I visited Morelia, Michoacán, México during días de los muertos (day of the dead) in 2024, witnessed and observed cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation; genuine celebration of ancestors and loved ones, as well as commercialization/exploitation of the tradition, all through the intersectionality lens.
by Zhou Fang, Intersectional Group
When I decided to go experience días de los muertos (day of the dead) in México, I was motivated by the nature of the holiday: celebrating and connecting with ancestors and loved ones who've passed. Why? When my grandparents passed away in China, I never got to say goodbye. I was missing a closure. I was also intrigued and curious about the cultural aspect of días de los muertos: it is a colorful and joyous celebration of life and the continuity of someone's legacy. It is a beautiful display of familial love.
What I experienced and learned was almost entirely different from my expectations. I had imagined that we would be quiet visitors and observers. However, we were persuaded to join a tour that turned out to be an exceptionally intersectional experience that involved shock, questioning and self-criticising, analyzing, reasoning, and appreciating.
I will elaborate.
1. The night (Halloween) we arrived in Morelia, we were told that we need to be in a lake-region that's about an hour from the city to have the "real experience". (I am not spelling out the names of the towns mentioned as a protection, knowing that with a simple Google search, readers can find the places. I hope this gesture can serve as a reminder that the local communities deserve peace and protection.) Why? Because those places actually inspired the Disney movie Coco and those cemeteries are "beautiful and look exactly like the movie". Note that the folks who "tipped" us off are not from the region, they are in fact Spanish speaking tourists. In the hindsight, I should have given that advice more thought.
As a result, instead of spending more time in Morelia, which is a beautiful, historical city with rich history and amazing architecture, we signed up for a last-minute bus tour to see the "real deal".
2. Cultural Appropriation. During the tour, I noticed that many visitors painted their faces as Catrina and Catrine. When done tastefully and respectfully, Catrina and Catrine makeups can be seen as a tribute and an appreciation to the Mexican history and culture by tourists and foreigners. However, many tourists see a Catrina or a Catrine face as "fun" "fashion" "trendy" or "exotic". It's relatively easy to tell by observing behaviors: Are they listening to local guides' instructions? Are they loud in front of an Ofrenda? Are they watching their steps in the cemeteries? Are they taking photos and selfies leisurely?
Cultural appropriation, as we know, can be offensive and harmful. From Halloween costumes and makeups to Hollywood's "white people playing Asian", cultural appropriation is everywhere. It requires us to call it out whenever it happens to educate and change behaviors.
3. Tourism and the Economy. Tourism brings in money. It is the truth and reality. In the days leading up to Días de los Muertos, till the end of the holiday, the region was filled with visitors and tourists. Tourists need hotels, foods, drinks, merch, and transportation. Tour guides, vendors, and local attractions, all make significant amount of money in October and November. Hopefully, the money is invested back to education, culture and environment reservation, as well as community development.
4. The missing of regulation and boundary. It took us some time to find a last minute tour. But how? Tour guides rely on a local network that shares information with each other. As a tourist, if you are willing to ask around and ignore questions in your head about the legitimacy of these tours, you can find a bus that will take you. You won't be able to find that information or a rating from a website, though. An obvious problem of such a network is that there is no regulation whatsoever. You won't really know if you are charged fairly, if you will be back to your hotel at a reasonable hour, if your safety is guaranteed, or if you will have water or food. For example, we were offered one small bottle of water per person and no food during the 10-hour tour. However, our guides were very friendly and protective of our safety. They tried to make sure that we understood the cultural significance of the holiday and ensured no one fell behind.
At the cemeteries, where families set up ofrendas and have "dinner and conversations" with ancestors, tourists walked in and out without any guidance or instructions. Noisy talks were had, photos were taken without permission, flash lights were used, and graves were stepped on. While some younger locals seemed curious about the tourists, elders appeared to be disturbed and overwhelmed. I don't dare to think about what the ancestors must have felt, if they did come back and visit.
Exploitation and Spectacle were the words that came to my mind that night.
5. Cultural Appreciation. While initially I regretted joining a tour, I gradually came to terms that this experienced wasn't all negative. As mentioned above, every October and November, tourists do bring in money to the region. It can have positive ripple effects to families and residents.
For a lot of tourists, it is a really good way to learn about Mexican culture, tradition, and history. Hopefully, when they return to their world, they can share what they learned and spread the love and joy felt during their visit. I, for one, will forever remember this young man who sat in front of his mom's grave, telling me how beautiful his mom was (and still is as an ancestor). His voice was calm and soft, his smiley face was lit by candle lights, his presence was unbothered by whatever that was around him. I will also remember walking by a grave that belongs to an infant. I was able to tell from the photo in front of it. Its family decorated its resting place so that it will never feel alone. I cried walking through the cemetery, with mixed feelings of sadness, frustration, comfort, appreciation, and humility.
With proper regulation and facilitation, Días de los Muertos can be a holiday that is appreciated and celebrated respectfully and properly. Local families and tourists can all enjoy and appreciate the holiday with minimum harm. The question is: When will such regulation be put in place?
6. Días de los Muertos, an Intersectional Experience. In China, we have Tomb Sweeping Festival, or Qing Ming Jie. Every April, early spring, families bring food, drinks, and flowers to visit loved ones' graves. Usually, people clean the graves during that time, hence "tomb sweeping". Días de los Muertos reminds me of my own traditions. They are different, they are also similar. They are both rituals and events that show love and respect to our ancestors. It is sad, it is also fun and joyful.
I ask myself: "Would I feel OK if thousands of tourists come take photos and walk around my family's graves during Tomb Sweeping?" My immediate reaction is "of course not". But what if it could educate and help others appreciate our culture? What if we can find a way to facilitate such events safely and tastefully? I don't have clear answers. It remains as a curiosity that will stay with me for quite some time.
The bottom line is, the lens of Intersectionality helps us appreciate things that are beautiful, controversial, and complex. It can be applied to a variety of events and phenomena that happened and have been happening in our world, culturally, sociatally, economically, and politically. It has the ability to unite and unify.
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Muchas gracias / Xiė Xiė
Zhou Fang (方舟)
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