Students representing Aurora University’s Latin American Student Organization (LASO) met Tuesday morning in the Phillips Library on campus to honor the upcoming Dia de los Muertos – the Day of the Dead – by setting up an ofrenda, an altar displaying items honoring those who have passed away.
For Aurora University student Rebeka Iniguez, 23, of Aurora, celebrating her Hispanic culture is something she regards as important.
“My mom always creates an altar every year remembering our family members who have passed on,” Iniguez said Tuesday. “We have all of our deceased family members and this is a part of our family. For me, it’s not just a cultural thing. For me, as a human, people who pass away – especially those you really love – you want to constantly remember them and have a special day just for them and go back and remember them.”
Día de los Muertos, celebrated Nov. 1-2, is a tradition in Mexico and across Latin America that celebrates life, memories and the connections with those who have died.
Mariza Rocha, advisor for LASO and also director for Latino Student Initiatives for the university, said the tradition of students erecting ofrendas on campus “goes back at least 20 years” and that it continues to be part of the cultural fabric of the school.
“This is definitely a well-established tradition by the advisors and directors that came before me,” Rocha said. “The students wanted to reconnect with their culture and families in a different way.”
The LASO group, Rocha said, is quite large and meets regularly.
“We have about 80 active members in the group that come together every single Tuesday for a meeting at noon,” she said.
Rocha said students take part in the setting up of the ofrenda “for their loved ones who have passed away.”
“Many times, although many of them are children of immigrants, their immigrant families move away from these types of traditions and so for them it’s an awesome opportunity to reconnect with their parents on something they both now share,” she said. “Many times, they sit down with their families to talk not only about their loved ones that have passed but about their parents celebration of this in their home country.”
Rocha said students participating in their cultural traditions “not only affirm their identity, but the students also have a higher sense of belonging on campus which impacts their academics and well-being at the university.”
“But they also feel more confident and seen and acknowledged, and overall, it improves their experience as students on campus,” she said.
Beginning around 11 a.m. Tuesday, a group of LASO students were busy putting up the ofrenda.
Many, including Natalia Quintana, 21, of Romeoville, credits learning about the Dia de los Muertos tradition as a result of coming to campus and being part of the LASO group.
“This wasn’t something that was really celebrated in my family. We have a grandpa on my mom’s side that died and she never really liked to talk about him because he died at a very young age,” Quintana said. “My mom was 15 when he died. I think we just started to put him up on the ofrenda because she finally accepted the grief and it was more of like a good thing that he was in a new life.”
Quintana said she finds it “a beautiful tradition.”
“You’re celebrating and yes, it’s a time of sadness, but you’re remembering those who have passed but it’s also a time to celebrate them and remember them and bring them food and water and remember them in a good way,” she said.
Anthony Marquez, 20, of Aurora, said he and his family “really didn’t start celebrating this until about 2019” and that he remembered grandparents and even a dog.
“I also lost some friends in a car accident. I really like this because I feel we get to share, not only our friendships but also the memories we’ve had,” he said.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
