Day of the Dead celebrations: Simple fun or cultural appropriation?
The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a vibrant Mexican holiday celebrating the lives of deceased loved ones. In recent years, the international popularization of this holiday has raised concerns that its celebration by non-Mexicans could be disrespectful and even a form of cultural appropriation.
Cultural appropriation occurs when elements of one culture are adopted by another in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way.
But as a general rule, this sort of anxiety is way more prominent in the United States and Canada (and, to some extent, Europe) than in Mexico itself, where most folks are happy to see foreigners join in the fun. This extends beyond the Day of the Dead.
For example, when Warner Bros. canceled the cartoon character Speedy Gonzalez because it was “culturally insensitive,” but eventually backed down after Mexicans expressed their love for Speedy en masse.
Another similar case was the depiction of Mario in the video game Mario Odyssey wearing a poncho and sombrero. Several academics and journalists in the United States decried this depiction as cultural appropriation. But most Mexican players loved “Poncho Mario” and were very vocal about it.
The case of Speedy and Mario exemplifies that for most people in Mexico, using elements from their culture is not frowned upon but embraced as a form of inclusion. However, like any society, Mexico is not a monolith, and its points of view vary widely.
But for most Mexicans, the line between cultural appreciation and appropriation is crossed when individuals or brands take elements from Mexican culture (predominantly indigenous cultures) to make a quick buck and don’t pay proper homage to their origin. Such was the case when the government of Mexico itself called out fast fashion companies like Zara and Anthropologie for appropriating Indigenous patterns for profit and without offering any context.
Then again, there is no hard and fast rule. Take the Disney Pixar Film Coco, which, although making huge profits by appropriating elements from Mexican culture, was widely seen as respectful and even beautiful by most Mexicans.
Regarding the making of the animated film, one of its producers, Karol Anderson, was quoted by the New York Times as saying, “We don’t normally open up the doors to let people in to see our early screenings, but we wanted their voice and their notes and to make sure we got all the details correct.”
But Disney did miscalculate when trying to trademark the phrase “Día de los Muertos” only to back down given the severe public backlash.
This said, there has been a growing concern that Día de los Muertos and regional variants (Like Janal Pixan in Yucatán) are becoming too commercial and straying from their traditional roots.
An example of this type of commodification is Mérida’s Paseo de las Ánimas, which has turned from a solemn procession to a photo op for politicians and people looking to populate their Instagram stories.
So what does this mean for individuals wanting to paint their faces like catrinas or wear ponchos for the Day of the Dead or Halloween? In Mexico — for the most part — not much, unless you act a fool or happen to be on a university campus in the United States.
Then again, it’s a running joke in Mexico that sushi chefs in Japan must squirm every time we put jalapeño into a tuna roll.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer and adventure leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
