Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead Celebration.
El Día de los Muertos blends indigenous and Catholic traditions to celebrate and honor the lives of deceased family members and friends who return each year in November to pay their loved ones a visit. Traditionally, November 1st, el Día de los Angelitos (the Day of the Little Angels), deceased children are remembered, while November 2nd, El Día de los Muertos (All Souls Day), adults who have passed away are honored. Altars are erected in houses and decorated with photos of loved ones, candles, flowers, and their favorite foods and beverages, all in preparation for the long journey these souls will make to visit their loved ones. Families also visit cemeteries and decorate the gravesites of their family members with flowers, candles, and food.
Click here for the UofL Today article about the 2009 Downtown Day of the Dead Celebration, featuring Latin American and Latino Studies and the Yuma 14 altar at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft!
Click here for the Courier Journal article highlighting the 2009 Downtown Day of the Dead Celebration!
Click here for the e-Portal (A&S Newsletter) issue featuring the 2009 Downtown (and University of Louisville) Day of the Dead Celebrations!
Click here for the Louisville Cardinal article featuring the 2009 Downtown Day of the Dead Celebration!
Click here for a photo gallery of the 2009 Downtown Day of the Dead Celebration!
The 2009 Downtown Day of the Dead Celebration, co-sponsored by the Arts and Culture Partnerships Initiative, with assistance from the Latin American and Latino
Studies Program
In 2009, the LALS Program assisted with the following altars:
-Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft: LALS Altar to the "Yuma 14"
-Muhammad Ali Center and the Boys and Girls Club of Louisville: Altar to Michael Jackson
-Frazier International History Museum: Altar to Tito Puente
-Louisville Science Center and the UofL Society of Physics Students: Altar to Galileo
-21c Museum and Mary Carothers and her Fine Arts 2-D Design class: "Going Home", a tribute to all immigrants who have lost their lives while crossing the border.
Our LALS Yuma 14 Altar
This year, the LALS Program erected an altar at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft to the "Yuma 14". In May of 2001, twenty-six
men crossed the border from Mexico
into Arizona and entered the area of the Sonoran Desert known as “the Devil’s Highway.”
Reymundo Barreda, Sr. and his sixteen-year-old
son, Reymundo Jr. left behind the coffee plantations of Veracruz and
made the 2000 mile journey north with dreams of finding work and making a
better living for their families. Three brothers, Isidoro, Mario, and Efraín
González Manzano traveled from Hidalgo.
Other brothers, brother-in-laws, uncles and nephews, and friends joined the
group. Only twelve survived to tell the tale, which award-winning author Luis
Alberto Urrea pieces together in his moving 2004 National Bestseller, The
Devil’s Highway. Those who perished while attempting the perilous journey
across the desert came to be known as the “Yuma 14.”
In 2008, the University of Louisville’s First Initiatives Program selected The Devil’s Highway as the “2009 Book-in-Common” to be read by students, faculty, and staff at the university and also by members of the Louisville community. In the spring of 2009, the Latin American and Latino Studies Program chose to create an altar to the “Yuma 14” to remember these 14 souls who lost their lives while chasing a dream of a better life.
We know little about these fourteen men who lost their lives tragically under the scorching sun of the Arizona desert. Surely in their hometowns in Mexico, the families of the “Yuma 14” have erected altars to welcome their loved ones home from their long journey. We have no portraits to display, nor lists of their favorite foods, drinks, and passions; however, we hope that the silhouettes and individual altars we have created will serve as tokens of remembrance that they are not forgotten.
The Latin American and Latino Studies Program has collaborated with the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft as part of the UofL Arts and Culture Partnerships Initiative in an effort to embrace the rich traditions of the many members of our community who have roots in Latin America but have chosen to make Louisville their home. By celebrating El Día de los Muertos, we hope to convey the dream that one day there will be no need for walls that separate our borders, and that in the future, people will be free to cross the borders in both directions, like the monarch butterflies that migrate from Mexico to Canada and return home each year.
Acknowledgments for the "Yuma 14" Altar
The Latin American and Latino Studies altar to the “Yuma 14” captures the spirit of the University of Louisville’s Arts and Culture Partnerships Initiative because it is the result of an enthusiastic collaboration among many students, faculty, staff, and community members. I would like to thank the following individuals and groups for their cooperation and invaluable assistance:
Karen Welch, Director of Public Arts Programing at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft
Students of the Latin American and Latino Studies Program
Christy Metzger, Director of the First Initiatives Book-in-Common Program
Dr. Tricia Gray and the students of her Introduction to Latin American and Latino Studies and Issues in Latino Politics class
The UofL Bonner Leaders and the Civic Engagement Leadership Service
Dr. Gabriela Nuñez and the students of her English 549 class
Ideas to Action students from the Delphi Center
Students of my Spanish 355 class and other students of Spanish classes at UofL
Mr. Ben Ruiz and other members of the LALS Steering Committee
Carlos and Graciela Ruiz, owners of the Panadería Mexicana, who baked the “pan de muertos” the “Bread of the Dead, which adorn this altar and others. (8730 Westport Rd.).
