose to be focused on the girl and her change into womanhood, but reading this book it has become apparent that these quinceñeras are only driving the girls into trouble. I don’t condone this tradition, I just personally don’t support giving lost girls a big party that may affect their views on their life. All in all, it was an interesting read and very factual, but it was not appealing to know that as people we are turning away from these girls that are needing help in their lives.

[Jeanette · Rating 2 out of 5]

let me begin by stating that i really really really like julia alvarez. i have been waiting to read this forever, and was so excited to finally receive it.

and so disappointed after reading it. i felt like this was two or three books in one. i was expecting more about actual quinceaneras and why they are tradiation. the last 100 pages or so is all about julia alvarez's life- having nothing to do with quinces. it was as if she ran out of material so started her own biography.

she also ends with quotes and essays from other writers which were extremely boring and i had to really push through and force myself to read this. by about page 175 i wanted to set it down- permanently.

my fiancee is mexican and i being white, grew up with absolutely no culture, so i want to make sure our kids have that mexican culture and have traditions like quinces. i felt like i learned a little about them from this book, but im left wanting much much much more.

if i hadnt read her fiction books, and started with this, there's no way i'd pick up another book by alvarez. she needs to stick with the topic, and with fiction.

[Antoinette · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book of Julia Alvarez's that I have finished all the way through. It was somewhat informative, but there should have been two books. I imagine when writing about your own culture it is difficult to ignore the parallels of your own life, but including so much personal information discredits the research she has done. I realize she probably wasn't aiming towards a serious academic work, but one needs to be written. By publishing this "fluffy non-fiction she has not filled a void, she has almost added to it. As a Hispanic woman that was not quite Hispanic enough to have a Quince, it was interesting to read. " I especially enjoyed her take on "throw your house out the window" economics, which is something I have experienced first hand. Overall, a great book to read if you are stuck in a room with only this book. For the purpose of a class, or research, it will only serve you as a good place to find the names of other books. Enjoy?

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really thought-provoking read. Perhaps just as relevant to the sweet sixteen crowd, but addressing issues specifically related to young Latinas. There are huge markets out there selling all kinds of princess-related things to girls - but for those girls who are at risk, it's a real tragedy to be deluding them with this "princess for a day" business when they're likely to end up high school drop outs, single moms, and/or having drug related issues. Even girls who aren't on that path but are just struggling with identity - I'm too American to be Latina but too Latina to be American, what am I? How do I match these crazy ideas Mami has with the world I actually live in? - even these girls could use a hand, an introduction to a mentor, someone to vent to, a conversation. A look at how the community currently uses its traditions and customs to support its young ladies, and some thoughts on what else we might do in the future.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main points of the book: 1. Girls have quinceaneras to recognize their heritage, but the tradition as it is today has largely evolved in the United States. 2. The girls are treated as princesses at their quinceaneras, yet there is a high teen pregnancy and drop-out rate among hispanic females. The book is basically these two points repeated over and over. I feel like the author had enough information for an essay and had to stretch it into an entire book. She also told a lot of her own personal story, which seemed fairly irrelevant. It would have been more interesting to look at specific girls' quinceaneras rather than just touch on one and then go on and on about the same issues repeatedly.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

see my review for time out new york:

[http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articl...]

If you liked this, make sure to follow me on Goodreads for more reviews!

