On Wednesday, 15 young women wearing traditional quinceañera gowns, ascended the steps of Texas State Capitol building to protest a recently passed immigration enforcement law, Senate Bill 4. The bill, which has been nicknamed the “Show Me Your Papers” law would allow for law enforcement to ask for proof of residency during any routine detention, and police chiefs could receive jail time if they prohibit their officers from following the law, NPR reports.
The political rally, titled “Quinceañera at the Capitol,” was organized by Jolt, a political advocacy group whose mission is to mobilize Latinos across the state, the Huffington Post reports.
The advocacy group, chose to use a quinceañera theme for the protest because the cultural tradition “highlights the bonds of family, community, culture and brings people together through celebration.”
“Texas has become ground zero for the fight for the rights of immigrants and Latinos,” Cristina Tzintzun, founder of Jolt, told NPR. This last election we saw Mexicans and Latinos demonized and criminalized and really scapegoated. And so we want legislators to know and Trump to know that we won’t sit idly by while legislation of hate is passed. That our communities are going to organize and mobilize.”
During the protest, the young women danced to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton hit “Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)” and “Somos Mas Americanos” by Los Tigres del Norte. After finishing the coming-of-age rite of passage, the young women proceeded into the Capitol to speak with legislators about the harmful impact of the law before it goes into effect on September 1.
“Using [this] quinceañera is showing that as an adult and as a Latina, we are responsible in voicing those who cannot speak for themselves in the moment,” Maggie Juarez, one of the young women who participated in the quinceañera protest, told NPR.
These young women are dedicated to fighting for social justice—and they’ll do it in style.