COLORFUL DISPLAYS HONOR RITA HAYWORTH, DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS, IN DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION AT NEW AMERICANS MUSEUM

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By Ariele Johannson

November 15, 2014 (San Diego)--The galleries at New Americans Museum on Saturday, November 1, 2014 were filled with visitors who came to celebrate Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, and to learn about this Mexican holiday. The New Americans Museum created an altar installation for dancer and film star Rita Hayworth. The altar was constructed by the museum staff and a group of 18 immigrant students under the guidance of Professor Jose Flores from the University Atonoma de Baja, California where he teaches the origins, analysis, symbolism, and history of Dia de los Muertos. See attached.

The altar dominated The Exhibition Gallery and was constructed with an arch and three levels. It was designed with traditional elements, and adorned with items that show different aspects of the person to be honored. Across the hall in the Community Gallery, a deconstruction of the traditional altar was featured, with small exhibits explaining the significance of the various objects traditionally included in an altar.

The arch at the top guides spirits to the altar that is here in the mortal world. Then the top level of the altar might contain pictures, honey and water, and religious images. The second level includes foods that were especially yummy to the deceased. The bottom level might contain articles of clothing, work items, keys, coins, or other symbolic objects. A cigarette might be placed on the altar if the person smoked. Candy skulls and sugar add sweetness. Flowers and candles make sure the path, so that the spirit goes to the right place. Lastly, bread or “pan” baked with orange blossom tea provides delicious flavor.

The bright red, pink, orange, and yellow marigolds are the flowers of the dead; in Spanish the word is “cempoalxochitl.” All flowers symbolize the beauty and brevity of life. These marigolds, whose blooms can measure two inches in diameter, were chosen in the pre-Hispanic era by the Aztecs to guide the spirits to our world.

Another of the essential ingredients is water or another favorite beverage of the deceased—cerveza, hot chocolate, tequila—to quench the spirit’s thirst, and give him or her strength for the return trip. Salt is provided in decorative ceramic dishes, as well as favorite foods especially prepared for the soul. In pre-Columbian times, “pulque” was the beverage used for a toast to the dead. Made from agave or maguey sap, it was a drink reserved for spiritual ceremonies. After the toast, “pan de muerte” is eaten. This food is thought to be the “bread of the dead” and is sweet egg bread made into shapes. Candles and photos complete the scene, along with other mementos, such as knick knacks or small personal objects. In Rita Hayworth’s altar a path was created on the floor with foil and flowers and lined with candles, to guide Rita’s spirit to her magnificent altar.

Rita Hayworth’s mother, of Irish descent, gave birth on October 17, 1918 in Brooklyn, New York to a daughter, Margarita Carmen Cansino. Rita’s father was a Spaniard and a dancer who eventually moved the family to California. But, Rita was discovered across the Mexican border in Tijuana, where she danced professionally with her father during the high life across the border in the 30s and 40s. Rita’s altar at the New Americans Museum includes photographs of Rita as a child and as a glamorous dancer and actress. One photograph shows Rita with Orson Wells, one of her husbands.

Professor Flores is currently instrumental in installations of other ceremonial altars in various locations, including the Rancho La Puerta Spa in Tecate, Baja California, which was originally founded by Deborah Szekely with her husband. Deborah is the founder of the New Americans Museum, which was established twelve years ago. The museum has been closed for the last four years, and with this current exhibit begins its reopening. Officially, the museum will have a Grand Reopening on Friday, January 16, 2015.

The folks at the New Americans Museum believe that everyone has a story. Their Oral and Visual History Project is ongoing as they compile immigrant stories, some written in essay form and some taped in their personal recording studio at the offices of the museum on Dewey Street. At least a thousand stories of immigrants to America will never die now that they are preserved in digital files. The museum also held a Naturalization Ceremony in 2009 for 101 children from ages 20 months to 16 years. This significant ceremony enabled these children to mark the important event of becoming a citizen of the United States of America.

The museum is dedicated to “honoring all cultures, remembering the journeys, and forging the future in a new land.” Leticia Gomez Franco, the Director of Programs, reminded me of all the immigrant hopes for in their new country: a new life, freedoms, and hope. The museum aims to celebrate and educate others about the contributions of immigrants, especially those since World War II.

Leticia spoke about the immigrant experience contributing to the fabric and imagination of what America is and how the museum’s programs can help to connect those living now with the lives of their ancestors. Leticia explained, “There’s so much possibility; so many things you can do in this country that you cannot do anywhere else in the world.” Letitia invited me to come in with my daughter, who is doing ancestry work on the Swedish side of my family, to record the story of my grandparents who immigrated to the Bronx in New York in the 1920s. She extends that invitation to other immigrants and their families.

New Americans Museum is located at 2825 Dewey Street, Building 202, Suites 101 and 103.

Executive Director: Linda Caballero Sotelo

Phone: 619-756-7707

Website: http://www.newamericansmuseum.org.

Contact: contactus@namuseum.org

 


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