Dia De Los Muertos in Mankato

An exciting celebration of Mexican culture

Karina Herrera-Cavazos

A long line of vendors stretches out as far as the eye can see on a cold Saturday afternoon at Riverfront Drive in Mankato. There is the faint smell of cinnamon and grilled meat. Statues of catrinas and colorful sugar skulls adorn the streets. There is a sense of ease and familiarity with this particular Dia De Los Muertos celebration.

Me and my family have never been to this event before, and my father was excited to finally attend this year. There was an impressive event lineup: a Chinelos dance performance, mariachi bands, and even a real luchador fight! Despite our excitement, we got there an hour late due to our perpetual poor planning. However, all was forgiven once we arrived. The music and singing performances were spectacular and comforting. A group of young women were performing covers of music from my parents' generation. My mother and father seemed to swell with pride as they listened. It felt like we had arrived at a home away from home.

These small moments and the overall vibe of the event were great. However, there is one moment that sticks out to me the most. My father was particularly excited about the luchador match. The crowd was initially enthused by the showy entrance of the luchadors. However, once the performing wrestlers started to fight, the crowd fell eerily silent. There was no shouting, no cheering. I felt ashamed at the lack of enthusiasm. I noticed my father had gone silent as well. It felt that this was not authentic enough for him. While everything was great, I felt a twinge of sadness about how there may not be an “authentic” enough Mexican celebration for us in the U.S.. Something will always be missing. However, ignoring my pessimism, celebrations like these serve as reminders of where we came from, and how far we’ve come as a community.