Introduction : a transborder communication phenomenon
1. An ancient and modern festival
Historical background on Day of the Dead in Europe and the Americas
Day of the Dead customs in various Latin American countries
2. Mexico's special relationship with Day of the Dead
Folk and pop culture manifestations
Day of the Dead and Mexican nationalism
Government campaigns and tourism
3. Day of the Dead in the United States
Mexican American All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day rituals
A Chicano tradition is born
Early Day of the Dead exhibits and events
California and beyond adopt the new celebration
Negotiations over ownership
4. Ritual communication and community building
Claims for pubic recognition
5. U.S. Day of the Dead as political communication : a moral economy
Remembering migrant deaths : protesting Operation Gatekeeper
Remembering labor abuses : UFW and the braceros
Remembering indigenous struggles : genocide and repression
Remembering the war dead : a critique of U.S. military interventions
Public celebrations as expressions of unity and discord
6. Day of the Dead in the U.S. media : the celebration goes mainstream
Widespread media attention
Reasons for increased news coverage
News coverage as a resource for financial and institutional support
Publicity and validation for Latino communities
7. The expanding hybridity of an already hybrid tradition
The American way of death
Filling an emotional void
New participants, new directions, and debates around authenticity
8. The commoditization of a death ritual
Exotic and chic cultural capital
Day of the Dead as a tourism/urban development strategy
Longing for the noncommercial good old days (of the dead)
Commerce and culture : a long history together
Commercialization versus authenticity
Conclusion : what we can learn from U.S. Day of the Dead celebrations
