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LULAC To Stage Day Of The Dead Procesión De Honor For The Victims Of COVID-19

Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization to Mark Annual Cultural Celebration in Peaceful Protest Remembrance of Loved Ones Lost Due to Coronavirus

Washington, DC – The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in partnership with Cara Mia Theatre is holding a remembrance vehicle procession protest in Dallas, Texas on Day of the Dead on November 1st in honor of the men and women who have died as a consequence of COVID-19. “This event is our community’s way of sending a message to America that Latinos have suffered disproportionately and needlessly in this pandemic,” says Domingo Garcia, LULAC National President. “We are the country’s essential workers and the price we have paid and are still paying is far too high because some of our elected leaders see Latinos as expendable and have failed to enact policies that protect us,” he added.

A highlight of the desfile-protesta are three towering calaveras 12-feet tall. The massive caricature skeletons are being handcrafted for the event, a cultural celebration of the lives lost due to the pandemic while also challenging the political events surrounding their deaths. The calaveras include La Abuelita, in honor of the universal maternal spirit. Also, La Corona del Covid, symbolic of the deadly virus that killed our loved ones illustrated by the crown of COVID-19. The third massive skeleton is La Trompuda, a caricature displaying the words, “Not My Fault”.

“The desfile is based on the Mexican and Chicano or Latin-American tradition of protesting through art and that even in pain, Latinos find a way through sardonic humor to laugh in the face of loss or death,” says David Lozano, Executive Artistic Director of Cara Mia Theatre, who conceived the project idea. His cultural event has won the support of bilingual educator & award-winning author, Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford. Roni co-authored, along with her son, Aarón, a children's tale about a Mexican family creating their altar to remember and celebrate the memory of their loved ones, who have died, during el Día de los Muertos. Miguel and the Amazing Alebrijes was written at the invitation of the Disney-Pixar children's storybook team, to highlight and accompany the Academy Award-Winning movie, COCO. “This event is our answer as a people to COVID-19 that nothing will conquer us and our spirit surpasses even death because we are never forgotten by our familias. We continue to live in them,” says Ms. Rivera-Ashford.

To join the Day of the Dead Caravan for Victims of COVID-19, go to: info@caramiatheatre.org

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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/