DAY OF THE DEAD; LATINOS PREPARE TO CELEBRATE THEIR ROOTS.Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer At 4 a.m. Thursday, the streets of downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or were dark and empty, except for the Flower Market, where 24-year-old Frank Colon was busy bartering over bundles of golden orange marigolds. A CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge senior, Colon had volunteered to shop for the out-of-season marigolds, which were destined des·tine tr.v. des·tined, des·tin·ing, des·tines 1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a classic. 2. to decorate a special Dia de los Muertos Día de los Muer·tos n. See Day of the Dead. [Spanish : día, day + de, of + los, the + muertos, pl. of muerto, dead.] altar built by his classmates Classmates can refer to either:
 , Northridge's Chicano Studies Chicano studies is an academic discipline. Like most branches of Ethnic studies, it incorporates aspects of various other disciplines, including history, sociology, psychology, and literary and textual analyses from the academic studies of the English and Spanish languages. Department later that morning. Colon's zeal for Day of the Dead is not uncommon these days among a young generation of Latinos who are embracing the ritual commemorating the annual return of the souls. ``It's a custom that has really been revived by a lot of younger Chicanos and younger professional types who have gone through college,'' said Lorenzo Flores Flores, town, Guatemala Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the , a CSUN Chicano studies professor, who has also seen the traditional east-side event take hold in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. in recent years. ``It's really in an effort to recapture that culture that people have ignored and in an essence almost taken away from us,'' he said. The two-day ritual, which starts at midnight Oct. 31, celebrates life and death through all-night vigils at the grave sites of loved ones. There, families share special feasts with the spirits they believe return for the occasion and erect homemade altars called ``ofrendas,'' or offerings, that are festively adorned with marigolds, whose petals are sprinkled on cemetery plots or a home's walkway to guide the spirits to Earth. ``Dia de los Muertos is part of my history,'' said Colon, who is part Mexican and Puerto Rican. ``Within my family . . . only when I visited parts of Mexico with my mother would we celebrate. When I got to CSUN our professors reminded me not to oppress op·press tr.v. op·pressed, op·press·ing, op·press·es 1. To keep down by severe and unjust use of force or authority: a people who were oppressed by tyranny. 2. my culture and now I've been here for four years and I've seen it every year. It's a tradition.'' A custom of Mexico's indigenous communities that combines a mixture of pre-Hispanic and Christian European traditions, Dia de los Muertos made its way across the border and into the city's east side in the late '60s through the efforts of Mexican-American artists, said Tomas Benitez, director of Self-Help Graphics, a Chicano art and cultural center in Los Angeles that has celebrated the event since 1974. But enthusiasm for Dia de los Muertos began to fade out in the mid-1980s and has only recently been reinvigorated by student activism triggered by issues like immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. and affirmative action affirmative action, in the United States, programs to overcome the effects of past societal discrimination by allocating jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as minorities and women. , he said. ``The oppression and repression not only invigorates social issues, but carries into the cultural arena,'' Benitez said. ``I despise Proposition 187, but the great thing is that it has been great in getting people ticked off, invigorated in·vig·or·ate tr.v. in·vig·or·at·ed, in·vig·or·at·ing, in·vig·or·ates To impart vigor, strength, or vitality to; animate: "A few whiffs of the raw, strong scent of phlox invigorated her" and active.'' For this year's Viva La Vida celebration at Self-Help Graphics, the overwhelming majority of organizers and participants are youths, said Benitez. ``There's no doubt there's a lot of excitement over the young people who are taking the lead in this. They've taken their rightful place at the front of the parade,'' said Benitez, who recruits a good chunk of his volunteers from CSUN and the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA comprises the College of Letters and Science (the primary undergraduate college), seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Since 2001, UCLA has enrolled over 33,000 total students, and that number is steadily rising. . A testament to the event's growing popularity is the fourth annual Dia de los Muertos family celebration at the historical Andres Pico Adobe House in Mission Hills, which started out with just a handful of people and has grown larger each year, Flores said. Like last year, the San Fernando Gardens community center in Pacoima will send its troop of 24 dancers, ages 7-12, to