Honoring My Loved Ones on Día de los Muertos
I've struggled to keep my grandma and aunt with me since their deaths. But this year, I decided to honor their memories—and show them my life as an adult—by making my first día de los muertos altar.
Cat Cardenas, who was an associate editor at Texas Monthly from 2019 to mid-2022, is a Latina writer and photographer from San Antonio. She graduated from the University of Texas in 2018 with degrees in journalism and anthropology. While at UT, she founded the university’s first National Association of Hispanic Journalists chapter, and in 2016, she was one of four UT students selected to report on the Olympics, which she wrote about for a number of U.S. newspapers. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times, the Texas Tribune, Teen Vogue, and Paper Magazine. During her time at Texas Monthly, she reported on issues such as immigration and focused on the state’s minority communities. She never passes up a chance to write about her favorite subjects, which include her family, the San Antonio Spurs, Kacey Musgraves, and Selena.
I've struggled to keep my grandma and aunt with me since their deaths. But this year, I decided to honor their memories—and show them my life as an adult—by making my first día de los muertos altar.
By Cat Cardenas
Irving Castillo hadn't seen his family in fifteen years. At the 'Hugs Not Walls' event, they were able to reunite—for 180 seconds.
By Cat Cardenas
Javier Peña, as a character, was popularized through the Netflix series 'Narcos.' But the story of the real Peña—who lives in San Antonio—and his quest to end the reign of Pablo Escobar is bigger than a screen.
By Cat Cardenas
Six ofrendas created by San Antonians to celebrate día de los muertos.
By Cat Cardenas