KPBS Midday Edition

Día De Los Muertos Ofrendas Honor COVID-19 Victims

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Brooke Ruth / Senior Producer, Radio News

Published November 2, 2020 at 10:47 AM PST

This story was published more than 3 years ago.

An ofrenda at the Sherman Heights Community Center in honor of COVID-19 victims. The alter is part of the Day of the Dead Memorial Project in the San Diego/Tijuana area, Oct. 28, 2020.

This year, the annual observance of el Dia de los Muertos has taken on a special meaning. In San Diego and across California, traditional altars welcoming the spirits of deceased loved ones are now filled with pictures of people lost to COVID-19.

This year, the annual observance of Día de los Muertos has taken on a special meaning.

In San Diego and across California, traditional altars welcoming the spirits of deceased loved ones are now filled with pictures of people lost to COVID-19.

The pandemic has hit Latinos especially hard. While 34% of San Diego County residents are Hispanic or Latino, they account for 62% of the total positive coronavirus cases and 50% of the deaths in the county.

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The COVID-19 memorial ofrendas honor those deaths and also serve as a pointed reminder that not everyone has suffered equally during the long months of this pandemic.

Lori Saldaña, is a former state assemblywoman and a creator of the Day of the Dead Memorial Project in the San Diego/Tijuana area. She joined Midday Edition on Monday to discuss the project.

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Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Brooke Ruth

Brooke Ruth is the senior producer for KPBS Radio News. She previously served as a producer for "KPBS Midday Edition" and a web producer. Before joining KPBS, Brooke was a web editor for four newspapers and a local television station. She began her career in news at the Imperial Valley Press. She has also been part of the web teams at the Napa Valley Register, North County Times, and U-T San Diego. While pursuing her undergraduate degree at UCLA in psychology, she worked on the student newspaper, the Daily Bruin.

See stories by Brooke Ruth