The word death is not pronounced in New York, in Paris, in London, because it burns the lips. The Mexican in contrast, is familiar with death, joke about it, caresses it....
Octavio Paz

For Chicanos in the United States, death is omnipresent. We are intimately familiar with the social forms of death: poverty, disease, crime and violence. Psychological death also affects our quality of life as racism erodes dreams, aspirations, and the potential of the human spirit. Alienation among the living is a form of dying.

Thought the word "death" or "la muerte" burns our lips, we must pronounce it. In uttering the word aloud, we gain recognition of our responsibility to ourselves and our community. Only then can Chicanos confront the social forces which threaten the death of our identity and culture.

In this exhibition we explored the impact of "La Noche de Muertos." or "Dia de los Muertos," on Chicanos from the United States who traveled to Michoacan to experience this event. Our journey had a two fold purpose: to experience the Day of the Dead as it was celebrated by the indigenous people of Mexico and to share these experiences with others through an exhibition whereby visual artists preserved its cultural essence through Chicano interpretations.

-George Rivera and Aileen F. Lucero