Day of the Dead in the USA: The Migration and Transformation of a Cultural Phenomenon

by Regina M. Marchi

Honoring relatives by tending graves, building altars, and cooking festive meals has been an honored tradition among Latin Americans for centuries. The tribute, "el Dia de los Muertos," has enjoyed renewed popularity since the 1970s when Latino activists and artists in the United States began expanding "Day of the Dead" north of the border with celebrations of performance art, Aztec danza, art exhibits, and other public expressions. Focusing on the power of ritual to serve as a communication medium, Regina M. Marchi combines a mix of ethnography, historical research, oral history, and critical cultural analysis to explore the manifold and unexpected transformations that occur when the tradition is embraced by the mainstream. A testament to the complex nature of ethnic identity, Day of the Dead in the USA provides insight into the power of ritual to create community, transmit oppositional messages, and advance educational, political, and economic goals.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published June 19, 2009

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 1 out of 5]

got into the preface and thought hmmmmm smells awfully white. maybe it...won't be that bad. extremely redundant, sources seemed sporadic at best, and any interesting details were direct quotes from those sources. got several chapters in and thought it was telling there hadn't been any commentary on cultural appropriation, then i reached this steaming hot take:

"Second, 'authentic' ethnic traditions are commonly thought to exist apart from consumer culture, until 'outsiders' begin to appropriate and commoditize them. Such a position ignores the ways in which cultural traditions and commerce often sustain each other, and overlooks the constructive uses that commoditized events and products may have for ethnic minorities."

followed closely by:

"Moreover, the commoditization of cultural traditions is not something that is done exclusively by 'outsiders.'"

no thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


edit- forgot this gem:

"There was one dedicated to labor organizer César Chávez, several altars dedicated to U.S. military servicemembers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, an altar in memory of the genocide of Native Americans, and one dedicated to the memory of people killed in gay-bashing incidents."

cannot believe that phrasing made it through to publication. ignorant. lazy. dismissive.