Noche de Altares [Extra Credit/Make Up Post]

I attended a Dia De Los Muertos event in Santa Ana, CA this past Saturday, November 7 called Noche de Altares. I was debating if I should post about my visit to this event because I only took one photograph. However, I really want to share the photograph I took because the altar really moved me.

Dey's altar, part of Orange County Immigrant Youth United

I decided to go at the very last minute because my sister persuaded me to go see the altar her friend Dey created. When I saw it, I immediately thought of Delilah Montoya because of her Sed: The Trail of Thirst installation we had just seen the week before during class presentations and of my family’s experiences. I couldn’t help but feel saddened and humbled when I saw her altar. I feel migrants become dehumanized by people when terms such as illegal, alien, and other labels are used. Seeing Dey’s altar humbled me because it is easy to forget this is not only a political/policy issue, but also a human rights issue because people risk their lives and some die coming to America.

Deliah Montoya's Sed: Trail of Thirst

Seeing the other altars was also interesting because people honor those who have passed away in very different, creative ways. I saw an altar that had beer, candy, and hot Cheetos incorporated because the people being honored enjoyed those items.

Another altar that really caught my attention was one dedicated to Selena Quintanilla, the Queen of Tejano music. I enjoy listening to her music, but I never considered creating an altar for someone other than close relatives and or friends. The more I thought about, I realized her music changes people and maybe the creator was really impacted by her music. I decided to do a quick Google search and came across this Buzzfeed list of reasons why she inspires people, so I thought I'd share it for those who aren't familiar with her HERE. I included photographs that my sister’s friend took of the altar dedicated to her.