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

Chapter 6: Day of the Dead in the U.S. Media

83 Chapter 6 Day of the Dead in the U.S. Media The Celebration Goes Mainstream “Ten years ago,” says an elderly native of San Diego,“I saw just one article, one tiny little mention in the paper saying,‘Come see Day of the Dead.’ Now you see feature articles in the newspapers, which ten, fifteen, or twenty years ago,you never saw.Nothing was ever done to honor the Latino culture anywhere here in San Diego County, which is staggering, if you think about it, because we have lots of Latinos here and we’re kissing the border.”1 If the growth of Day of the Dead celebrations and their coverage in mainstream media is news to natives of California, where there has long been a large Mexican presence, it is even bigger news in areas of the United States that, until recently, have had few, if any, Latino residents. Newspaper articles about Day of the Dead were barely on the media radar in the 1970s, but the holiday today is routinely featured in the front pages of the metro, region, culture, arts, and calendar sections of mainstream newspapers across the country, usually accompanied by colorful photos.2 As the following examples illustrate, the growing popularity of the celebration is itself a topic of headlines: Homage to the dead in Día de los Muertos draws thousands to Seattle Center—Maria Gonzalez, Seattle Times, November 2, 2003, Local News, B1 For a growing number of Atlantans: Navigating life requires honoring the dead—Yolanda Rodriguez, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 6, 2002, 1E Celebration carries a legacy; Day of Dead marks launch of new programs —Grand Rapids Press, [Michigan], November 2, 2005, City & Region, B4 Day of the Dead celebration is alive and well in Cleveland—Jesse Tinsley, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 21, 2006, Metro, 3 Día de los Muertos is bustin’ out all over the place—Eduardo Cuan, San Diego Union Tribune, October 28, 2004, Entertainment, 21 This chapter will discuss how media coverage has not only popularized the celebration among the general U.S. public, but has helped facilitate an imagined community of Latinos. In seeing themselves and their communities depicted positively in the mainstream media, commonly in the front pages of newspapers and magazines, many Latinos feel a sense of cultural pride. Although Day of the Dead articles are not the only positive stories written about Latinos, they represent a sizeable number of stories published each fall. As we shall see, media coverage of Day of the Dead has helped teach about this celebration, dispelling misunderstandings and legitimizing it in the eyes of potential funders, the general public, and Latinos themselves. This has contributed to the growth of the celebration, to the point where it is fast becoming a new American holiday, embraced by Latinos and non-Latinos alike. In fact, the mainstreaming of Day of the Dead itself is a topic of news: “From San Francisco to Austin to New Orleans, ‘The Day of the Dead’ is becoming more and more widespread. It’s not just something for Latinos anymore.”—Anne-Marie O’Connor, Day of the Dead crosses borders, Los AngelesTimes, October 31, 1998, Metro, 1 “Day of the Dead has become an event whose meaning crosses ethnic and social boundaries. . . .The first day of November marks a transborder happening whose regional popularity rivals that of St. Patrick’s Day.”—John CarlosVillani,There’s lots of life in Day of the Dead, Arizona Republic, October 29, 2000,A&E, 1 “The holiday was once a rare sight in New England, but will probably become routine for many here.”—Raphael Lewis, Locals fete ancestors with Day of the Dead, Boston Globe, November 5, 2000, Metro, B5 Widespread Media Attention Media coverage of Day of the Dead comes in a variety of forms.There have been Día de los Muertos episodes on prime-time television shows such as PBS’s American Family (2002 season) and the popular HBO series, Six Feet Under (2002 season) and Carnivale (2003 season).A recent John Sayles movie, Silver City (2004), included a Day of the Dead scene, and theTim Burton film Corpse Bride (2005) was filled with Day of the Dead imagery. Widely read Day o f t h e D e a d i n t h e U S A 84 travel publications such as the American Automobile Association’s Horizons and Westways magazines and the Elderhostel Annual...