EL MONTE >> Eighteen years old, unsure who you are and what your cultural heritage is, nevertheless captivated by the Latin food, music and dance in your city.

That description likely fits many youths in the El Monte/South El Monte area, and that’s precisely why a play set to be performed Sunday at El Monte High School centers around a young man faced with those issues, organizers say.

“¡Pasaje!” written by 2002 South El Monte High School alumnus Javier Quiroz and featuring music by renowned band Ozomatli, was first performed at South El Monte High in February. The city of El Monte is partnering with the El Monte Union High School District to host Sunday’s free 3 p.m. performance at the El Monte High School Auditorium, 3048 Tyler Ave.

“This play captures the essence of our culture and brings a sense of pride to our community,” said district Superintendent Edward Zuniga. “The story will captivate the audience because the characters featured in the play reflect many of our own personal life experiences growing up and discovering who we really are as individuals.”

The main character of the play is Andy, a self-proclaimed “white boy,” who, on the eve of his 18th birthday, learns that his ethnicity, cultural heritage, family and upbringing are all lies.

Andy heads to the city of Santa Anita, where he meets a beautiful dancer named Marcelina and reformed “gangbanger” Don Miguel, both of whom help him discover his past and understand his identity.

The play is an homage to South El Monte, said Alex Luu, distinguished teaching artist with the Los Angeles Arts Commission and former drama, English and film teacher at South El Monte High School.

“(The play) is a metaphor for the city of South El Monte and as such, is a glimpse into the city’s young and old alike as personified by Andy, Marcelina, Don Miguel and the rest of the play’s characters,” Luu said in a statement. “Their intersecting lives are at once flawed and redemptive, just like the real inhabitants of South El Monte.”

After having successfully sponsored a professional production of “The Nutcracker” in December, the city of El Monte has looked for other opportunities to further support theater arts, said Mayor Pro Tem Jerry Velasco.

“Even though this is a student production, we want to promote our own up-and-coming young artists,” Velasco said.

For ticket information, call the El Monte Union High School District at 626-444-9005.