Describes the daily life and activities of Mexican Americans in New Mexico during the early 1800s including information about their homes, community, and links to Spain and Mexico.

Information about the foods, cooking, kitchens, and dining customs of the people who lived in northern New Mexico in 1824 and whose culture combined Spanish, Mexican, and Native American traditions.

Focuses on describing the celebration of this rite of passage in the life of a specific Mexican American girl, while also presenting historical background for the occasion.