Halloween is not the only day when spirits of the dead are
remembered and believed to roam the earth.
On Nov. 1-2, many people will celebrate “Dia de los
Muertos,” ““ the Day of the Dead or All Souls Day
““ as they remember and honor those who have have died.
In observance of the Day of the Dead, UCLA’s Conciencia
Libre ““ a Chicana/o student organization on campus ““
has placed an altar-like display and dozens of pink crosses on
Bruin Walk. The display is dedicated to Las Muertas De Juarez,
which translates to “the dead of Juarez.”
This year’s display depicts how women in the city of
Juarez, Mexico are allegedly being raped, kidnapped and murdered
while walking home from their jobs at sweatshops because there is
little available transportation.
The Day of the Dead goes back more than 3,000 years to when the
indigenous natives of what is now Mexico had rituals to honor the
deceased, especially on the one day they were believed to be able
to roam the earth again.
These rituals included dancing and placing skulls, which
symbolize death and rebirth, around an altar in honor of their
deceased relatives.
Today, many of the same rituals are practiced with a few
additions. Families who observe the day build altars dedicated to
the dead and surround the altars with flowers, food, wooden skulls,
candles and pictures of deceased.
The candles that surround the altars are believed to help guide
spirits back to where their family lives, so they can rejoin the
family on the Day of the Dead, said Jo Anna Mixpe Ley, a UCLA Cesar
Chavez Center staff member.
Some families also celebrate the day by visiting the cemetery
where their loved ones are buried. The families decorate the
gravestones with what was once their loved ones’ favorite
food and music.
Ley said she observes the day by cleansing the altar that she
made at home.
“I believe that the dead are everywhere and that they
don’t just die, so it’s only fair that we pay our
respects to those who have come before us,” Ley said.
In past years, Conciencia Libre has created similar displays for
the day, depicting other political issues that affect the Chicana/o
community. Some past issues addressed include remembering those who
have died trying to cross the Mexican and U.S. border and those who
have gone missing due to political reasons.
Pictures of the women in Juarez, along with facts about these
women, cover the small wooden altar on Bruin Walk. Clothes are
placed inside the altar to remind students they were allegedly
killed coming from a job in which they endured many hours of cheap
labor. Wooden skulls, candles and food were also placed within the
altar.
Victoria Preciado, Conciencia Libre student leader, hopes this
display will be both a way to remember the women in observance of
the day and also bring awareness to the UCLA community about
important issues in the Chicana/o community.
“This display is intended to bring about awareness so that
something can be done,” Preciado said.
Elaine Osorio, a third-year psychology student, stopped on her
way to class to look at the altar and get more information on the
display.
“It’s sad to know that these things are going
on,” Osorio said. “It’s also a very appropriate
time to honor the Juarez victims.”