Some worry about Día de los Muertos commercialization. Expert says it’s always been that way
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Nov. 2 marks the second and final day of the celebration of Día de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday that is quickly becoming a staple of pop culture in the United States.
Maybe it was Disney’s 2017 hit film "Coco," or maybe it was Nike’s Day of the Dead shoes. But nowadays, you can get skull ice trays at Party City, a create-your-own sugar skull wreath kit at Target, and Day of the Dead banners at Michaels.
The commercialization of the holiday is decried by many, but Mathew Sandoval argues it’s not so simple.
Sandoval is a senior lecturer in culture and performance at Arizona State University. In a recent piece for the Conversation, he dove deep into the history of the Day of the Dead — and found that it’s always been commodified. The Show spoke with him to learn about its history.
