Una cordial invitación -- "No two are the same" : quinceañera and debut rituals and performances -- Lazos/ties that bind : quinceañera and debut social networks -- Pagdadalaga/Blossoming : becoming the debutante -- Traviesos/Troublemakers -- Pag alaala na/Just a remembrance : the work of making memories -- Conclusion : the after-party -- Appendix. Nandiyan lang/Just over (t)here : ethnographic reflections on researching American immigrant families
Summary
Looking beyond the satin gowns, opera-length gloves, and sparkling tiaras that signify Filipino debutantes and Mexican quinceañeras, the author examines the meaning of these coming-of-age rituals for immigrant American families. This book draws parallels between these communal ceremonies, as they share a commonality in Spanish heritage and Catholicism in a highly-ritualized celebration. The author analyses these rites and festivities to explain what they reveal about the individuals, families, and communities who organize and participate in them
