HASA’s Día de los Muertos

On October 31, 2026, my tío Pepé passed due to health complications. He had been struggling with his health for a while by the time of his passing, and my grandparents flew to México just in time to be with him when he passed. My grandfather is one of twelve children, and my grandmother is one of eight. Both have had siblings pass, however, this was the first aunt/uncle of mine to pass that I had met (my uncle was one of my grandmother’s older brothers). It just so happened that my tío Pepé passed right before the start of Día de los Muertos celebration, and I was able to place a photo of him at the ofrenda HASA created at their Day of the Dead celebration. The table was decorated beautifully with orange flowers and candles. When I arrived to the event, I became emotional looking at the photo of my uncle. Growing up, my uncle would send my family queso fresco from México. I remember opening the fridge and seeing a massive block wrapped in white paper, knowing immediately what it was. I would peel back the thick paper and take off a chunk of the salty deliciousness. My uncle was also a priest. He was also ordained by Pope John Paul II. Yes, the Pope of the Catholic church. Despite never having spent much time with my uncle, I was so thankful for the ability to celebrate his life with HASA.

When I entered the event, after checking in, they gave me two tickets: one for food and one for dessert. In a separate room they had rice, beans, and cheese or pork tamales. Conchas and soda sat on another table. Every Christmas by grandmother makes pots of tamales and the taste will always remind me of family and the holiday season. As I sat with my friends, I savored the pork tamales and enjoyed the company of fellow students. Seeing the photo of my uncle was so nice, and it was touching to see photos of friends’ relatives, friends, and mentors on the ofrenda.