I Am Not your Perfect Mexican Daughter Lesson Plan

Shopping for a dress with Amá, Julia gets frustrated when her mother doesn’t let her get the dress she wants, claiming it’s too revealing. Julia thinks to herself, “Only a year and a half left until I leave home. Then no one will be allowed to tell me what to wear or what to do. Ever.” Is this true? What are some of the nuances Julia might not realize about adulthood apparent in this statement?

To some extent, it is true that when she’s an adult, Julia won’t have parental figures telling her what she can and can’t wear and do. However, adulthood comes with different kinds of authority figures that often have the power to dictate what a person can wear and do in their...