dia de los muertos

10/31/00

CONTACT:
Margie Yu
Public Affairs Asst.
(323) 343-3047

Calendar
of Events

CAL STATE L.A. CELEBRATES
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

Los Angeles, CA -- California State University, Los Angeles will celebrate Dia de los Muertos, the traditional Mexican day of the dead, on Thursday, November 2, 6 p.m., at the Cal State L.A. University-Student Union, Café LA. Writers, artists, performers, and musicians will share works related to Día de los Muertos. Participants may also contribute to a traditional altar in remembrance of their family and friends who have passed away. Call (323) 343-5001.

In addition to the campus celebration, Cal State L.A. has faculty experts available to speak to the media about the cultural festivity. The names of the professors are listed below. Dia de los Muertos, as practiced in the United States, has been known to reflect the merger of ancient pre-Hispanic beliefs about life and death with Spanish Catholic influences, which introduced All Saints Day and All Souls Day after the Spanish Conquest.

For more information, call the Cal State L.A. Public Affairs Office at (323) 343-3050.

Raquel Ackerman
Associate Professor of Anthropology; Ph.D., University of Cambridge-King's College
Dr. Ackerman is a specialist in linguistics and South America.

Jon L. Olson
Professor of Anthropology; Ph.D., Michigan State University
Dr. Olson is an expert on Mexico, economic anthropology and medical anthropology.

Elliot Oring
Professor of Anthropology; Ph.D., Indiana University
Dr. Oring's expertise is in the fields of folklore and theory.

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