Politics or oversight?

On November 16th, I wrote the following letter to the editor at the Santa Maria Times:

On October 26th, the Santa Maria Times dutifully reported on the "El Día de los Muertos " display sponsored by the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department, that took place at the Veteran's  Memorial Community Center.
A few days later, another story appeared in the Times, this time it was about the event at Dana Adobe.
It's wonderful to know that the Times writes about this celebration of life that dates back hundreds of years. Anything that makes people aware of cultural differences is a good thing. Learning about other cultures enriches all of our lives.
Having said that, I'd like to know why the Times did not send anyone over to the Town Center Mall to cover the "El Día de Los Muertos" display that has been sponsored by the Mexican-American Scholarship Cultural and Recreation Association (MASCARA) for 17 years.

MASCARA's event had been consistently reported by Times, up to and including last year, so I'm at a loss as to why they didn't merit a mention this year. This event began in Santa Maria as a one day event, when Gina Rodriguez set up a display in her backyard. From there it has grown enough to require the larger venue at the mall.
I'd like to think that not seeing a story in the Times about Gina's event was merely an oversight. However, I do understand that politics seems to enter every aspect of our lives these days and this must be factored into account whether we agree or not, but if this was the case regarding which event to cover in detail, it was, in my humble opinion, the wrong one.

Well, they didn't see fit to publish my letter. I'm okay with that since they're so full of typos, my letter's intent could have been badly misrepresented, rather like what Larry King would constantly do with the questions that the callers to his show would ask. Consequently I'm posting it here, since I feel it was a good letter that raised a good point.

Día de los Muertos

Día de Los Muertos was originally a ritual observed by the people of pre-Colombian Mexico, who dedicated the time not only to the dead but also to the end of the agricultural cycle, the celebration has endured as well as stuck close to its original roots.

Marked by vibrant color, dancing, and feasting, the celebration is anything but the solemn sort of memorial typically seen in the United States. The holiday invites a lively interpretation of the very concept of death itself. The ancient Aztecs believed death wasn’t the end of life, but a continuation of it—the ultimate liberation. Death was actually something to be celebrated, not mourned.

This belief led to Día de los Muertos. When the Spaniards arrived in Mexico in 1519, they were shocked to see the rituals that seemed to mock death. The rites had been practiced for about 4,000 years. Not only did the Spaniards destroy the majority of these civilizations, but they decided to impose Christian beliefs in an attempt to eradicate them their rites. Nonetheless, the festivals endured and mark one of Mexico’s biggest celebrations.

In general, the events take place over two days: November 1 being Día de los Angelitos in honor of children who have died, and November 2 celebrating adults who have passed on.
Wanting to bring this tradition to Santa Maria, Gina Rodriguez decided to put up an altar in her mother's backyard sixteen years ago to honor departed loved ones and to celebrate their lives and memories on Día de Los Muertos. Nine years ago it had grown so large that the displays had to be moved to the Town Center Mall.

As the president of the Mexican-American Scholarship Cultural and Recreation Association -MASCARA- Gina continues the tradition that so many people have grown accustomed to.

The free event, which opened Thursday, continues through Tuesday on the first floor of the Santa Maria Town Center during mall hours.

Gina says that many of the original families have continued to set up colorful altars and offerings, which have grown from year to year to recognize recently lost loved ones.

While altars have grown more creative and elaborate over the years, even the simplest display tells a distinct story, said Rodriguez, whose altar memorializes deceased family members.

Gina says, “Día de los Muertos also helps teach future generations about their heritage, adding “We want children to be aware of who have gone before them and their stories.”

Attendees are invited to bring a picture of a departed loved one to place on the community altar. It was sad for me to take a photo of Dad to place on the family site, but I also was happy to be able to display it on the family site that already had photos of Gina's parents and our aunts and uncles.

If there's a celebration like this where you live, go see it, just don't eat the food, it's there for the departed souls.