[Yamile Méndez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super informative and thought provoking. The writing is amazing--it's Julia Alvarez after all.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part analysis, part storytelling, part autobiography, Julia Alvarez’s Once Upon a Quinceanera is a marvel. Alvarez had the idea of examining a phenomenon sweeping the nation among Latina Teens. At the age of fifteen, many young girls of Hispanic origin have a party that celebrates their coming of age. Think Bar and Bat Mitzvah, as Alvarez continually points out, in the Jewish culture, and, indeed, the Sweet Sixteen party among Anglos. The quinceanera takes many forms, but most common are the inclusion of several traditions such as a presentation of “court,” the giving of the last doll, the removing of the celebrant’s flat-heeled shoes and the replacement using high heels done by her father, and a first dance between Papi and daughter. These traditions are important to mention here because Alvarez spends a great deal of time not only examining these traditions’ origins and meaning but also finding out that, despite the belief they are “from the old country,” many of them are not, indeed, from the particular young girl’s country of origin. The practices have been hobbled together, gathered from friends’ experiences, relatives, guidebooks for quinceaneras, and general word of mouth. Alvarez finds that Mexico is the most common country to do quinceneras, but other Hispanic nations do them as well. But interestingly, the ceremony is more common in the US. And yet, most young girls say the ritual is a time-honored tradition of her home country—many of them never having even visited said home country. Ultimately, Alvarez, though debunking myths, comes to appreciate the practice. But she makes a good case that these traditions should and need to evolve so that young Latinas realize they are not just “becoming a woman,” as most declared of the ceremony, but that they are on the cusp of becoming full human beings capable of achieving their infinite potential. The book is a celebration of females and feminism. It is a cautionary tale about teenage Latinas, telling of how often they have unplanned pregnancies, drop out of school, and are almost forced by circumstance to assume the role of mother/caregiver, rather than explore other options. It is also an examination of Alvarez’s own life from teen years to the present (or rather 2007, since that is when the book was published.) All in all, Once Upon a Quinceanera is an engrossing, entertaining, enlightening work.

[Gtee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I so wanted to like this book but I couldn’t even finish it. I guess the subject just does not interest me enough. I can’t get over the spending of so much money on a 15 year old. Especially when many of these families couldn’t afford it - tradition or no tradition. I do like this author though and I was more entertained by her personal tidbits than by all the other stories. Sorry Julia.