perform folklorico dances at the event. One of the dancers, 11-year-old Adriana Mateos, said she always looks forward to Dia de los Muertos, a time when she can build an altar for a sister who died young. ``I remember my sister and I remember all the people who have died or who have suffered because family members died,'' said Mateos, who usually places candies, milk and juice on her sister's altar. Altars are traditionally decorated with candles - used to illuminate the path of the souls as they return to Earth - as well as sugar skulls, photographs, a loved one's favorite foods and ``pan de muerto'' (bread of the dead), whose circular shape decorated with bones made of meringue are a symbol of the circle of life and death, said CSUN Chicano studies professor Isabel Miranda. Mexico's fascination with death The fascination with death extends far back into human history. Throughout time, people have had obsessions with death and all things related to death and the afterlife. In past times, people would form cults around death gods and figures. is reflected in the dozens of names it has to describe death - like ``La Huesuda,'' the bony one; ``La Pelona,'' the bald-headed one; and ``La Igualadora,'' the equalizer - because death plays no favorites and everyone is touched by it, Miranda said. ``In Mexico we play with death, we make it familiar so that it doesn't shock us and we're not afraid We're not Afraid! is a website which was created just hours after the 7 July 2005 London bombings as a place for Internet users from around the world to state that they were not being intimidated by the actions of the terrorists. to die,'' said Miranda. ``Dia de los Muertos keeps us in touch with our past, to not forget about our lineage and it's a reminder that one of these days we're all going to leave this world.'' Halloween safety tips Here is a list of Halloween safety tips for trick-or-treaters: Walk on sidewalks, not in the street and cross the street only at corners. Use reflective tape or light clothing to increase visibility. Carry a flashlight. Do not enter any homes without a parent's permission. Costumes should be flame-retardant and fit well. Use makeup instead of masks to avoid obscured vision. Do not eat any treats until parents have checked them thoroughly for tampering. Stay in the neighborhood that you know and go out in a group - never alone. Tell your parents what time you will be home and wear a watch so you can keep to your schedule. Also tell your parents the route you plan to take. Information and tips provided by the American Red Cross American Red Cross: see Red Cross. , Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Fire Department Not to be confused with Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La and other public safety organizations. For a list of Halloween events and haunted houses, see Page 43 in L.A. Life. DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATIONS Dia de los Muertos events in the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles. Fourth annual Dia de los Muertos family event at the historical Andres Pico Adobe House will feature altar displays, crafts, a children's workshop and food booths from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday at 10940 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills. The Mexican Cultural Institute will celebrate Day of the Dead in the traditions of the Mexican state of Oaxaca on Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Institute's gallery at historic Olvera Street, 125 Paseo de la Plaza, Los Angeles. The event includes a procession around Olvera Street, Oaxacan food and music. Reservations required; call (213) 624-3660. ``Viva La Vida,'' the 1997 Day of the Dead celebration organized by Self Help Graphics and Galeria Otra Vez, will feature a ceremonial dance and blessing, an exhibition, workshops, traditional foods and entertainment from 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Self-Help Graphics, 3802 Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Los Angeles. The Dia de los Muertos Exhibit will be open to the public at Self-Help Graphics on Nov. 1-22, Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (213) 881-6444. CAPTION(S): 4 Photos, 2 boxes PHOTO (1 -- color) Children from the San Fernando Gardens housing project wear makeup and costumes for Dia del los Muertos dance practice. Gus Ruelas/Daily News (2 -- color) Children in Oaxaca, Mexico, decorate a cemetery with flowers for a past year's Dia de los Muertos remembrance of the dead Remembrance of the Dead (Dutch: Dodenherdenking) is held annually on May 4 in the Netherlands. It commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of the Second celebration in this file photo. David Sprague/Daily News (3 -- color) Children in death-oriented costumes practice dancing at a community center Thursday in Pacoima. Gus Ruelas/Daily News (4 -- color) CSUN freshman America Aceves works with other students to arranges a Dia de los Muertos altar Thursday on campus. David Sprague/Daily News Box: (1) Halloween safety tips (see text) (2) Events (see text) |
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