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

Honoring relatives by tending graves, building altars, and cooking festive meals has been an honored tradition among Latin Americans for centuries. The tribute, "el Dia de los Muertos," has enjoyed renewed popularity since the 1970s when Latino activists and artists in the United States began expanding "Day of the Dead" north of the border with celebrations of performance art, Aztec danza, art exhibits, and other public expressions.

Focusing on the power of ritual to serve as a communication medium, 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 mainstream. A testament to the complex nature of ethnic identity, Day of the Dead in the USA provides insight into the power of ritual to create community, transmit oppositional messages, and advance educational, political, and economic goals.

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

Honoring relatives by tending graves, building altars, and cooking festive meals has been an honored tradition among Latin Americans for centuries. The tribute, "el Dia de los Muertos," has enjoyed renewed popularity since the 1970s when Latino activists and artists in the United States began expanding "Day of the Dead" north of the border with celebrations of performance art, Aztec danza, art exhibits, and other public expressions.

Focusing on the power of ritual to serve as a communication medium, 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 mainstream. A testament to the complex nature of ethnic identity, Day of the Dead in the USA provides insight into the power of ritual to create community, transmit oppositional messages, and advance educational, political, and economic goals.

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

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

by Regina M Marchi
Day of the Dead in the USA: The Migration and Transformation of a Cultural Phenomenon

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

by Regina M Marchi

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Overview


Honoring relatives by tending graves, building altars, and cooking festive meals has been an honored tradition among Latin Americans for centuries. The tribute, "el Dia de los Muertos," has enjoyed renewed popularity since the 1970s when Latino activists and artists in the United States began expanding "Day of the Dead" north of the border with celebrations of performance art, Aztec danza, art exhibits, and other public expressions.

Focusing on the power of ritual to serve as a communication medium, 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 mainstream. A testament to the complex nature of ethnic identity, Day of the Dead in the USA provides insight into the power of ritual to create community, transmit oppositional messages, and advance educational, political, and economic goals.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780813548579
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Publication date: 06/09/2009
Series: Latinidad: Transnational Cultures in the United States
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 216
File size: 351 KB

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).

Table of Contents


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
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