[HansBlog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fazit:
Julia Alvarez schreibt sehr flüssiges Englisch und liefert interessante Einblicke in die US-Latino-Kultur. Sie schweift aber oft sehr undiszipliniert ab und erzählt viel zu viel Unpassendes von sich selbst. Auf Goodreads erhält das Buch nur magere 3,42 von 5 Sternen (899 Stimmen, Stand Mai 2019).
Breites Spektrum:
Julia Alvarez besucht Latino-Familien in ganz USA, deren Töchter mit dem 15. (oder auch 16.) Geburtstag die Quinceañera feiern – ein großes, ritualisiertes Fest, das den Übergang vom Mädchen zur Frau markiert. Mit Ausnahme einer Seite über ihre domrepublikanische Heimat schreibt Alvarez nur über Latinos in den USA, nicht über Feste in Lateinamerika.
Alvarez informiert über die Familien, über die Rituale allgemein, spricht mit den Mädchen, ihren Eltern, Dienstleistern, Pfarrern, Polizisten, Sozialaktivisten, zitiert aus Sozialstudien, Jugendromanen und Ratgebern, redet auch über Einwandererkultur, Feminismus, Chancengleichheit, Materialismus und Statusdenken. Und sie erzählt viel zu viel über sich selbst.
Julia Alvarez (*1950) schreibt zwar ein sehr flüssiges Englisch, das sich völlig mühelos liest, ohne flach zu klingen. Allerdings strukturiert sie ihr Buch so, dass es trotzdem keine Freude macht: Die Gesamtgliederung ist fragwürdig, und dann auch die Gliederung innerhalb einzelner Kapitel.
Aufbau des Buchs:
Zur Gesamtgliederung: Alvarez nimmt sich eine der von ihr besuchten Quinceañeras heraus, ein schlecht geplanter Event voller Pech und Pannen in Queens, den sie in allen Einzelheiten beschreibt; hier erläutert sie auch allgemein die typischen Merkmale einer Quinceañera, etwa das Kleid, die Puppe, die Versammlung der Verwandten, die Kosten. Und sie schiebt wenn's passt immer wieder Beobachtungen der anderen Quinceañeras ein – sie mischt also unablässig Haupt-Quinceañera, Neben-Quinceañeras, Interviews, Forschungserkenntnisse und unpassende eigene Jugenderinnerungen. Das ist unübersichtlich und nicht leserfreundlich. Eine Reportage-Atmosphäre und ein Gefühl des Miterlebens entsteht nicht.
Ganze Kapitel schreibt Alvarez außerdem über ihre eigene Latina-Jugend, die viele Jahrzehnte zurückliegt und nichts mit der Quinceañera zu tun hat.
Zur Gliederung innerhalb einzelner Kapitel: Alvarez kann sich nicht am Riemen reißen, schildert allerlei kleine Nebensächlichkeiten: Sie muss eine Einbahnstraße gegen den Strich fahren; wie praktisch sind doch Handys; die Luftballons mit Bändern erinnern an Spermafäden; so sieht's bei Familie Muñoz in der Küche aus; die Wiederannäherung mit ihrer alternden Mutter; in diesem Viertel lebte sie vor 40 Jahren selber und entfremdete sich ihren Eltern, die mit ihr der DomRep-Trujillo-Diktatur entflohen; ihre medikamentös behandelte Prüfungspanik damals ("I recall visiting three psychiatrists"); ihr Mann wuchs in Papillion/Omaha auf; Trujillos Foltermethoden.
All das trägt nichts zur Story bei, aber Alvarez *muss* es einfach loswerden. Die Selbstsucht der Autorin nervt (einmal schreibt sie erfreut über eine zutrauliche Interviewpartnerin, "we are soon off on any number of tangents"/wir schweiften in alle Richtungen ab). "Such a narcissistic narrator", klagt Kirkus Reviews.
Bekannte Geschichten:
Teils kennt man die Geschichten auch aus Alvarez' anderen Büchern wie Yolanda oder Wie die García Girls ihren Akzent verloren. Letztlich kann sie wohl nur über sich selbst schreiben. Im letzten Buchviertel folgen mehrere Kapitel am Stück über die Alvarez-Jugend und die ersten zwei schnell gescheiterten Ehen.
Eine ehrliche Autobiografie über ihre Latina-Jugend in New York wäre sicher nicht uninteressant: Die mehrseitige Geschichte über ihren Ferienjob in der Arme-Leute-Arztpraxis ihres Vaters gehört zu den besten Passagen des Buchs, ebenso wie die unantastbaren US-Dichterworte aus der Schule, mit denen sie einst sehr clever ihrer ihrer strengen Latina-Mutter widersprach; in einem Quinceañera-Buch sind die Abschnitte allerdings überflüssig.
In einem anderen autobiografischen Teil folgen aber diese Aussprüche (S. 190-197): "Who would I be now that I was grown up?... Who was I going to be now?... Enter my first husband… He was still achingly beautiful… My new beau was an Englishman…". Kurzum, das Abschweifen schmerzt ebenso wie der Ton der Autorin.
Zudem streut Alvarez mehr unübersetztes Spanisch ein, als mancher Leser vielleicht schätzt. Z.B. S. 74 der Plume/Penguin-TB-Ausgabe: "the extended familia of tías, abuelitas, primas"; S. 81: "sancocho"; S. 105: "piropos"; S. 106: "vecindario"; S. 175: "vergüenza"; S. 185: "allá"; ebf. S. 185: "meter la pata"; S. 230: "profundo y sencillo"; ebf. S. 230: "que en paz descanse"; S. 231: "en unas pocas centurias". Außerdem schreibt Alvarez immer "here", wenn sie die USA meint oder "our Hispanic community" (z.B. S. 78). M.E. sollte sie das distanzierter darstellen; sie wirkt als Berichterstatterin dann glaubwürdiger und weniger selbstbetroffen.
Die strukturellen Schwächen des Buchs mögen damit zusammenhängen, dass es ursprünglich nur als Begleittext zu einer DVD gedacht war, wie Alvarez im Nachwort erzählt. Aber sie als Schreiblehrerin hätte trotzdem etwas Besseres daraus machen müsen.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not Hispanic or Latino, but accidentally marked that I was Hispanic on a standardized test once. I was on a mailing list for Hispanic summer camps, scholarships, and school clubs well into my sophomore year of college.

