Alfredo Velazquez watched his father collect colorful flowers during the Day of the Dead and how the people of Oaxaca, Mexico danced, celebrated and shared food to honor their loved ones. I grew up hearing stories about. Years later, Velazquez used his personal connections to teach others about this holiday.
The LatinX Graduate Student Association, the Black Graduate Student Association, and Underrepresented Minority Alumni Associations held a presentation Friday about Día de los Muertos, an indigenous holiday originating from southern Mexico and Central America that honors those who have died. Organized educational events including: Sergio Morales, Communications Director of the LatinX Association and a third-year master’s student in Latin American Studies and Community/Regional Planning, and Alfredo Velasquez, Executive Director of the LatinX Association, invited participants to explore Día de los Muertos. taught about history, diversity, and misconceptions.
Velazquez, a third-year human development and family science doctoral student, said she wanted to host an event with Morales to help people understand the meaning of the holiday as it approaches. Velasquez said he believes some people attend Muertos gatherings without giving back to the community or making an effort to learn about the culture and how the people celebrate.
“People think of this as a Halloween-like event, but (there is) no fear or spooky element,” Velasquez said. “In some communities across the country, it has gotten to the point where people who are not indigenous or non-Latinx are profiting from the holiday by selling merchandise related to (Dia de los Muertos). But they don’t have a real product’ connection with it. ”
Anya Charles, co-president of the Black Graduate Student Association and second-year human development and family science doctoral student, said acknowledging and having conversations with different cultures allows people to participate in cultural celebrations that are separate from their own. He said this is the way to do it.
“When I was in school, we had a program that said, ‘Hey, what are these holidays?’ What do they mean?” Charles said. “If you don’t understand something, it’s okay to have a respectful conversation to understand how important these cultures are.”
Clarissa Aguilar, a first-year neuroscience doctoral student, said she appreciated how early in the presentation the speakers highlighted the various ways Día de los Muertos is celebrated and shared their experiences with the holiday. said.
“(Morales) talked about the dances that would be done and other ways to display altars outside the house instead of displaying the altar inside the house,” Aguilar said. “I love that they made it personal.”
Velasquez said that after Senate Bill 17, LGSA lost its sponsorship from the College of Education and no longer receives funding directly from the Office of the President. Closing down LGSA was an option, but Velasquez said doing so would do more harm than good.
“In the era of SB 17 and a time when our culture is under attack, this workshop feels more important than ever,” Velasquez said. “Despite not receiving funding from the university because of these laws, we made it happen. It preserves the culture and makes others aware of the history and importance of that culture. It’s about getting it.”
