Latin Teens And Marketers

[MontroseNeighborhoodCafe]

Fairy-Tale Fifteenths

The 'Quince' Marks a Big Rite For Latin Teens and Marketers

By AMY CHOZICK, Staff Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

Yessenia Franco got the royal treatment for her 15th birthday: a horse-drawn, pumpkin-shaped crystal carriage with liveried servants in powdered wigs, a silver tulle ball gown and a gala at which 260 guests danced until dawn in the shadow of Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland. "My daughter always wanted to be a princess," says Mabel Franco, Yessenia's mother.

Like an increasing number of Hispanics in the U.S., Ms. Franco, a San Francisco office assistant, and her husband, Ismael, a sanitation worker, decided to spare no expense for their daughter's quinceanera, or 15th birthday party. The cost: $30,000. It was "a dream come true," says Mabel Franco. The Francos, both of whom immigrated from Mexico, have told Yessenia's 11-year-old sister that if she wishes, they will book the Walt Disney Co. theme park for her, too.

In Latin America, the quinceanera, a celebration dating back to the Aztecs that commemorates the spiritual and physical coming of age of a 15-year-old girl, is typically observed with a ceremony in a Catholic church and a backyard party for family members. Piety and a priest's blessing are the main ingredients for the usually modest events.

On this side of the border, the tradition has taken on a momentum of its own, melding cultural pride with conspicuous consumption. Savvy marketers with an eye for the growing Hispanic population are starting to catch on. The result: homemade dresses are giving way to designer gowns, streamer-festooned patios to Royal Caribbean cruises.

"To Latinos in the U.S., the quinceanera serves as an important tool to preserve culture," says Cordelia Candelaria, editor of the Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture in the U.S. That hasn't stopped it from evolving from an intimate religious ritual toward a lavish secular celebration, often costing more than a wedding. "A lot of times it's a simple case of outdoing the Joneses," Ms. Candelaria says. Or, in this case, the Garzas.

A girl celebrating her quinceanera (keen-seen-yerah) typically invites six to 10 damas, or single female friends, to serve as her attendants, plus dozens -- sometimes hundreds -- of other guests. That means marketers have the chance to target not only the birthday girl and her family, but a slew of teenage girls planning their own quinceaneras.

In California, Disneyland Resort has a team of event planners who craft customized quinceanera events, which it began offering in 2000. The parties, which can feature Mickey and Minnie Mouse dressed as mariachi, can also include park tickets, balloon sculptors, acrobats and fanfare trumpeters, and start at $7,500. With about three high-end quinceanera parties a month, up from just six a year in 2000, such galas are the resort's fastest-growing event category, after weddings.

It isn't a new phenomenon for an ethnic group's spiritual traditions to become more commercial as the group gains economic power, says Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, author of "Putting God on the Guest List: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child's Bar or Bat Mitzvah." He believes Hispanics are confronting the same issues as Jews did in the early 1960s, when bar and bat mitzvahs became increasingly flashy, secular and expensive. "These rites of passage are a way for a minority group to demonstrate that they have succeeded in America," he says.

Daisy Marilyn Vargas, a ninth grader in Dallas, says she has been planning her "quince" for a year. Having already procured a custom $500 strapless gown for the occasion, she is keen to have "all the space I can get" for her 400-plus guests. "We'll serve Mexican food from 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. until everyone drops! Plus an after party at my house!" she squeals. "Oh, we also have a church ceremony at 10 a.m. and I'll just get blessed."

Such quasireligious hoopla helps to explain why marketers are duking it out for any part of the quinceanera windfall. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. works with travel agencies to push its $900 to $1,600 a person quinceanera cruises, which include the use of theaters that hold as many as 1,200 revelers, an ice-skating rink and a disco. This summer, almost all of its cruises embarking from South Florida had a quinceanera group on board.

At David's Bridal, the nation's largest bridal retailer, $200 to $600 frothy, floor-length quinceanera gowns now compete with prom dresses at 41 of the chain's 240 stores. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. now sells specially designed quince dresses for $24 to $30 at 200 of its 3,200 U.S. locations.

Mattel Inc. has a limited edition Quinceanera Barbie (available as a blonde or brunette); Hallmark CardsInc. reports that two of its three top selling Spanish-language cards are quinceanera cards. J.C. Penny Co. is marketing itself as an affordable, one-stop emporium for all things quince, from shoes to jewelry to personalized portraits for the big day.