This book followed the author as she spent a year attending quinceaneras, researching the underlying traditions, and reflecting on her own upbringing as an immigrant caught between two cultures - not only her Dominican Republic heritage and new American culture but also the traditional, patriarch-centric culture of Latin America and the beginning waves of feminism in the U.S. Given the latter struggle, one of the initial issues Alvarez tackled was that of the quinceanera traditionally being the way a young woman's family officially "announces" to the community that she is ready to be married and begin a family of her own. While this isn't the case anymore, there are still strong patriarchal undertones in most quinceanera ceremonies. Interestingly, many of the young women Alvarez spoke with about their pending quinceaneras spoke as a "right of passage"; Alvarez notes that rites associated with traditions have a funny way of morphing into rights as the new generations feel entitled to what older, first generations struggled to obtain for them.

Alvarez also questions what, exactly, there is to celebrate with the gloomy statistics regarding female Latina/Hispanic teens. A 2005 national survey conducted by the CDC and DHHS revealed that 1 in 6 Latinas attempt suicide (a rate 1.5 times that of non-Hispanic black and white teenage girls), the highest teen pregnancy rate, highest high school drop-out rate (25%), and highest male high school drop-out rate (33%). Add to that the traditional "marianismo" culture that a large number of older Latina women are mired in (i.e. a quinceanera's mom), and it makes you wonder if the mothers are simply further propogating their own unrealized dreams for a fairy tale future for their daughters, depsite the bleak statistics they face.

Another interesting topic Alvarez explored was the concept of cultural capital, or non-monetary assets that are important for status in a community. This concept is particularly useful when you consider that Latinos/Hispanics are continually more likely to poor than other ethnic groups in study after study. However, many families still throw lavish quinceaneras for their daughters that are often beyond their means. Often spending on a quinceanera takes precedence over saving for her college expenses. The book also points out that "Hispanics tend to make immediate use of their money. Capital accumulation is not a characteristic of Hispanics, especially because being wealthy has a negative connotation... as the masses of Hispanics have endured slavery and endemic poverty over the past 500 years, the meaning of wealth has been associated with the experience of others, not oneself."

Many of the traditions associated with quinceaneras - the father changing his daughter's shoes to "grown-up" high heels, the court of 14, candle ceremony, etc. - are actually quite difficult to verify. At best, they seem to be an amalgamation of various subsets of Hispanic/Latino culture and at worst, an invented tradition. The definition of the latter is explained as traditions that "emerge in a less easily traceable manner within a brief and debatable period, establishing themselves with a great rapidity." They often appear when a group is undergoing transformation and serve as a way to legitimize and galvanize its members by establishing continuity with a past that may be largely fictitious.

Alvarez's writing style is more informal than most non-fiction books like this I've read; it feels like she's talking to me as a friend over coffee. She intersperses the text with Spanish words and phrases, which I think added a lot of flavor and interest. And while Alvarez explained overtly or through plenty of context clues, I still had Google Translator pulled up a lot, translating it for myself.

The only things that keep this book from being more than 3 stars for me is that there were some less interesting parts and the book was almost memoir-ish with Alvarez's frequent flashbacks to own coming of age. Which while it was interesting and technically fit with the topic, it also made it feel a little disjointed and messed with the flow.

[Pam Kirst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Upon as Quinceanara: Coming of Age in the USA
by Julia Alvarez

“What KIND of book is that?” asks my son, and I ponder. Is Once Upon a Quinceanara: Coming of Age in the USA a memoir? Sort of. It’s also, a little bit, investigative journalism. There’s poetry dancing through the language on its pages. It’s also, maybe, a cautionary tale, philosophy, and a prophecy.

“It’s…non-fiction,” I tell him. He nods.