And a very special thanks to Mary Carothers, Professor of the Hite Art Institute, who created the evocative silhouettes for the altar. Please visit 21c Museum to see the “Going Home” altar that she and her 2-D Design students created as a tribute to all immigrants who have lost their lives while crossing the border.
With gratitude,
Rhonda Buchanan
Director, Latin American and Latino Studies
Student Reflections on the
The Devil’s Highway
and Quotes
from the Book
The Devil’s Highway is available in the KMAC Giftshop on the 1st
Floor!The epigraph:
I lost my mind
And I lost my soul
And I know
That I’m never going home.
--THE SIDEWINDERS
“They were seeing Gods and
devils….They were beyond rational thought. Visions of home fluttered through
their minds. Soft green bushes, waterfalls, children, music. Butterflies the
size of your hand. Leaves and beans of coffee plants burning through the
morning mist as if lit from within. Rivers. Not like this place where they’d
gotten lost.” (3-4)
“It's just a few more miles.” (137) “Every time Mendez
tells the walkers this, I can see how he is reassuring himself as well as
keeping the status quo with them. I feel that this quote conveys the fear and
pressure of illegal immigration as a whole; fear of risking one's life and the
pressure to succeed, whether for family or, in the case of Mendez, personally.
The desert becomes the main character as well as the setting. It is the desert
who disenchants the Mexican's dreams, resulting with the reality of death.” –
Amanda Chahalis, Anthropology Major/Minors in Latin American Studies, History
and English
“Urrea’s historical perspective and cultural analysis
of immigration politics is a tragically poetic account of the failed attempt of
one group (the Yuma
14) at crossing the Mexico/Arizona border. His description of their journey,
which led to many deaths by hyperthermia, is a brutally compelling and
humanizing account of “the undocumented”. Who were the Yuma 14? Twenty-six men (the Wellton 26)
struggled across the Mexico-Arizona border, through the desert known as the
Devil’s Highway; only 12 lived to tell the story. Most were poor coffee farmers
from Veracruz, Mexico, heading North in hopes of
securing meager wages to send home to their families and help feed their
children.” – Jenna Williams, Cultural Anthropology Major/ Minors in Latino
Studies Minor, Spanish, Social Change, Communication, and Political Science
“I found this book to be thought-provoking and
wonderfully informative. Luis Alberto Urrea paints an elaborate picture of the
Yuma 14's journey and of the perspectives of various role players involved in
issues of undocumented immigration in the U.S. southwest." – Jesse
Payne, Majors in Psychology and Philosophy and
Minors in Latin American Studies and Political Science
“These young men from Mexico found that having the lure
of the “American dream” just within their reach overwhelming. Poverty,
unemployment, and hunger needed to be things of the past and they all believed
that crossing the border into the United States would be the answer
to their prayers.” – Heather Dean, English Major
“The desert is given a complex life story, replete
with history and personified as a cruel and mysterious purveyor of hope. What
could have been just a fact-laden account of current events instead becomes a
lyrical prose that lulls the reader (much like the Pollos) into a fantasy of
faraway dreamscapes. But just as quickly, we are returned to reality with the
tale of its insatiable hunger for human life. . . . Urrea has written this
novel to immortalize the events so we never forget, to expose the criminals and
to celebrate the heroes that lie beneath the stereotype. It is a check and
balance on the quickly forgotten, emotionally-charged, ratings-driven news reports
and articles. The book is a vehicle for Urrea to espouse his own beliefs as to
the culpability of all who have the power to change the lives of the powerless,
but choose to exploit them or remain silent.
