Lucero Holguin surrounded by her family / Photo by Essete Workneh
You would think after living in Texas for over 17 years I’d have been to at least one quinceañera, but his was my very first one. My two friends and I could barely contain our excitement as we drove to the Oak Cliff party together. We even turned the radio to the local Spanish station to try and get in the quince mood. For many Hispanic girls a quinceañera marks an important transition. It not only represents a Latina’s 15th birthday, but also signals a girl’s passage into womanhood. This centuries-old tradition began as a ceremony to introduce girls to society and signify that they were ready for marriage. Today, Lucero Holguin was making the transition.
Beautiful Blue
As we walk into the party venue we’re immediately greeted with a 20×30” picture of Holguin. She is dressed in a blue Cinderella-esque ball gown and smiling at the camera. The theme is masquerade and the room is decorated in her favorite blue hue. White plastic table covers are placed on rectangular fold out tables, which are set around a small dance floor. On top of each table is an elaborate skinny vase centerpiece filled with blue beads, flowers and feathers and topped off with a masquerade mask. The stage at the upper end of the dance floor is overflowing with gifts. When my eyes land on the five-tiered white cake, I finally realize that a quinceañera is very much a wedding without the groom.
Tex-Mex music hovers in the background and the atmosphere is fairly relaxed; when we find seats someone immediately comes to serve us our food-a traditional Mexican meal of charro beans, rice and asado meat. “Do you want some tea, Kool-Aid?” asks a hospitable man, who I later find out is a family member. Not having had Kool-Aid since 5th grade summer camp, I immediately go for option B. As I casually sip on the liquid in my blue plastic cup I finally spot Holguin. She is dressed in the same gown from the picture and is energetically greeting guests. There were approximately 150 people at the bash, many of whom were dressed in-what else-blue. Not one, I’m sure, could guess that Holguin had only gotten four hours of sleep after helping her mom with preparations until 2 a.m. the night before.
After getting her hair done in an intricate side up-do, she had spent most of the day taking pictures and driving around Dallas in a limo with her friends. She shyly giggles as she recalls the perplexed stares she received while having lunch at Jack in the Box in her quinceañera gown. Normally she would have been embarrassed, but not this time, today was her day to shine. For a girl who has never worn makeup or heels, this glamorized rite of passage is more than exhilarating.
A Missing Father
When I ask Holguin why some table cards say “sweet 16” her lip quivers and she starts to cry. Holguin’s quinceañera was postponed because this time last year her father was sentenced to five years in jail for his third driving while intoxicated charge. As Holguin wipes away tears, it becomes clear that his absence has been deeply painful. The incarceration has also weighed heavily on Holguin’s three brothers. “I basically had to pick up after him so they won’t feel lonely,” says her brother Juan, 30. At the time, the length of the sentence stunned the family. They felt their lawyer did not provide an adequate defense and worried about their father’s diabetes not being properly treated. Nonetheless, they continue to put on a brave face. “I’m there for support, everywhere from emotionally, to physically, to spiritually. We’ve always been a united family,” says Juan. So instead of a father-daughter first dance, Holguin had a sister-brother dance. One by one they each took turns spinning her around the dance floor as guests cheered and took pictures. Suddenly, four children in blue airbrushed shirts began to perform to a mash up of “Gangnam Style” and “Sexy and I Know It”. After their crowd pleasing performance Holguin sits at the center of the dance floor and is presented with traditional quinceañera gifts, as an emcee announces whom each gift is from. The crown, which represents superior morality, is placed on her head. The Bible and rosary signify devotion to the Catholic Church and virginity, while her new ring symbolizes a girl’s bond to God, family and her community. Once the presentation ends, many guests head for the dance floor, spinning in circles to Cumbia and Norteña music.
A Family Affair
Holguin’s family can finally breathe a sign of relief. While the day turned out well, getting to this point was no easy feat. The family saved up money and started planning a year in advance. Although relatives and family friends usually sponsor quinceañeras, the flailing economy made this option less reliable. For Holguin, this meant making small sacrifices like having the customary Mass on Thursday, instead of the actual day of the quinceañera. The required donations for the ceremony are cheaper on weekdays. Nonetheless, with 14 aunts and uncles on her mother’s side alone, family members helped in other ways, like cooking and serving food. “It’s a headache,” says Holguin’s brother Jose, 35, “but at the end of the day, everything we do, everything we go through, just to be a part of the look that she gives just makes everything up.” The realization that his baby sister is growing up is bittersweet and leaves him speechless. “We’re all excited for her. She’s such a lovable person, hopefully we’re building up good memories for her.”
