Extra Credit: Dia de los Muertos

Last weekend, on November 1^st, I attended an event in Grand Park called Altares: Día de los muertos. It featured Day of the Dead altars made by community groups, activists, and local artists. It was interesting for me because the themes that were represented in the altars were non-traditional. The altars provided a different perspective on ofrendas and their meaning because they tried to bring awareness to the public. The altars exposed social problems, from the struggle of undocumented workers, unaccompanied minors crossing the border, and current problems in Mexico, such as the 43 students recently kidnapped in Guerrero.

Apart from the altars, the event was well organized and included dances, live music, and face-painting. I liked to see that a variety of people from different backgrounds attended the event. However, I thought that maybe the venue could have been used to expose people a bit more to the diversity of Mexican-American and Chicana/o culture. I have noticed that public events of this kind often include very similar elements that promote a “light” version of “traditional” Mexican culture. It would be refreshing to see more diversity, for example by opening these spaces to different parts of the community, such as inviting Chicana/o artists to expose their work.