Day of the Dead in Minnesota was marked by ICE arrests

Volunteers in Mankato are preparing for Day of the Dead in Old Town, where more than 15,000 people are expected to celebrate. They hang colorful paper flags and line the streets with vibrant traditional Mexican folk art. There is mariachi music, Mexican wrestling and vendors selling Marigold– Marigolds – and community altars where people can bring them Offerings To honor deceased loved ones.

Luis Alberto Orozco, 27, of Mankato, serves as this year’s emcee. He loves everything about El Día de los Muertos, having celebrated the holiday since he was a child from Michoacán, Mexico.

“I like to think about when I was at this event, what I felt like as a kid in Mexico during that season,” Orozco said. “When the sky became clear, and we were able to see all the stars in the sky, it was a sign that our ancestors were looking at us during this time.”

Orozco also plays A.J Vihuela-A small, five-stringed, round-backed instrument – and he sings in a mariachi band with his father. This time of year brings all kinds of joy.

“This is a party for our ancestors,” Orozco said. “Just seeing the joy in all the families as they celebrate is why I love what I do.”

He and a group of volunteers help plan this festival each year. But this year, Orozco says, “It was heavier and scarier throughout the months of planning.” He added that the national rhetoric surrounding the federal crackdown on immigration has led to difficult conversations with loved ones.

“I know close family friends who have legal status, but they still get very nervous about just filling up their gas tank after work just because you never know,” Orozco said. “I’m scared because you never know what could happen.”

The fear intensified

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem visited Minnesota on Friday to highlight the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. But anti-immigration rhetoric and harassment have cast a pall over the state, where Latinos plan to celebrate their culture and family heritage with El Dia de los Muertos celebrations.

This fear is evident for many immigrant communities statewide, as many fear drawing attention to themselves. Although deportation concerns are not new, anxiety has now intensified, says Ryan Perez, organizing director of Communities Organizing Latino Power and Action, or COPAL, based in Minneapolis.

“Threatening to say, ‘We will deploy the National Guard, or we will use force,’ is really extreme,” Perez said. “We saw video of ICE agents, how aggressive they were pushing people to the ground, slamming their faces into the cement. A lot of people said this is a huge escalation in many communities from what was happening before.”

Perez says COPAL MN has heard cases of self-deportations to high-level ICE detention centers. Many immigrants — and even second- and third-generation U.S.-born citizens — try to keep a low profile because of harassment. The impact of this is huge, Perez said.

“We’ve heard from many small businesses sharing that foot traffic is down, visits to restaurants are down, visits to the grocery store are down, and that has impacted school districts,” Perez said. “We’ve heard a lot of families say (who) doesn’t send their kids to school. They’re afraid the kid will come home and mom and dad won’t be there, and that’s a really scary reality.”

It’s not yet entirely clear how much this will cost Minnesota businesses, especially those that serve primarily Latinos, but immigrants make significant contributions to the fabric of the state’s economy and its communities.

Perez says that instead of letting fear overwhelm people into hiding, he said it’s important to continue to show up and give people the power to act.

“My whole belief is that we need to stay present,” he said. “We need to stay visible, and that is the strength of our community.”

“This is for everyone”

That’s why events like Day of the Dead in Old Town Mankato are important for Latinos embracing their identity and culture. Justin Eck, 35, of North Mankato, is one of the event’s founders. He remembers how the event has grown from its humble beginnings in the parking lot of his family’s painting business, to now spanning several blocks.

Ek says he hopes to inspire younger generations that they belong.

“For our community to reflect this identity is a big message to communities across Minnesota that Mankato is a safe place for people to come and enjoy the culture,” he said. “It reflects the youth that exists in our community…to inspire hope and you can see yourself reflected culturally in things that stand out within your community.”

This year’s celebrations are quite challenging given what people are hearing. But Elissa Chavez, 46, of Gainesville, Minn., says she hopes others will come to the festival this weekend.

“It’s a difficult time for our community, but we put that aside,” Chavez said. “It’s a time to come together and have a good time with family, do something different or something we can relate to.”

Luis Alberto Orozco said he has seen how much the event has evolved over the years. When he arrived in Mankato more than a decade ago as a student at Minnesota State University, he was worried about finding connections. He says Day of the Dead in the Old City builds relationships.

“Not only did I get to see the other leaders, but all the people who attended the event themselves (are) like first-generation Latinos, second-generation people,” Orozco said. “It has evolved so much that I feel really safe to be here for me as a person and I can express my culture without feeling afraid.”

For others, it is also about transcending differences and finding common ground. Martha Crowell, 44, of Mankato, says she loves being able to share her customs with her children. Crowell said she hopes others share the purpose of El Dia de los Muertos.

“We’re all just here to celebrate and have a good time,” Crowell said. “We want to enjoy this colorful culture that brings everyone together. Don’t let fear control you. We are stronger together.”