Día de los Muertos and Chicano Activism
Today, Día de los Muertos is celebrated as a time to honor and remember those who have passed. In the 1970s, this celebration also served as a powerful act of political resistance within the Chicano movement.
Día de los Muertos takes place each year on November 1 and 2 and reflects the belief that those who are remembered never truly cease to exist.
Today, colorful skulls, or calaveras, papel picado decorations, and ornate altars have become recognizable symbols of the celebration. For Chicanos in the 1970s, embracing this Indigenous and Mexican tradition within an Anglo-dominated society became a statement of resistance; it was a statement of pride, identity and defiance. Revisiting this history reveals how Día de los Muertos continues to carry political meaning in the United States today.
Regina Marchi, author of Day of the Dead in the USA: The Migration and Transformation of a Cultural Phenomenon, notes in an interview with Rutgers University that during this period, Chicano artists grew frustrated with the whitewashing of U.S. history—particularly the erasure of Mexican American contributions.
In response, many of these artists traveled to rural Mexico to learn traditional rituals firsthand, then reintroduced them to their communities through art, like altar installations, and street processions during Día de los Muertos celebrations. Marchi explains that these efforts led to the first secular Día de los Muertos celebrations in the U.S. in 1972. This cemented the holiday as part of the broader Chicano movement.
At its core, the Chicano movement sought social justice and cultural pride for Mexican Americans. Día de los Muertos became one way to achieve that by transforming a cultural celebration into an act of political resistance and a declaration of solidarity.
Today, Día de los Muertos remains a vibrant display of Mexican heritage and, for many, a continuation of that same resistance. Last year, altars and vigils honored not only family members but also victims of wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East turning remembrance into a form of political expression.
In some cities this year, however, celebrations have faced cancellation over fears of immigration enforcement targeting Latino communities. In that context, simply celebrating Día de los Muertos becomes an act of resilience and defiance much like it was in the 1970s.
Research shows that the holiday’s deeper political dimensions help communities strengthen identity and reclaim public spaces. As Marchi explains, Día de los Muertos acts as a form of ritual communication that marginalized groups use to resist oppression and affirm belonging.
Día de los Muertos is more than just a cultural holiday; it is a day to remember loved ones who have passed and to remind others that these traditions and their people are here to stay.
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