In the spirit of Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, the Latina Women's Network has erected an altar called "A Tribute to Mothers," in honor of loved ones who have passed away.
The altar, which will be on display in the Women's Resource Center through Wednesday, was made because mothers are traditionally the keepers of heritage honoring ancestors, accordion to the group.
The network, a support group for Chicana and Latina women on campus, is encouraging students to bring photos and other personal articles to place on the altars in memory of deceased mothers, grandmothers and other ancestors.
Historically, altars in pre-Columbian times, were built by relatives of the deceased to the god of rain, the goddess of life or the lord of the dead.
Statues of these deities, favorite foods, and other keepsakes adorned the altars in the belief that these objects were necessary the final journey, death, to be a smooth and pleasant one.
Today, altars are displayed in homes to honor the memory of loved ones. Families decorate them with papel picado (paper cuttings), calaveras (skulls made of sugar and paper-mache), personal objects, zempazuchil flowers (marigolds), candles and traditional foods such as tamales, sugarcane and candies.
The altars are a symbolic reminder of the ancestor and it is also meant to beautify, according to Rosa Carillo, the transfer service coordinator and the facilitator for the Latina Woman's Network.
"Altars display items that the deceased cherished in their life," Carillo said. "The altar and the offerings bring them back in spirit.
"Someone who smoked in life may have cigarettes on the altar," Carillo explained. "If the person drank tea, tea would be on the altar."
To draw attention to the altar, the Women's Resource Center sponsored a concurrent poetry reading Wednesday. Eduarda Diaz-Schwarzbach read poems about "Grandmothers," and Georgiana Sanchez read poems about "Mothers."
Susan Luevano, the associate librarian, also spoke about the significance of the altar.
This is the first time the Latina Women's Network has made an altar. Representatives said it hopes to continue the tradition.