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She grew up with strong Latin American roots as the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, but Alessa Moscoso of San Luis Obispo wasn't sure she wanted to celebrate her “quinceañera.”

Often as grand as big weddings and requiring months or even years of preparation, the quinceañera is a Latin American tradition that celebrates a girl’s coming of age at 15.

Sometimes compared to “sweet 16” celebrations, bat mitzvahs or debutante balls, the elegant event typically costs several thousand dollars, includes guests in the hundreds, and is considered a rite of passage.

A straight-A student and star varsity soccer player, Alessa didn’t think she was interested. She also didn’t like the notion of passing into womanhood at age 15. But she listened to her mother’s stories about her own quinceañera in Guatemala 20 years ago. Alessa noticed the glow in her mother’s eyes as she recalled the details of that day.

There was the delicious menu of tamales, rice, beans, and a Guatemalan meatloaf.

And there were customary waltzes, a serenade, and elegant clothes. Her large extended family attended.

So Alessa started to think of having a party that honored her Guatemalan and American roots — a celebration of her childhood in front of family and friends rather than a transition into becoming a woman.

She and her friends will be off to college in a few years. The opportunity would pass her if she didn’t grab it.

“I finally decided to have a quinceañera because I wanted to continue the family tradition,” Alessa said.

A family journey

Alessa’s parents — Edwin and Glenda Moscoso — came to the United States from Guatemala in 1989.

A turbulent political climate led to the kidnapping and assassination of Edwin’s best friend, who protested publicly against the government.

Edwin learned that his name was on a blacklist because he often walked in public with his friend. Though Edwin sympathized with the protests, he’d never participated in them.

Edwin fled for the United States with his wife, Glenda. They eventually gained political asylum and U.S. citizenship and settled in San Luis Obispo.

Edwin grew up with his single mother and brother in a village of 50 people with no running water and a home with a dirt floor. Glenda is from a town of 10,000 people where most of her extended family lived.

Now they live in a comfortable home near French Hospital Medical Center. Edwin, 45, is a San Luis Obispo County agricultural inspector and Glenda, 35, is a Cuesta College counselor. Their daughters Alessa, 15, and Oksana, 12, were born in the United States.

What is a quinceañera?

Quinceañera is the Spanish word for a 15-year-old girl.

The Aztecs and Mayans had rites of passage similar to quinceañeras. It is widely held that the modern-day celebration might have originated from interactions between the Spanish and pre-Colombian peoples in the Americas.

Many Latinas in the United States mark the coming of age with a personal American twist.

Alessa’s friends had never attended a quinceañera.

“I had no idea a 15th birthday was such a milestone,” friend Tyler Davis said.

Alessa’s quinceañera included speeches in both English and Spanish. Her party featured songs by Britney Spears, Kanye West and Mexican legend Vicente Fernández.

But her celebration also had traditions practiced throughout Latin America, including waltzes, a spectacular white gown and the court of friends.

Court members are similar to bridesmaids and groomsmen, participating in dances, professional photos and gallant entrances into the party hall.

The event celebrates the importance of family and friends.

Glenda said she tried to raise her daughter with a “foundation based on love, principles, morals, and more importantly respect and honor to yourself, family and friends.”

“It is my hope that this foundation will guide you as you search for your destiny,” Glenda told her daughter at Alessa’s celebration.

The 15th birthday is so important that if a girl doesn’t want a quinceañera, parents offer a major gift such as a car or a trip. Alessa’s parents offered a trip to Italy instead of the party.

For some girls—such as 15- year-old Dora Caballero of Paso Robles, who also had her quinceañera in January — no gift could replace the party.

“Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to have one,” Caballero said.

The quinceañera celebration often begins with an early morning mariachi serenade.

Then there is a Catholic Mass in the afternoon, followed by an evening party.

Caballero’s family is of El Salvadoran origin, and her faith played a big part at her quinceañera.

At a church ceremony, the Rev. Nick S. Rose spoke of God’s influence in Dora’s life. Her mother, Emma, dedicated a ring to her daughter to remind Dora of “God’s never-ending love.”

