Hope & Understanding

The young stars of an award-winning new film reflect on their Mexican roots.

By Lewis Beale

A "quinceañera" is the Hispanic equivalent of a bat mitzvah or sweet 16, a celebration that marks a 15-year-old girl's coming-of-age as a woman. In "Quinceañera," a movie opening this month, the event serves as a jumping-off point for a story about a pregnant Mexican-American teen, her gay cousin and their lives in Echo Park, a gentrifying L.A. neighborhood. USA WEEKEND caught up with Jesse Garcia, 24, and Emily Rios, 17, the stars of "Quinceañera," and talked with them about Hispanic film images, teen issues and immigration:

Both of you were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses (who don't celebrate birthdays). Jesse, you had never been to a quinceañera. Were you aware of its significance?
Jesse: Sure. I have friends whose parents told them, "You can get a car or a quinceañera." It's a huge deal.
Emily: Growing up, I knew what they were. People spend thousands of dollars on these parties.

The film deals with how the vibrant, working-class Hispanic neighborhood of Echo Park is being slowly taken over by yuppies who are raising real estate prices and driving out longtime residents. How do you feel about this?
Jesse: I live in Echo Park now. It makes me sad. It's a cool, artsy neighborhood, and it's going to lose some of its appeal if the gentrification goes too far. The old house in the film that Emily's character lives in was torn down almost as soon as [filming] wrapped. Four new condos are going up in its place.
Emily: In Echo Park, everyone takes pride in where they live. The people who are being forced out work hard. But what are they going to do? They work for minimum wage in a hot real estate city.

"Quinceañera" is also a really positive and life-affirming look at the Hispanic community. Do you think movie images of Hispanics are getting better?
Jesse: It's getting better. A lot of Latinos are stereotypically portrayed, but in this film, even the "cholo" I play, you kind of relate to him as a human. More movies are being made with positive images, not just "Maria the maid." There are popcorn flicks like "Zorro." The "Spy Kids" movies feature Latinos, and the director [Robert Rodriguez] is Latino.

The film deals with issues many teenagers face, like class differences and young love. What do you think are the biggest teen issues today?
Emily: Peer pressure. I went to some extremes to prove myself to my friends. I got into a fight for one of them to prove I had her back.
Jesse: It's that teenage angst thing. It will always be like that.

As Mexican-Americans,you must be interested inthe debate that's going on these days over immigration. What are your thoughts?
Jesse: I was born in Wyoming, as was my mom, but my dad came here illegally from Mexico. He's a citizen now, but it took him 20 years to become legal. I do think there should be rules, but the government is going so hard core. Troops along the border? They're not finding a happy medium.
Emily: Everybody's trying to point the finger. But I was at the ALMA awards [honoring Latino performers] and looking at these talented Latinos that are making a difference. We work so hard.

"Quinceañera" won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and has gotten terrific reviews so far. How do you feel about the reaction to the film?
Emily: I'm still pinching myself. The best reaction was at the Berlin Film Festival. These German girls came up to me saying they'd cried, and I thought, "You really understand it?" That was a dream come true.

Go to top

"People we look up to"

When it comes to Hispanic role models, Emily Rios and Jesse Garcia are on the same page: The name they both say is actor/director/activist Edward James Olmos. "He's done a lot of work, overcome so much," Rios says.

"I just worked with him on [the HBO movie] 'Walkout,'" Garcia adds. "Within the Latino community, he's an incredible activist. I look up to his work. He's really passionate."

Other role models? Garcia notes Salma Hayek -- "She's honest and beautiful" -- and Ricardo Montalban, who "put Latinos on the map" in film. Rios also admires non-Hispanic actress Jennifer Aniston because "she's always kept her humbleness. She's not a diva-like celebrity."