Remembering our Loved Ones - Dia de los Muertos
Growing up in the Catholic church, I remember going to Mass on All Saints and/or All Souls day and hearing that we were praying for our loved ones and all those faithful departed, but as kid I didn’t really get it. I was sheltered in that I hadn’t experienced much loss yet and mostly just understood it as another Holy Day of Obligation.
As I started studying Spanish in school and the Mexican culture, I developed an appreciation for Dia de los Muertos and an emerging understanding that Dia de los Muertos has some common (and many other distinct pre-Spanish Aztec) roots from the All Souls day of my childhood. I love how the Mexican culture’s celebration enhanced the connection between the living and the dead. As an adult that appreciation grew as I studied and learned more about the history and tradition.
When Disney released Coco, I was excited, but skeptical. I was worried that it would have the same failings as Pocohontas in terms of cultural insensitivity. Don’t get me wrong, I still love me some Colors of the Wind, but I regret the missed opportunity to teach this history in more transparent way. However, when I took my family to go see Coco on Thanksgiving night in 2017, I was moved to tears and blown away. I thought Coco knocked it out of the park. Beyond the story and the spectacular animation, I loved how Disney used LatinX animators, actors, consultants to bring this vibrant tradition to life and built on universal themes to share this story across cultures. Big fan!
I also love how Coco as a film allows me to reinforce in child-appropriate ways, remembering and carrying forward those we have loved and lost. We watch it together and talk about those we love who have left us and how we can keep their memories alive.
Our family has some really important loved ones we want to celebrate and remember on both my side and Aaron’s: my best friend and his mother, all of my grandparents, two uncles, two cousins, and all those that came before, Aaron’s mother, sister, and the beloved grandfather who raised him. We want our kids to know them. I want them to hear the stories and share the laughter.
In our last assignment, we were stationed in San Antonio, a city with a thriving LatinX community, and had the opportunity to celebrate Dia de los Muertos with our neighbors. I was moved by the offrendas (especially those honoring Laborers and Labor Rights activists) and public art, by the music and the food, and I was so grateful for the community welcoming us and sharing their culture with my family.
Offrenda by Artist for Emma Tenayuca she organized the largest strike in San Antonio history, the Pecan-Shellers’ Strike of 1938. She was called “La Pasionaria” (“The Passionate One”) due to her efforts on behalf of the working poor of San Antonio
As we embrace this tradition in our family, I am mindful to do so learning from and supporting LatinX educators and craftspeople and creators and to consider the celebration in the socio-political context that Mexican and other LatinX immigrants and nationals experience. This was easier to do in San Antonio and pre-COVID where our community had plenty of festivals and programming with LatinX artisans to support. This year, we’re going to keep it really simple. Tonight on Dia de los Muertos we will watch Coco again together, we will eat some Sugar Skull cookies and we will share stories and memories of our loved ones.
