Despite concerns about potential involvement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), crowds filled the streets of downtown Redwood City to celebrate Día de los Muertos, an event with roots in Mexico that honors the deceased.
Face painting, mariachi dancers and local small businesses lined Courthouse Square to mark the 15th edition of the event, organized by Casa Círculo Cultural.
While the atmosphere was primarily celebratory, some vendors expressed concern that the fear of immigration enforcement had hurt their business.
“The majority of the people don’t feel secure,” said Norma Soto of Estella’s Apples. “I feel that’s played a role in slowing down our sales.”
“I wish the city would do more to support the immigrant community,” she added.
Redwood City Mayor Elmer Martinez Saballo has previously stated that the city’s police department does not participate in immigration sweeps following unverified social media posts about ICE activity.
Still, Soto didn’t feel the turnout was as low as she anticipated, a sentiment shared by many attendees.
“It’s surprising. I expected there to be fewer people, but look around,” said social media content creator Pluma Coria. “It’s packed.”
The Redwood City Police Department, along with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, was on hand with booths, speaking with residents and offering face painting.
Many attendees came dressed in costumes, a nod to the dual weekend celebrations of Día de los Muertos and Halloween, which often fall during the same week.
The more spiritual aspect of the event was evident in vehicles adorned with ofrendas, or altars for the deceased, which are symbolic gestures of remembrance.
Dozens of cars featured mini altars in their trunks, filled with photos, flowers, sugar skulls and other decorations honoring family members who had passed away.
“It’s our way of letting our family know they are with us always,” said Lucia Alvarado of San Carlos.
The Casa Círculo Cultural adult theater group performed a short play for the crowd, summing up the holiday with, “Tonight, even death smiles.”
