Some ways non-Mexicans can be respectful this Día de los Muertos, presented by your local trans Mexican:
Don’t base and assume everything about this tradition from popular media like Coco, as great as it is, it was still ultimately produced by a white multi-billionaire company that exploits its workers that tried to take the audience’s attention from actual Mexican cartoonists that wanted to make a movie about our tradition (yuppp, that’s Disney for you)
If you’re not Mexican and you want to do Mexican sugar skull makeup, I really really encourage you to do just a regular skull instead. Although I am okay with people using this as long as they are respectful and understand the roots and culture behind it, I know a lot of Mexicans that are not and I support their stance since I am very wary of non-Mexicans using them.
Don’t make jokes about this day, as someone that actually has deceased family from Mexico and plans to celebrate this, I cannot stress enough how disrespectful this
Educate yourself about our traditions if you want to, but don’t pretend to know more than actual Mexicans please
Don’t mess with our ofrendas please. Again, super disrespectful.
Actually don’t mess with anything related to this day, not even flowers of cempasúchil or sugar skull. Period.
Don’t dismiss our tradition as a dumb superstition or anything like that. For many of us this day is really important, including myself, and that is entirely disrespectful towards us and our cultures (you shouldn’t dismiss any holidays/special days for other cultures either!)
Above all, educate yourself and instead of making this about you, use this day to highlight Mexican voices rather than your own.
Thank you! Gracias! Feliz día de los muertos!!!
Non-Mexicans are encouraged to reblog, without comments
