for the people next door

Neighbor Radio · Listen together

Coming of Age

A first hug at 40, a bat mitzvah, a teen asking when she can wear a hijab, a Caddo father, five quinceañeras at once, a bookmobile in the migrant camps and a temple band. Growing up, next door.

About 20 minutes · Free, no sign-up

Before you press play

Works well with families, youth groups and classrooms. Ask grown-ups and kids the same questions and compare.

Play it on a laptop or TV with the screen on, since most voices are short videos. Each neighbor is introduced by a short card. You can pause after any voice to talk.

Content notes. A Native woman who grew up in migrant farm camps: A hard childhood, with poverty and a mention of knife fights.

Who you'll hear

  1. A Japanese American woman on learning to hug her parents. Hugging my parents for the first time · Discover Nikkei (Japanese American National Museum) · 2 min
  2. A young Jewish woman remembering her bat mitzvah. My grandfather's smile · Yiddish Book Center, Wexler Oral History Project · 2 min
  3. A Muslim mother and daughter. When can I wear the hijab? · StoryCorps · 2 min
  4. A Caddo father and son. Crying is strength · StoryCorps · 2 min
  5. A group home for kids in foster care. Five quinceañeras at once · Austin PBS · 3 min
  6. A Native woman who grew up in migrant farm camps. The bookmobile · StoryCorps · 3 min
  7. A Japanese American musician at his Buddhist temple. The temple drum that started a band · Discover Nikkei (Japanese American National Museum) · 2 min
  8. A Mexican American neighbor. The one name they couldn't change · StoryCorps · 3 min

The order rotates between plays, so no tradition always goes first.

Talk about it

  1. Which coming-of-age moment was most like yours, and which was most different?
  2. Who was in the room, or the front row, for these young people? Who was in yours?
  3. Is there a moment you became 'grown up' that nobody celebrated?
  4. If a friend invited you to a bar mitzvah, a quinceañera or a temple festival, what would you want to know first?

Let anyone pass. Listening is the point.

Try it this week

If you're invited to a quince, ask the family beforehand which tradition they're most excited about, and watch for it.

Read more: I'm invited to a quinceañera. What is it, and what do I do? · neighborradio.com/ask/what-is-a-quinceanera-and-what-do-i-do-as-a-guest/

Neighbor Radio is a free project of Hope for Americans. Every voice is a real neighbor telling their own story, played from the storyteller's own channel. neighborradio.com/radio/together/coming-of-age/