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Lesson Overview
Featured Article: “The Quinceañera, Redefined”
In “The Quinceañera, Redefined,” Walter Thompson-Hernández and June Canedo document two different quinceañeras that challenge traditions and rituals to create unique and meaningful celebrations. In this lesson, we ask you to reflect on what coming-of-age means in your family and to think about which parts of your identity feel most important to celebrate.
Warm Up
Reflect in your journal or with a small group: What does coming-of-age mean to you? Is it about having more legal rights, like driving or voting? Or is your idea of coming-of-age connected to religious rituals such as being confirmed, wearing hijab or becoming a bar or bat mitzvah? Is it connected to a deeper understanding of identity through a conversation with a parent or coming out to family members? Do you and your family have the same understanding of what coming-of-age means, or do you have differences about what is important to celebrate?
Questions for Writing and Discussion
Read the article, then answer the following questions:
1. Why did Jayla Sheffield call her 15th birthday celebration a “quincenegra”? What were some of the ways that she celebrated different aspects of her identity at her quincenegra?
2. What are some of the traditions and rituals associated with quinceañeras? Why might these traditions feel limiting to some teenagers?
3. Amina Sherif Hamza chose to incorporate multiple parts of her identity in her quinceañera. What were some of the different traditions that were important to her and her parents?
4. Helly Toscano, Amina’s family friend, had a personal reaction to some of the choices that Amina made for her quinceañera. Why did Amina’s celebration resonate with Helly’s experience of coming-of-age?
5. Stephanie Canizales, a postdoctoral scholar, made connections to the history of quinceañeras and their meaning to different young people today. How would you summarize what she described?
Going Further
The article explores what it means to celebrate multiple parts of one’s identity when coming-of-age. In writing, respond to the following questions.
What parts of your identity do you think people immediately notice? What parts of your identity do you think often go unnoticed? What elements of your identity are most important for people to see or know about you?
Imagine your own coming-of-age celebration: Where would it take place and who would you invite? What rituals would you want to observe or create? How would you celebrate different parts of your identity? Is there music, food, dance, prayer or other customs that you would want to incorporate into the celebration?
