LBCC’s annual Dia de los Muertos celebration was filled with food, activities, live music and performances on Saturday at LAC’s P Building courtyard.
Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday that honors deceased loved ones and celebrates the cycle of life.
In the courtyard, people were able to make ofrendas, altars, for their friends and family members who have passed, many of which were decorated with flowers, candles, pictures and any memorabilia dedicated to those deceased.
A symbolic body surrounded by flowers, candles, and incense at LBCC’s Día de los Muertos celebration. (Alex Toledo)
Director of Student Equity Eric Becerra shared that cultural heritage planning and events falls under the portfolio of Student Equity so they put this event on with the help of the Latino student club on campus, Siembra, along with the Social Justice Intercultural Center.
“Dia de los Muertos honors those loved ones who have crossed over and is about remembrance because as long as they’re being remembered, they’re technically still alive and still with us,” Becerra said.
LBCC offers programs and opportunities for anyone who is interested, so Becerra was very pleased by not only the student and faculty turnout of the event, but the Long Beach community that attended to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.
Dean of Student Equity, Sonia De La Torre shared that her and her team’s goal in cultural and heritage programming is a part of their campus efforts to promote a welcoming and inclusive community for all of LBCC’s students.
“This event is very personal for me because I am Latina and this is an important part of my own lived experience and the ways in which we honor our ancestors,” De La Torre said. “What I love is that this is an opportunity for us to really share our traditions and invite people in to experience it as well.”
Member of the Latino student club Siembra, Miguel Zavala, shared that this event is led by the support of faculty and community members, specifically the Indigenous group of people from Mexico, the Zapotec community, that helped provide all the music and performers.
“LBCC is over 50% Latinx identifying campus and Dia de los Muertos is a tradition that happens all throughout the Americas, so this is an opportunity for students to see the roots of their cultures and connect with their cultures on campus,” Zavala said.
Zavala hopes to continue facilitating events like and make them more visible on campus, by having more intentional cultural events.
This is the third year of the Dia De Los Muertos event in this form and many LBCC community members plan to continue it yearly.