The Madonnas of Echo Park

The seventh chapter of The Madonnas of Echo Park is narrated by Angie, a Mexican-American woman who is Juan’s wife and Cristina’s daughter. Angie opens her chapter by gushing about her “girl-crush” (125) on Gwen Stefani, whom she admires for her multicultural (largely chola-inspired) fashion sense and her cool girl attitude. Angie nostalgically associates Gwen Stefani with her teenage best friend, Duchess, whom she labels “a Mexican Gwen” (127), hinting at the irony that in spite of Gwen Stefani’s “badass chola” (127) pretensions, she is actually white. Angie reflects that friendship is like a pop song: a melody you fall in love with, only to fall in love with “a thousand other songs in the exact same way” (128). Angie’s relationship with both pop songs and Duchess appears more complex than Angie may realize, however, considering Duchess’s “completist” (125) mentality and long-term devotion to Gwen Stefani after her heyday.

Like Gwen Stefani, Duchess is known for her distinctive style, and makes most of her clothing herself. Duchess also flaunts a confident, regal attitude, boasting that she is the daughter of a gang “queen” (hence, her nickname). Angie fondly details how she met Duchess outside of another friend’s quinceañera practice during her senior year of high school.