Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
An Ancient and Modern Festival
Mexico's Special Relationship with Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead in the United States
Ritual Communication and Community Building
US Day of the Dead as Political Communication: A Moral Economy
Day of the Dead in the US Media: The Celebration Goes Mainstream
The Expanding Hybridity of an Already Hybrid Tradition
The Commoditization of a Death Ritual
Conclusion: What We Can Learn from Day of the Dead
Methodological Appendix
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
"Regina Marchi speaks
directly to all of those wondering how Mexico’s tradition of
re-membering the dead within living communities became USAmerica’s
newest holiday. The book thoughtfully records the voices of significant
Chicanas/os whose traditional and non-traditional approaches initiated
this transformation."—David Avalos, Visual
and Performing Arts Department, California State University San Marcos
"Marchi provides a
unique and valuable account of the rise of Day of the Dead celebrations
in the US, demonstrating the complex dynamics of ethnic and cultural
identity in the contemporary cultural economy, urban community, and
media environment."—Eric W.
Rothenbuhler, author of Ritual
Communication and co-editor of Media
Anthropology
"What a difference a day (the Day of the
Dead) makes! In the U.S. in the past generation, a Latin American
family/religious ritual has been reinvented as a holiday of
ethnic pride that builds bridges between new and settled
immigrants, between Latinos and Anglos, and across cultural
identity, consumerism, and political protest. Regina Marchi
reveals all this in a marvelous work, a rare blend of charm,
grace, attentive field work, and theoretical savvy."—Michael Schudson,
author of The Good Citizen: A
History of American Public Life
Description:
Honoring relatives by tending graves,
building altars, and cooking festive meals has been an honored
tradition among Latin Americans for
centuries. “El Día de los Muertos,” has enjoyed renewed
popularity since
the 1970s when Latino artists in the United States began expanding “Day
of the
Dead” north of the border with altar exhibits, performance art, Aztec
danza,
and other public expressions. This “exotic” celebration has been
featured in newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, museums, and commercial
venues across the country.
Regina M. Marchi combines a mix of ethnography, historical research,
oral history, and critical cultural analysis to explore the manifold
and unexpected transformations that occur when the tradition is
embraced by the US mainstream. Day
of the Dead
in the USA examines the influence of the mass media, consumer
culture, and globalization on the growth of El Día de los
Muertos, providing insights into the power of public
ritual to create community, transmit oppositional messages, and advance
educational, political, and economic goals.
About the Author:
Regina
M. Marchi is an assistant professor of media studies and an
affiliated professor of Latino studies at Rutgers University. A former
journalist, Marchi is the author of numerous articles and a contributor
to Religion, Media, and the
Marketplace (Rutgers University Press)Relevant Links:
