Day of the Dead in the USA The Migration and Transformation of a Cultural Phenomenon Latinidad Transnational Cultures in the United States 2nd Edition by Regina Marchi 1978821654 9781978821651

1. An Ancient and Modern Festival

Honoring the Dead

Background On Day of the Dead in Europe and Latin America

Day of the Dead Customs in Latin American Countries

Central America

South America

2. Mexico’s Distinctive Relationship with Day of the Dead

Folk and Pop Culture Manifestations

Calavera Imagery as Social Satire

Origins of Mexico’s Skull Imagery

Mexican Calaveras in Print and the Birth of La Catrina

Day of the Dead and Mexican Nationalism

Government Campaigns and Tourism

3. Day of the Dead in the United States

Mexican American All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day Rituals

A Chicano Tradition Is Born

Spiritual and Political

Inventive Traditions as Decolonial Practice

Early Chicano Day of the Dead Celebrations

Chicano Innovations

Impact and Legacy

Negotiations over Ownership

4. Ritual Communication and Community Building

Imagined Community

Communitas

Claims for Public Recognition

5. U.S. Day of the Dead as Political Communication: A Moral Economy

Remembering Migrants

Remembering Labor Abuses: UFW and the Braceros

Remembering Victims of Gendered and Homophobic Violence

Remembering Journalists and Human Rights

Remembering Victims of War

6. Day of the Dead in the U.S. Media: The Celebration Goes Mainstream

Media Attention for an Underrepresented Population

Media as Publicity

Media Coverage Attracts Financial Support

Public Validation for Latinx Neighborhoods

Digital Media

Movies as Educational Medium

7. Appeal, Influence, and Ownership

U.S. Attitudes about Death

From Denial to Acceptance of Death

Widespread Appeal and Impact: Adoption by Non-Latinx Populations

Hybridity and Debates around Authenticity

8. The Commodification of Day of the Dead

Marketplace Offerings

Made in China

Day of the Dead as Marketing Device

Day of the Dead as Tourism and Urban Redevelopment

Nostalgia for the Noncommercial Days (of the Dead)

McMuertos

Coco

Día de los Muertos Barbie

Commerce and Culture: A Long History Together

Communicating through Commodities

Agency, Creativity, and Intention

Conclusion: What We Can Learn from U.S. Day of the Dead Celebrations

Methodological Appendix

Notes

References

Index

About the Author

Series List