Carmen Lomas Garza’s Quinceañera was painted in 2001 after she felt the need to connect with a younger audience. In this piece, you can see people gathered outside of a church, this one in particular is located in San Francisco, and they are waiting for mass for a girl’s quinceañera to begin. I chose to write about this piece because of the sense of nostalgia it gave me. This painting reminded me of the church where all of my family’s and friend’s quinceañeras, baptisms, communions, etc. were held and oftentimes had people gathered at the entrance the way the picture demonstrates.
Though it is not a formal part of any ceremony, waiting around in the front of a church brought me an unbridled sense of community that had gone unrealized until now. I have countless memories that this image conjures up and it often includes teenagers, some of whom are damas and chambelanes, outside interacting in that specifically awkward way that teenagers do; kids running around probably stressing out their parents because they do not want them to dirty their good clothes; and the parents and padrinos of whoever’s celebration it is dressed to the nines who are also probably a little stressed out because they want to make sure everything is in order. I did not notice its significance because when you are in the middle of it, it doesn’t seem important given the other things that are going to happen that day, but looking back now, I realize just how important these moments are.
This image, like many of Garza’s pieces, are a beautiful display of what Latinx/e, specifically Chicanx communities can look and feel like. And though no family is without their faults, it is important to highlight moments such as these. These moments that may seem incredibly mundane and insignificant to people who do not share this culture. However, those who do may agree that it is an important way that our family and community gathers to show support.
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