The novel is intended to spark dialogue and debate that could save
countless lives from the horrors the Yuma
14 endured.” – Sarah Arenas
“Urrea makes a compelling argument about rethinking
our current border policies without explicitly treating border politics. By
investigating and retelling stories of this group of men he puts human faces on
the border problems that are constantly argued and puts an urgency into finding
a solution.” – Student from Dr. Gabriela
Nuñez’s English 549 class
“This text placed a face on those who perished in the
desert. Up until this point I had no idea of the sheer magnitude in which
people suffered in an attempt to better their life. It made me value life and
brought cultural awareness about my neighboring country.” – Andrea Greene,
Spanish major and Latin American Studies Minor
“The Devil’s Highway illustrates the ways in
which humanity, social constructions, ethics, loyalty, and trust are complex
issues that become more intensified along the border. By showing where the Yuma 14 come from
physically, psychically and emotionally, Urrea shows the humanity of these
men.” – Suzette Higgs, English Graduate Student
“The Devil’s Highway made me more aware of the
hardships many Mexicans go through to cross the border. It is hard to be
sympathetic when you are ignorant about what is really going on. We never hear
about these horrible deaths on the news. This book truly expresses the
corruption of the entire situation.” – Jenny Raymer, English Student
“The Devil’s Highway stirs the soul with its
depictions of desperation and loneliness in an all consuming landscape. But, it
gives its biggest contribution when it reminds us that the Yuma 14 is also the Wellton 26. Even
survivors suffer grave losses.” – Student from Dr. Nuñez’s
class
“The Devil’s Highway opens up readers to the
true horrors of what border crossing really is. The land that many Mexican
immigrants (including the Yuma
14) seek out is a land filled with hopes dreams, and promises…land that use to
be theirs. America’s
past is filled with taking, never giving. With closed borders how can America
possibly give the promise of a better life?” --Sara Jones, English Major and
Political Science Minor
“For me, The Devil’s Highway pulled together
new information about the particulars of the North and Central American economies.
I was provoked to question who benefits from and who causes the violence and
suffering associated with the border region.” --Mia Coleman, English
Graduate Student
Comments from the Selection Committee
“I hope that UofL’s Book-in-Common program makes a
valuable contribution within our community as we undertake this year-long
dialogue related to human movement broadly speaking, and the myriad of issues
that accompany that theme. With the co-curricular programs such as book
discussions, film screenings, and lectures, we try to offer a balanced
perspective so that through the experience participants will develop
their critical thinking skills, will augment their respect and understanding
for diverse ways of thinking and being, and will gain a better understanding of
the complex issues affecting our community. With so many unique people coming
together to form the fabric of our university, we hope that the common reading
also can help participants connect with and learn from one another through this
shared dialogue.” -- Christy Metzger, Director, Office of First
Year Initiatives
In The Devil’s Highway Luis
Alberto Urrea writes a compelling narrative based on his painstaking research
about the Yuma
14 that challenges us to define border crossing as a human-rights issue. Urrea’s
compassion complicates static and nativist narratives about immigration and
immigrants that flood our daily news. I selected this text because Urrea’s
relentless images and vivid descriptions coupled with his pedagogical
descriptions of the complex workings of the border will undoubtedly encourage a
timely dialogue about immigration and the dynamic demographics of Louisville.” – Dr.
Gabriela Nuñez, Assistant Professor of English
"The Devil's Highway is a
book that provides our campus with a rare opportunity to discuss the human
dimensions of contemporary immigration issues and the pursuit of the American
Dream. Urrea is a savvy journalist who
spools out his true story of life and death in an Arizona desert with brutal honesty and deep
compassion. The power of this prize-winning book is that it doesn't flinch from
providing readers with an honest portrayal of a tragic incident and the
implications for our lives today." – Patty
Payette
"I appreciate the careful consideration
of all sides of the issue of immigration by the author. I also see great
possibilities for curricular and co-curricular connections to the text's theme.
I am more energized each day as I come across even more ideas around this
book!" – Pam Curtis, Director of the
Office of Civic Engagement, Leadership, and Service
“I became invested in learning what
happened to those men, how, why, and who was to blame, including the men
themselves. The answer to these questions, like many other the text raises, is
addressed by a thoughtful, well-researched, and unsentimental perspective
incorporating complex issues, including politics, class, family, gender, and
race. It's not a book easily forgotten.” --
Carrie Wright, English Composition
Professor
“The Devil's Highway puts a
human face on one of the great issues in our nation's present and future. I
learned a great deal from it, and I felt it was remarkably fair to the whole
range of individuals involved in the harrowing events it reports. It's a book
that fosters understanding of our country's neighbors--and our own.” – Tom Byers, Professor of English and
Director, Commonwealth
Center for the Humanities
and Society
The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea
“It makes what currently passes for our public debate over illegal
immigration seem appallingly abstract and tin-eared. The Devil’s Highway
isn’t just a great book, it’s a necessary one.” --Austin American-Statesman
In May 2001, 26 Mexican men scrambled
across the border and into an area of the Arizona desert known as the Devil's Highway.
In artful yet uncomplicated prose, Urrea captivatingly tells how a dozen men
squeezed by to safety, and how 14 others, whom the media labeled the Yuma 14, did not.
Nominated for a Pulitzer prize for this book, writer and poet Luis Alberto
Urrea tracks the paths those men took from their home state of Veracruz all the way norte.
