Americans have a habit of stealing from other cultures. We have stolen the land we walk on and continue to steal the values and heritage of minority peoples through cultural appropriation. A perfect example of this type of appropriation lies in the holidays celebrated by the Latino and Hispanic population.
Day of the Dead – Day of the Dead – is a holiday that is celebrated throughout Latin America, although it is mainly associated with Mexico, and was born from the mixing of the traditions of Catholic missionaries and indigenous populations such as the Aztecs. Taking place in late October and early November, it is a time to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed away.
The holiday has several traditions, such as decorating the graves and putting together wreaths for the dead. However, one of the most popular traditions is face-painted sugar skulls. Skulls symbolize courage and are meant to mock death, but many people who are not of Latin descent do not know this and simply see the tradition as an opportunity to dress up.
Celebrities like Kris Jenner who have posted photos of themselves on Instagram in Day of the Dead costumes illustrate this trend well. In one post, Jenner wore sugar skull face paint and a mariachi band costume, but she didn’t acknowledge the history and values behind the party. They are not the only ones who take advantage of the holiday. The hashtag #diadelosmuertos on Instagram has nearly three million posts under it, many of which feature people of non-Latino backgrounds using captions, demonstrating that people outside of the tradition find it Instagrammable.
Wearing Day of the Dead Halloween costumes – despite the fact that the holiday has nothing to do with Halloween – is one of the most common ways in which Latino culture is appropriated. Knowingly or unknowingly, this is done by non-Latinos to look good in the public eye.
This type of exploitation does not only occur on a small scale with individuals. Well-known and powerful companies have tried to reap economic benefits by commercializing Dia de los Muertos.
In 2013, The Walt Disney Company attempted to trademark Dia de los Muertos for the marketing purposes of an upcoming Pixar film. Disney did not acquire the rights, and they eventually titled the film Coco, which grossed over $800 million at the worldwide box office. “Coco” has won several awards since its debut in 2017.
Some may say that the film aims to reinforce Latino culture and raise awareness, but has it actually achieved that? María Salud Ramírez Caballero, the 105-year-old woman who inspired the character of Mama Coco, has not received credit for her contribution to the film. The city she’s from, which also helped inspire “Coco” and Caballero himself, may be growing in popularity locally, but the world doesn’t know how instrumental they were in the film’s production. . Additionally, the film was not even set to feature an all-Mexican cast or authentic aspects of Mexican culture until public backlash resulted in the production team hiring Latinx cultural consultants. In reality, the only thing Disney wanted to boost was its revenue.
Mattel is another company that has benefited from the commercialization of Day of the Dead. They released a “signature” Barbie doll in September 2019 that wears traditional Mexican-style clothing and a decorative skull-painted face. Mattel charges $75 for this collectible doll, while other Barbie dolls can be had for as little as $20. Corporations like Mattel hide under the guise of representation to collect their profit.
So how can we celebrate a holiday like Day of the Dead without appropriating it? There are a few questions you can ask yourself before you decide to paint your face this Halloween: Who is being honored when I do this? Who is benefiting? Who has the power in this scenario?
If something you’re doing minimizes, mocks, or exploits someone else’s culture for personal gain, that’s cultural appropriation.
There are also many ways you can honor Dia de los Muertos without stealing from the Latino and Hispanic communities. You can visit festivals and museums to observe and educate yourself about the holiday. The Lam Museum of Anthropology at Wake Forest University currently has an exhibit honoring the holiday.
You can also try shopping for Dia de los Muertos merchandise from Latinx-owned retailers. If you really want to draw a sugar skull on your face, go to Walmart and buy makeup designed for that purpose by Regina Merson, a beautiful Mexican-American entrepreneur who founded the brand Reina Rebelde. Let others know that you are supporting this culture instead of stealing from it.
Large corporations that want to highlight Latino culture can create merchandise or media that is inspired by Day of the Dead and donate the proceeds to Latinx-owned businesses, immigrant relief funds, and non-profit organizations centered around Latinx.
Oppressors have already stolen from the Latino and Hispanic communities for centuries, and now is the time to return.
