From the Nominator

At University of California, Irvine (UCI), Latinos make up 25% of the student population. UCI’s School of Social Ecology has the most Latino students (46%), so it was fitting for the school to host a free and public Dia de los Muertos celebration. Together with our sponsor, Northgate González Market, our school was able to honor our Latino community with a respectful and festive event. More than 1,000 members of the community attended the well-received event, at which we featured dance, musical performances, a student-created altar, and a lively concert by the two-time Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Divas. The crowds were treated to free traditional foods, as well as sugar-skull decorating and face painting. We also created an online altar, open to anyone who wanted to honor a deceased loved one. The Mexican holiday, traditionally celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2, is a joyful event that cheers the soul, and that was our aim. Those in attendance learned about the special tradition and left enlightened. This reaction from a 51-year-old real estate agent sums it up best: “The Mariachi Divas were amazing. The tamales were so good. We loved the face painting, all the activities, and the beautiful altar. Everyone was so positive. I was able to introduce my daughter to something traditional from our heritage. The most important thing was the amazing cultural representation. What an opportunity to inspire kids like my daughter to aspire to be students at UCI.”

From the Judges

Wow! The Día de los Muertos event by University of California, Irvine really exemplifies how a university should do and execute a culture event at their institution. Extremely well received event because of its authenticity and ability to connect with its larger community. Kudos for incorporating of student groups/talents and music throughout. Great work, UC Irvine!