Film, Video La Quinceanera: A Coming of Age Ritual in Latino Communities. La Quinceanera

Transcript: TEXT

About this Item

Title

  • La Quinceanera: A Coming of Age Ritual in Latino Communities.

Other Title

  • La Quinceanera

Summary

  • Norma Cantu, professor of English at the University of Texas at San Antonio, presented this talk as part of the Benjamin Botkin Lecture Series sponsored by the American Folklife Center. The Quinceanera, the traditional coming-of-age celebration for Latinas, is an an elegant party on the girl's 15th birthday, highlighting God, family, friends, music, food and dance. Many questions emerge as one looks at this fascinating and complex rite of passage: what are its essential elements? What are its origins in indigenous Mexican tradition and in European tradition? What are the components that define it as a coming of age ritual? How does the performance of the feminine play out in the celebration? How do "border theory" and "mestizaje theory" apply to this particular event? In answering these and the more critical question--why would a family spend thousands of dollars to celebrate a birthday?--we can gain insight into the cultural practices of Latino communities.

Names

  • Library of Congress.
  • American Folklife Center, sponsoring body.

Created / Published

  • Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress, 2006-11-08.

Headings

  • -  Biography, History
  • -  Culture, Performing Arts
  • -  Culture, Folklife

Notes

  • -  Classification: General Works.
  • -  Classification: Social Sciences.
  • -  Norma E. Cantu.
  • -  Recorded on 2006-11-08.
  • -  Kids, Families.

Medium

  • 1 online resource

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021687858

Online Format

  • video
  • image
  • online text

Additional Metadata Formats

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Credit Line: Library of Congress

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Library Of Congress, and Sponsoring Body American Folklife Center. La Quinceanera: A Coming of Age Ritual in Latino Communities. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, -11-08, 2006. Video. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021687858/.

APA citation style:

Library Of Congress & American Folklife Center, S. B. (2006) La Quinceanera: A Coming of Age Ritual in Latino Communities. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, -11-08. [Video] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021687858/.

MLA citation style:

Library Of Congress, and Sponsoring Body American Folklife Center. La Quinceanera: A Coming of Age Ritual in Latino Communities. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, -11-08, 2006. Video. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021687858/>.