Every year on November 1, Mexicans celebrate Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead, a day of gatherings, often held in cemeteries, in remembrance of those who have passed away. Thus, it makes good sense that local Tucson religious groups have chosen today for a service in memory of undocumented immigrants who passed away this year while attempting to cross the unforgiving Sonoran Desert.
This past fiscal year, the bodies of 182 migrants were found in the Arizona desert. Every year many individuals attempting to cross illegally into the U.S. through this region succumb to the elements. As border enforcement continues to ramp up in certain areas, prospective migrants are increasingly pushed into the most desolate and dangerous stretches of desert. Despite efforts to educate Mexicans on the dangers of making this crossing, many, unimpeded by these risks, attempt the journey anyway, for some resulting in tragedy.
Today at 5:30pm local religious groups have organized a service for these fallen immigrants at the Pauper’s Field at Evergreen Cemetery, 3015 North Oracle Road. In the celebratory spirit of Día de los Muertos, the memorial service will be followed by a reception with food, drink and Mexican music. This is the second consecutive year that this service, titled “Remember the Migrant,” has been held.
Día de los Muertos is one of the most important Mexican holidays, a combination of prayer, communal gathering and celebration, all revolving around the remembrance of those who have passed. On this day, families gather in cemeteries, around the graves of loved ones. They also prepare offering or ofrendas for the dead in their homes, collections of items that were of significance to the person who has passed. Although prayer for the dead is an important element of this holiday, the central element of Día de los Muertos is remembering and celebrating those who have passed as unique individuals.
Because of this, November 1 is a particularly relevant day in which to remember that the migrants who die each year in Arizona are not simply a statistic, but rather they are unique, loved persons with families, friends and communities. It is sometimes too easy to think of this group of individuals simply as “illegals,” an abstract entity. On Día de los Muertos, some are taking this opportunity to remember the special personalities we lost this year.
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