I could have said, “It’s a book about stories: the ones we tell our children; the ones someone told us; the ones we wished we’d heard; the ones, ultimately, that need to be told.”

Alvarez, who started out in the Dominican Republican culture and came to rest in the United States American, has a panoramic view of the Quinceanara. She loves the way it folds the generations of Hispanic women together, grandmother, mother, daughter,--hands entwined, braiding a custom.

She hates the way it glorifies commercialism, encourages families to spend beyond their means, and the girls themselves to see themselves as princesses—princesses dressed in $5,000 dresses waiting for their princes to arrive in stretch Hummer limos.

This is about a culture and its future embedded in a larger, more vacuumous one.

This is about the need of children in all cultures to have a valid rite of passage.

And what IS that rite of passage?

It is not just an event, although, as Alvarez attended party after party for the young ladies turning 15, she began to see their value. The party/event may be the door opening, the signal that the time of change has come.

Door open, though, the elders are to come through and surround and support the youngster. They are to reflect back what they see. “You are a gentle nurturer,” they might say, or “Your music makes stodgy old men want to dance!” “The way you write is a gift from God.” “No one makes people feel as good as you do when you listen so carefully.”

It is the time for the elders to tell youth their stories: this is who we see you are. And the young people gather those tales like scraps in a basket, and after a time, they take them home and sort them out, and use them, along with other materials they have gathered, and other dreams that they have dreamed, to weave together their own stories.

“This,” the young one may write, “is who I think I am, and this, I think, is my quest.”

And then, with encouragement from those supporters, the young one ventures off on that quest. What will s/he find out there? Will it be successful? Will s/he fall? Will s/he be hurt?

All of the above could happen, but with the right support and the right understanding, the young one will think and heal and grow; her/his story will deepen. The path will open up.

If. If. If. The rite of passage as beginning of supported journey—a need for all children, but especially, as Alvarez notes, for Hispanic girls, in danger of early pregnancy, dropping out of school, drug addiction, and death by suicide.

We need to re-learn the art of supporting the journey. Alvarez’s work explains that beautifully, in the stories of the girls she meets, in the stories of her own steps and miss-steps, and in the research that she shares. It took me a chapter or two to get into this book, but then its voice took hold, and its wisdom drew me in.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once Upon a Quinceanera is a nonfiction book written by Julia Alvarez. Julia was asked by an editor to write a book about the Latino tradition. In her book she specialized on the elaborate and ritualized parties, known as quinceaneras. The Plot of this story was realistic, since it is a nonfiction book, and Julia Alvarez did a splendid job on helping the reader understand the comparison between the American culture and Latino culture, which helped the story make sense.
The majority of the setting in Once Upon a Quinceanera takes place at a young girls quinceanera in the town of Queens. There was no exact year that the story takes place during, since it is made up of facts and interviews throughout several years, but roughly the early 2000’s. The setting of the story got a little confusing throughout the book, having Julia talk about past events in her life, and then starting on a new interview.
The People that Julia picked to interview that she wrote about, and the girls quinceaneras she observed, fit the story very well. She attended many quinceneras, but had to base her book off of one specific one. Julia picked Monica Ramos. Monica is a USA-born Latina. In the story, Monica is celebrating her quinceanera on her sixteenth birthday instead of her fifteenth birthday. She is a very pleasant young girl to be around during the story. You can see how many friends and family members adore her throughout the story.
Being a girl, it is easy to relate to Monica and the other girls Julia interviewed. Everything from their social lives at school to their relationships with their family. As you read this book, it is easy to tell that Julia is very passionate towards the tradition of quinceaneras. It is obvious that she put a lot of time into all of her interviews, traveling to different cities and states, and even helping the girls in a quincenera crisis. She keeps positive through everything even it difficult situations.
This book is suited for any young girl or a mother with a young daughter. I would recommend this book to any young girl, especially of the Latino culture. In Once Upon a Quinceanera young girls and their mothers can discover the true meaning of a quinceanera. Julia gives great advise and many facts throughout the story that can help families prepare for their daughters very own step into womanhood. Overall I enjoyed Julia’s style of writing and learned a lot about the tradition of quinceaneras and the Latino culture.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

