STUDENT LIFE

As an urban sociologist, this event is a wonderful example of community, culture and urban art coming together. The altar project is my way to educate people on the history, meaning and origins of Día de los Muertos. CYNTHIA V. DUARTE, PhD Director, Sarah W. Heath Center for Equality and Justice, Assistant Professor, Sociology

CREATING SOCIAL JUSTICE ALTARS CELEBRATING DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS IN THE 1970S, A SOCIAL JUSTICE FOCUS WAS BROUGHT TO DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATIONS IN BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES. CAL LUTHERAN STUDENTS ALTAR-MAKING CLASSES FROM THREE CLASSES WENT THERE LAST FALL TO EXPERIENCE ONE OF THESE CELEBRATIONS. STUDENT Latinos and Public Health GROUPS CONSTRUCTED ALTARS TO COMMEMORATE A Sociology of Death and Dying SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE. THE ALTARS WERE DISPLAYED IN THE STUDENT UNION AS PART OF CAL LUTHERAN’S Power and Privilege ANNUAL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION SPONSORED BY THE LATIN AMERICAN STUDENT ORGANIZATION.

Leo Perales, Junior

Major: Sociology Hometown: Van Nuys, CA

Altar Honored Six victims who lost their lives in school shootings throughout the nation

“My group shared the victims’ unique stories by gathering pictures and writing short biographies describing their personalities. We added the student’s favorite color, crayons, erasers and flowers, and offered traditional pan de muerto along with snacks they loved.

Creating our altar and seeing other amazing altars allowed me to step back and recognize major issues occurring within our communities. I came to see how delicate life can be and learn to appreciated it more.”

Yarelin Cantu, Junior

Major: Sociology Hometown: Santa Paula, CA

Altar Honored Latina women who have committed suicide

“I had created an altar in the past, so my role within my group was guiding and explaining the meaning as well as the steps on altar-building. I found an individual and wrote about her and her suicide, along with a picture to honor her.

As someone who identifies as Latina and has grown up celebrating Día De Los Muertos, the class and the project really gave me a wider understanding of the celebration.”

Chanyang Song, Freshman

Major: Sociology Hometown: Pacifica, CA

Altar Honored Children experiencing inhumane treatment in immigration detention centers

“We identified detention center children then wrote short narratives about them based on information from their death certificates and anecdotes from people who knew them. Our altar tried to show how innocent children experience injustices no human should ever have to live through— in a country that boasts freedom and a chance for new life.

The entire experience felt surreal. The suffering these children went through didn’t and shouldn’t make any sense. It made me reflect further on how easily we ignore inhumane action simply because we don’t see it.”