Dia de los Muertos One of the world’s oldest religious traditions is Dia de Los Muertos, which is annually celebrated on November 2nd and honors deceased family members and loved ones. Celebrants decorate gravestones and/or design “altars” in their homes with pictures of the deceased, their favorite foods and marigolds. The scent of the marigold flower is said to attract the soul of the deceased, inviting them to come home on that day. The Sherman Heights Community Center began one of San Diego’s first community celebrations of this tradition in 1994. This month-long community event now attracts thousands of people during their Dia de Los Muertos celebration.
Teatro Mascara Majica Teatro Máscara Mágica (TMM) is the first Latino nonprofit theatre group in San Diego. Since 1991, it has collaborated with mainstream theatre establishments such as The Old Globe Theatre and The San Diego Repertory Theatre. TMM Co-Founder William A. Virchis headed the drama department at Southwestern Community College for 31 years and was able to debut a number of Latino-themed plays at their playhouse. Fellow cofounder, UCSD theatre professor Jorge Huerta, Ph.D., also made major contributions by bringing awareness of contemporary Chicano/ Latino theatre through his authorship of books and plays he directed throughout the nation. Both were inspired in their theatrical initiatives by playwright Luis Valdez, who has frequently said there’s still much progress to be made by mainstream playhouses in embracing Latino-themed performances on their stages.
Día de los Muertos display (Photo courtesy Latino Legacy Foundation)
Multi-Color skulls (Photo courtesy Eduardo Dorantes)
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San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 5 – The Chicano Cultural Renaissance
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