When my husband took ESL classes at BYU-Hawaii, one gringo teacher prefaced his lesson on American essay structure by comparing it to the Asian and Latin structures and declaring the American essay superior. (Eddie had problems in this class, not surprisingly.) The teacher graphically represented the Latin structure as a spiral and the American structure as a flawless straight line - which I would like to argue with him over. This book was written in true spiral format, wandering through Latin neighborhoods and Aztec tradition and Ms. Alvarez's own coming of age. I'm happy no straight lines were used.

Her back-and-forth opinion on the rite-of-passage was refreshing compared to the overconfidence with which many other books present ideas. I enjoyed her insights into the challenges facing young Latinas and how this tradition fits into that. I would have liked to see more examples of modern or even not-so-modern quinceaneras. It's apparent that she looked for variety but didn't find it. I wanted her to look harder!

I liked what she said about adapting traditions for functionality -- having the "quinces" at 16, for example. One of my husband's uncles didn't like the "coming out" of it, but it hardly means that anymore -- though you wouldn't know it from the little dresses. The role of the tradition has adapted.

I think part of adapting traditions is dropping the bits that over-extend your budget. If 14 courtiers' dresses and tuxes are too expensive, dismiss the court. (I was rolling my eyes at limos, but then I thought if it was a horse-drawn carriage, I don't know if I could tell Satan to get him behind me.)

I liked her feminist perspective and her call to use the quinceanera to truly empower women rather than merely give them the illusion of power for a night -- although it was unclear how she proposed to do that. I also liked her refusal to condemn the pretty dresses and high heels as part of a patriarchal tradition.

I appreciated her autobiographical inserts -- however wandering they may have been. I would have loved to take her English class!

[Lillian Weissmueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Upon a Quinceañera by Julia Alvarez provides the readers with an inside perspective on a Quinceañera celebration in the modern American culture. She carefully documented Monica Ramos’ Quinceañera journey from Queens, New York to showcase the pros and cons of this coming of age celebration. Alvarez chronicled every experience she underwent during the process to prepare the quinceañera. She touched on the rituals and meaning behind the ceremony and discussed the important roles of the employees such as photographers and party planners. Additionally, she compares her own experience of a quinceañera to Monica’s to display the changes the celebration has underwent as time has progressed. Alvarez came to the conclusion that the quinceañera celebration has transformed into an elaborate party rather than a religious ritual in the United States. Latino quinceañeras have dramatically altered after their migration to the United States. Furthermore, a main issue that was discussed in the book was about the quinceañera originally being a way for a family to proclaim their daughter as an adult who could take on new responsibilities and be given additional rights to the community. However, when Alvarez questioned girls awaiting their quinceañeras, they believed that it was a rite of passage that they were entitled to. Alvarez also utilized many statistics in her writing to show that Latina girls were holding the highest rates of dropping out of school, teenage pregnancy and drug abuse. These statements were shocking due to the fact that they had been given a quinceañera to help guide them into a promising adulthood. Julia Alvarez truly helped the reader to understand the stark comparison between the modernized American culture and the more traditional Latino culture.

