Dia de los Muertos, traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, is an opportunity for the Latino community to honor loved ones who have passed away. Among the remembrances taking place this year are two "mock cemeteries" for victims of gun violence, suicide and overdoses in Kansas City's Latino community.
The memorial includes individuals from both Kansas and Missouri. It's an acknowledgement of solidarity and understanding despite a historical divide between Latinos in the Westside and Kansas, says Andrea Garcia, the Community Betterment Coordinator for the Northeast at the Mattie Rhodes Center.
Honoring these victims is something especially important to Garcia. Her brother, John Paul Garcia, was killed by gun violence in 2010.
"We want to acknowledge and we want to give them the place, the platform to honor their family," Garcia said. "Because when you see that other person, they suddenly become a real person, not a street or a neighborhood or something like that."
- Monique Arellano, Community Resource Coordinator at the Mattie Rhodes Center
- Andrea Garcia, Community Betterment Coordinator for the Northeast
