November 5, 2010
Sugar skull candies. Photo: Glen Van Etten on Flickr.
The Mexican tradition of El Dia de los Muertos brings together the living and the dead every November. Elaborate holiday traditions all serve to honor and welcome the spirits of dead loved ones, who are believed to be back for a visit.
The tradition lives on among Mexican immigrants. And most fascinatingly, Dia de los Muertos has become a cross-cultural celebration in America. Listen as host Maria Hinojosa takes you on a journey, preparing to celebrate the Day of the Dead.
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Watch Maria help students at her daughter’s school build Day of the Dead altars in this video produced by The Futuro Media Group’s Nusha Balyan.
A boy looks through the fence on the U.S.-Mexico border.
While some might see Dia de los Muertos as a morbid celebration, it’s usually just the opposite. But one Day of the Dead mass at the Mexico-New Mexico border does have a very somber purpose. The service, held in Anapara, New Mexico (near El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico), is a remembrance of those who have died trying to cross illegally into the United States. Reporter Mónica Ortiz Uribe takes us there.
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Las Caléndulas. Photo: swaminathan on Flickr
Another view on the Day of the Dead, and on fading traditions, comes from artist Luis Guerra. Take a listen to his commentary.
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In the news this week: an Arizona ballot proposition banning affirmative action passed this week, leaving state programs to aid underrepresented students hanging in the balance. And, find out more about how Latinos affected–and will be affected by–the outcome of the midterm elections. Maria talks to Arturo Vargas, Executive Director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials about what it means.
Right-click here to download an .mp3 of this segment.