[Zayla Jacobsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel, Once Upon a Quinceanera is unlike a novel I have ever read before. It is a coming of age story, celebrating Latinas and also exploring their traditions and culture. Julia Alvarez goes into great depth in explaining in great detail the journey and experiences of other young girls and their quinceaneras. It is very interesting to learn some of the traditions that take place during quinceaneras that I have never heard of before. For instance, there is usually a theme of each quinceanera, such as a butterfly or Disney characters. I enjoyed reading this novel very much. Although, there were times where it seemed repetitive. It was also very interesting to learn about Julia's life. It was very empowering to read her journey to success. In this novel, there was surprisingly a lot of detail on Julia's life. Although it was very interesting when I began the novel I did not expect that. It was very informative to learn about the modern traditions of quinceaneras and how they have changed over time. It was interesting to read about Monica's preparation for her quinceanera from the very beginning to the very end. I think Alvarez did a great job of describing the families emotions about the whole celebration and showing the reality of quinceaneras. From reading this novel, I now understand that quinceaneras are so much more than they seem. It takes so much to throw a quinceanera and it is not just what you hear and watch on tv. Overall, this novel was very interesting to read because I have never read any novel like it. I personally would not recommend this novel to anyone unless they were very interested in learning about the culture, tradition, and struggle of quinceaneras.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have an interest in coming of age rituals and celebrations. I love birthdays, but the ones with particular meaning in different cultures and socio-economic groups hold particular interest - including bar and bat mitzvahs, Sweet Sixteens (thanks to MTV for indulging this fascination), debutante balls, and the quinceanera. Recently, there seems to have been a rash of books and movies about this latin phenomenon. In this non-fiction book by the author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, Alvarez explores the quinceanera by shadowing a young girl on the brink of her quince in Queens. Alvarez explains how the tradition evolved, and what it represents to families in the United States. Alvarez does not hold back her criticism - questioning why families struggling to stay above the poverty line would go into debt for a party. Yet, she answers her own question by looking at what the attention provides to Latinas, who are among the nation's most susceptible to teen pregnancy and dropping out of high school. Alvarez looks at how the quinceanera brings cultures together, and reminds "Americanized" youth to look back at their heritage with appreciation. She also looks at how the worshipping of material things and the need to outshine the neighbors has cheapened the tradition. Ultimately, this is not just a book about Alvarez's observations of a ritual, but also a memoir of her own life as the daughter of immigrants from the DR who never had her own quinceanera. Alvarez's perspective as a Latina in America, as well as a staunch feminist, brings a unique and powerful perspective to this fairy tale tradition.

[Christine Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful exploration of the coming of age ceremony, quinceanera, in Latino communities around the US. Equally intriguing were the cross-cultural comparisons of other contemporary ceremonies. It inspired a lot of thought about how we convey to our young people that not only do we want to guide them, but that we value them as individuals as well as part of the next generation to carry on tradition. Most thought-provoking was the ongoing comparisons between quince celebrations in other countries and in past generations, and the iteration becoming common in the US today. Alvarez made the evolutionary nature of culture tangible when describing the amalgamated nature of the contemporary quice, and how these ideas are now being expored back to countries where the immigrants originated, even a few generations ago. I also came away thinking about how contemporary immigrant experiences compare with earlier waves of immigration. Some of my relatives came to the US in the late 19th century, at the time when assimilation was not only informally demanded, but was official policy in the US. So I wonder how the individual immigrant experience has changed, or has not, in the past century.

My only criticism of this book was the emphasis on Julia Alvarez's own personal story; not that it is not illustrative and interesting, but becuase the title seemed to be less autobiographical than it ended up being. But I do love to hear her personal narrative, and have enjoyed various layers of autobiography in her novels. I just felt that there was more autobiography than was necessary to tell the story.

[Marilyn Ghazoul · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first when I started reading this story I thought that it was going to be a how to book. I thought that it was going to tell the readers how quinceañeras are put on and done. I was wrong because this book is so much more than just a how to, this book tells the meaning behind a quinceañera. A quinceañera is a very big moment for a family and a girl, this fifteen year old girl is being brought into the Latin society. When a girl turns fifteen she has officially been made a woman in the community and has to pick up more responsibilities. There are many things that also happen in a quinceañera, from the shoes to the tiara to the dress, these all mean something. Everything that happens in a quinceañera is done for a reason and the reason is usually symbolic. The shoes mean something, the dress means something, the tiara means something. These things can mean something different for every family or person that is having a quinceañera. There are so many meanings and there are so many traditions that it is mind boggling to think of how many things can happen in one community of people. There is also no for sure origin of the quinceañera, people just started doing it because their parents did it and so on. A quinceañera is a big deal for the family and the girl. In my opinion i feel like the quinceañera is a bigger deal for the parents because they are giving up their daughters and giving her to society. For a quinceañera a wedding come next and I think the parents do not believe that and this means more to the parents. The girl just sees it as a chance to do more things that she was not able to do before.