Despite all the accoutrements, the ritual is hardly limited to the rich. Families of modest means, such as the Francos, save for years to afford the pageant-like parties, often relying on godparents and extended family for contributions. Sometimes, the soirees get priority over other expenditures, including mortgages and college. "Poor or rich, Mexican or Cuban, everyone spends on a quinceanera," says Erika Prosper, director of strategic planning at Garcia360, a San Antonio business consulting firm.

Zenia Sigler, a 43-year-old housewife in Miami and her husband, Carlos, a dragline operator, both born in Cuba, recently gave their daughter, Melissa, a seven-day cruise for her quinceanera. Cost: $1,600 a person. At the moment, Ms. Sigler says she isn't worried about college bills. "Melissa is very smart," she says, "We know she will get a scholarship."

According to the Department of Education, Hispanic students are twice as likely as blacks and three times as likely as whites to drop out of high school, and cite a lack of funding as a major reason for not continuing their education.

"You're always going to see people with their priorities messed up," says Alma Morales Riojas, president of the Mexican American National Association, an advocacy group for Latinas, who says most families don't spend money on the quince at the expense of higher education.

As cultural tastes shift, it is unclear whether the quince will continue to resonate with future generations. Aryani Montes's parents gave her a choice between a big 15th birthday party or a used car when she turned sixteen. Breaking with tradition, Ms. Montes opted for a 2000 Mazda Prot

[ricco67]

I find this rather fascinating.

Just last year my Non-catholic ex wanted to get my Agnostic daughter a 15th celebration. I was panicking because it takes a year and more to get one ready.

But what through a wrench in the whole thing was when I mentioned the priest and communions and such, she backed off and said, "Can we leave the church out of this?" I was adamant about it and dropped the issue (and saved me a ton of money, but I wasn't going to admit that).

But it wasn't until I read this article (thanks montroseNC!) did I realize the possible cause of my ex's sudden fascination with the custom.

Ricco

[pineda]

Last year I heard of two bar mitzvah's that took place in Hawaii! One of the families lived in Houston, the other in Sarasota, Florida. Both families easily exceeded the $50,000 mark, both thought their children had "earned it", and both thought their children "wouldn't have to worry about college, because they were so smart, they'd get a scholarship, so why not spend big now?" They also said that since these were parties for their sons, they wouldn't have to help pay for the wedding when he married, since that will be the girl's family responsibility! I know quinceanera's and bar and bat mitzvah's have already gotten way out of hand (in terms of bankrupting yourselves to show off to all your friends), but I have not seen this catch on yet with the Anglo-American custom of Confirmation, and I hope I don't, because that's one band-wagon that will keep on going without me!

[ricco67]

LOL

That's rather true.

It absolutely amazes me on how short term some think as far as financially. When my ex mentioned about getting one for my daughter, I pictured moneybags flying out the window, granted; I was only going to spend about $2k for a modest one, it wasn't an expense I was prepared to make.

Ricco

[pineda]

Last year, I went to First Holy Communion (or First Eucharist) celebration in the area nearby. The little boys had little tuxes on, and all the little girls looked like miniature brides. When you went into the church hall afterwards, the children were given "appointment tickets" for when their pictures would be taken by professional photographers in the hall. Printed "programs" were being given out, and there were tables set up in the back for purchasing rosaries and other religious artifacts. Professionally done cakes were brought in with much fanfare, and the children sipped juice from little plastic champagne flutes. It was all a bit over the top, I thought, until I heard the little children talking about where their "after party" would be held that day. List in your mind, if you will, the finest restaurants from the Woodlands to downtown Houston, and I think they were all mentioned. It left me wondering, "Is it the kids pushing all this? Are their parents the driving force behind it? What role do the churches hold? Where will it stop? Will it stop?"

[ricco67]

Well, unfortunately, we're getting to be SOOOO consumer driven that the traditional values we have are being commercialized.

now, I wouldn't mind if a professional did such a thing, as long as the religious part of it was accented and a dance was done afterwards with a dinner. That's typical and traditional.

But to put some blatent consumerism on an event such as this or a Bar Mitzvah or any other celebration "rite of passage" needs to be somewhat traditional. If you're going to throw a "Coming out party" then THAT is the time for you to empty your pocketbooks and go nuts.

In a way I am glad I didn't do the 15th. I probably would have had an emotional breakdown if my kiddo showed up in a bride-like dress.

Ricco