“It’s not only a religion to me, but a relationship with God,” Dora said. “At the ceremony I was able to rededicate my life to Him.”

At Caballero’s celebration, 250 guests attended. Her family spent years saving for it, said her mother, Emma.

The Moscosos invited 100 guests and celebrated at The View — Morro Bay Golf Course’s banquet room.

Quinceañeras typically cost between $7,000 and $20,000.

Lots of planning

Every girl’s quinceañera should be tailored to her personal interests to make it special, Glenda said.

Alessa, with the help of her family, chose her dress. It was easy for Alessa to pick, she recalled. Online she found a white Mori Lee Vizcaya gown, resembling a wedding dress.

Her parents helped her line up the food—an array of pastas with sauces. And they helped find the event location.

Alessa chose the nine members of her court, called the damas (maids of honor) and chambelanes (chamberlains).

For weeks, members of her court practiced their waltz, learning twirls and sidesteps choreographed by Alessa’s sister, Oksana, a precocious dancer who attends San Luis Obispo’s Academy of Dance.

“It’s a lot of fun to teach them, but it was a little intimi-

dating because they’re older,” said Oksana, who studied the waltz on YouTube. “I think they’re doing pretty well,” she said during a practice session.

After the sessions—which included about 10 gatherings fitted into the court members’ busy school and extracurricular activity schedules — the court ate dinner or dessert at the Moscosos’ home.

Besides preparing for traditional waltzes, Alessa worked on her surprise dance with her damas, with the help of her former dance teacher.

Alessa and four girlfriends practiced on weekends at home, keeping it a secret from the chambelanes and guests.

The music included Kanye West’s song “Stronger,” representing a very American moment in her quinceañera.

The buildup

Alessa Moscoso’s grandparents — Salomón and Gloria Hernández — flew in from Guatemala for her big day. Her aunt, Ingrid, and cousins traveled from Pennsylvania.

Like most quinceañeras, hers was to be an all-day affair.

At 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 12, to her surprise, Alessa awoke to strumming guitars and belted-out lyrics of such songs as “De Colores” and “La Bamba” performed by a mariachi group, Los Vagabundos of Paso Robles.

Her sleepy court of nine and her family members gathered on the lawn as the mariachis set up for the surprise concert outside her bedroom. Then the group met her inside for a dance around the living room.

“The ‘serenata’ was a complete surprise and it was spectacular,” Alessa said.

After breakfast with friends, Alessa was off to her hairstyling appointment at 11 a.m.

In the early afternoon, after resting a bit and applying her makeup, Alessa met her court for a photo shoot at Morro Bay Golf Course. Around 7 p.m., most of the guests arrived.

The party

Festivities began with a slideshow of memories of Alessa’s childhood and videos from family in Florida and Guatemala who couldn’t attend.

In a speech in Spanish, Alessa’s father said that he was ready to “cry with happiness” over her personal growth.

“It’s difficult to believe that 15 years have passed,” he said. “It’s difficult to believe because they’ve gone by so well.”

Glenda recalled not wanting to let Alessa go with the hospital nurse when she was born.

“The night you were born I hugged you tightly until the next morning, and when the nurse came by to check on you, I didn’t want to let you go,” Glenda said.

“It’s hard to believe that my baby is turning 15 already,” she added. “I want you to know how proud I am of you. You have brought so much happiness into my life.”

Alessa danced the night away — waltzing with her father, grandfather and family friend Richard Greek.

Then came the court’s featured waltz to the familiar “The Blue Danube” by Johann Strauss, which they performed magnificently, according to dance coach Oksana.

After some speeches, Alessa hugged her mother and father and thanked her guests, saving the biggest appreciation for her mom and dad. “If they didn’t support me like they do, I don’t know what kind of life I’d be living,” she said.

Two days later, when her aunt and cousins returned to Pennsylvania, Alessa shed a few tears, according to her mother. Her family members had gone, and the fun of the past several months was over.

“I am a little sad that it is over because I had a lot of fun getting together with my court and practicing our dances,” she said. “However, I know this was an experience that I will remember forever.”