[Brenda Perea · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Once Upon a Quinceanera by Julia Alvarez, I have come to a better understand of the true meaning of quinceaneras. I have also gained knowledge about the importance of a quinceanera and how much time and dedication goes into throwing one. I find the concept of a quinceanera very interesting and fascinating as I think it is important for young girls to celebrate their coming of age with the ones they love. A quinceanera also comes with many traditions which are usually overlooked such as the changing of shoes, crowing of the young woman, and even the lighting of fifteen candles. A quinceanera is not just a party, but it is also a learning experience for the young woman as this is the point in life where many things will begin to change. The young girls also get to spend more time with their family planning the perfect party and this is perfect bonding time as the young girl is able to learn more about her culture and religion. I also believe a quinceanera is very important as it comes with much freedom for the young girl such as being able to shave her legs, wear makeup, and even wear heels. These things many not seem too exciting or important, but they are huge changes for a girl and it's something that makes them want to look forward to their coming of age. I really enjoyed this book because it did not only speak about quinceaneras, but it also talked about life in general such as the sacrifices our parents make and why things are the way they are. Overall, I think this is an important and interesting for everyone to read as it gives an insight on the tradition of a quinceanera which is something not much people are informed about.

[Marybeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I thought that the book written by Julia Alvarez, Once Upon a Quinceañera was very informative, but it lacked organization. The book was hard to follow because it would jump around. I thought that it was hard to follow Monica’s celebration of coming of age, when she would talk about other information she had gathered about quinceañeras. By reading this book, I have learned a lot more about quinceañeras that I did not know before. I thought that Julia Alvarez made her point clear that a quinceañera celebration for a fifteen year old Latina girl has lost its value and true meaning. She notes many times where Monica’s quinceañera was out of hand. Quinceañeras are a very special part of a Latina girl’s life and it was very interesting to learn about the different parts of one. I could tell how thoughtful Alvarez was in the process of writing this book and how aware and questionable she was when observing other people’s quinceañeras. I liked how she questioned the idea of spending the money for a quinceañera for more important things in a girl’s life, like her education. Quinceañeras can be extremely costly. It is interesting how the tradition started and how Alvarez observed the different changes she has noticed. The tradition of having a quinceañera is popular to have at the age of sixteen, as it was mainly celebrated to a girl just turning fifteen. I thought it was a little hypocritical to judge different quinceañeras, when she never even had one herself. Alvarez did a good job of explaining the importance of this tradition, but it was not favorite type of writing.

[Claire Fable · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the novel Once Upon a Quinceanera, by Julia Alvarez, I was truly able to grasp a better understanding of what a quince is and all that goes into it. First of all, it was interesting to hear how quinces have spread to America and how they differ from traditional quinceaneras. In America, the celebration has become very above and beyond and costs a ton of money for the family. I was very shocked to read about how expensive these events are, learning that just the dress alone is hundreds of dollars. After hearing these statements, I agreed with Alvarez that this money could be better off used somewhere else, like for an education or to be saved for a time of need. I liked how this novel focused on two different stories and each of the girl’s personal experiences. Monica Ramos was a latino girl who truly experienced her own quince, along with it’s positive and negative effects, while Julia watched as girls around her experienced it. Monica found that her quince came at a cost but the event was worth it at the time. Julia on the other hand used her money to get an education, and although it ultimately came at a cost, it was worth it for her. Julia also takes the time to describe other aspects of her childhood, along with her move to the United States, and the lives of other latino girls. Overall, I believe this novel did a perfect job of describing the life of a latino girl, specifically her rite of passage into womanhood, the Quinceanera, and the costs of this event.