Their enemies were many: the U.S. Border Patrol ("La Migra"); gung-ho
gringo vigilantes bent on taking the law into their own hands; the Mexican
Federales; rattlesnakes; severe hypothermia and the remorseless sun, a
"110 degree nightmare" that dried their bodies and pounded their
brains.
Confident and full of righteous rage,
Urrea's story is a well-crafted melange of first-person testimony, geographic
history, cultural and economic analysis, poetry and an indictment of
immigration policy. It may not directly influence the forces behind the U.S.'s
southern border travesties, but it does give names and identities to the
faceless and maligned "wetbacks" and "pollos," and
highlights the brutality and unsustainable nature of the many walls separating
the two countries.
(Adapted from the amazon.com Publisher’s Weekly Editorial Review)
The 2008 Downtown Day of the Dead Celebration, co-sponsored by the Latin American and Latino Studies Program and the Arts and Culture Partnership Initiative 
Since 2002, the LALS Program has co-sponsored the UofL campus celebration of El Día de los Muertos, which is organized annually by the Spanish Division of the Department of Classical and Modern Languages. In addition to the campus celebration, the LALS program collaborates with UofL’s Arts and Culture Partnerships to celebrate El Día de los Muertos with area museums.
In 2006 LALS collaborated with the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft by organizing a panel discussion on El Día de los Muertos.
November 1 - 8, 2008, the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft (KMAC) and the 21c Museum displayed altars created by UofL students and faculty members of the Latin American and Latino Studies Program, the Hite Art Institute, and the Department of Fine Arts, as well as altars by other artists and community members. This collaboration was directed by Peter Morrin, Director of the UofL’s Arts and Cultures Partnership Initiative, which encourages interactions between the University of Louisville and our city’s museums, historical homes, and other cultural institutions. During the fall semester, meetings were held at KMAC, 21c, and UofL to plan a week-long celebration of the Day of the Dead. The planning committee included members from the university and the community:
1) Arts and Cultures Partnership Initiative: Peter Morrin and Janna Tajibaeva, Program Assistant to the LALS Program
2) Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft: Kevin O’Brien, KMAC Director, Karen Welch, and Brittney Lunsford
3) 21c Museum: William Morrow, Director and Kent Getsinger
4) UofL Hite Art Institute: John Begley, Christopher Fulton, James Grubola, Gabrielle Mayer and Ché Rhodes
5) Latin American and Latino Studies: Rhonda Buchanan, LALS Director
6) College of Arts and Sciences Scholar-in-Residence Luci Mistratov, Designer of LALS Posters
7) Miguel Lagunas, Director of Arco Iris Latino and LALS Committee Member
In 2008, the LALS program erected a special altar at KMAC to remember César Iván Aguilar Cano, the four-year-old Guatemalan boy whose disappearance from his house near Churchill Downs prompted a massive search that united the entire community. Christopher 2x, the representative of the Cano family and founder of Fight Crimes Against Children Partnerships arranged for Rhonda Buchanan to meet César Iván’s mother Rosalina Cano Quinteros so that she could learn more about César Iván and the way in which the Day of the Dead is celebrated in Guatemala. Based on this interview, students of the LALS program created an altar that displayed César Iván’s portrait and his favorite foods, drinks, and toys. In addition, LALS held a Christmas toy drive to benefit Fight Crimes Against Children Partnerships. The donated gifts were distributed in December to children whose families have been victims of homicide.
The LALS program also collaborated with 21c Museum, where additional altars were erected. Students of Christopher
Fulton’s Mexican Art and Architecture class and several LALS students paid homage to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo with an altar constructed in the form of a bed, with Frida’s portrait prominently displayed. Gabrielle Mayer and students of the Hite Art Instutute (including LAS minor Sarah Oesterly) honored "Las Muertas de Juárez," the many women who have been murdered in Juárez with an installation of suitcases, each of which was a miniature altar representing the final journeys of the victims. Ché Rhodes, Head of the Glass Program, and his students created a unique portal for the spirits to pay a visit from the Great Beyond. In addition, Lexington-based artist Robert Morgan created an elaborate site-specific altar that reflected his experiences in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Both the KMAC and 21C altar spaces were adorned with whimsical silk paintings, created by UofL Scholar-in-Residence Luci Mistratov and her students, which were inspired by the Mexican art of cut paper known 
as papel picado. The evening of November 1st culminated in the blessing of the altars by Father David Sánchez and a candle-lit march that headed down Main Street and passed through 21c before heading back to KMAC.
Photo provided by the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft: http://flickr.com/photos/35339500@N00/sets/72157608601837362/
The Latin American and Latino Studies Program was recently featured in a UofL Today article about the Downtown Day of the Dead Celebration! Click here for a link to the article!
