TORRINGTON – Last week, Torrington resident Olga Olivares’ decorated a corner of her apartment with skeletons, masks and candles – but the display had nothing to do with trick-or-treaters, and instead showcased her faith, family and fierce cultural pride.
The Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos is a multi-day Mexican holiday that focuses on remembering and praying for friends and family members who have died. Celebrators often create altars with skeleton figurines, flowers, candles, photos and mementos of the deceased.
“Yesterday, we just went over pictures of the ancestors, our life experiences and what we remember,” Olivares said Thursday. She and two of her 11 children spent the morning honoring those who had passed on. “I shared with my children yesterday … we’re a long line of Texans. My family lived in Texas when it was Mexican territory, so my ancestors decided to remain in the United States and become American citizens. In a way, this country came to us, we didn’t come to this country.”
Olivares said she cherishes her Mexican-American roots and has devoted her life to sharing its importance with her family and others.
“I’m very proud of our heritage,” Olivares said. “I grew up in a bicultural, bilingual family. My father was fluent in English and Spanish, and from him I learned pride in being an American, that I needed to extend my hand to a person who was in need, and to always be proud of who I was. From my mother, I learned a strong faith in God and the Catholic church. I also learned a lot of my cooking skills from my mom and my grandma, they were excellent cooks.
“Most of my children were born, raised and educated in Nebraska, and I take a lot of pride in them, as well,” she added.
Olivares said her father was a taxi driver in San Antonio, Texas, before moving to Nebraska to work in the beet fields.
“He thought he’d have a better life, financially, in Nebraska,” she said. “(As) the family could work in the beet fields and make a better income.”
Olivares and her family worked from sun up to sun down in the fields – she said it was hard work, but also “very happy times”.
“We enjoyed music, dancing, cooking, family gatherings – it was very popular in our family,” she said. “I worked in the beet fields as a child and as a mother with my children. It was a good way of keeping my children out of trouble – this gave them an opportunity to work and earn money for the school year. By the end of the day, they were so tired they just wanted to eat and go to bed – there was no time to get
in trouble.”
Olivares’ children and grandchildren have gone on to become nurses, educators, soldiers and more.
“Our ancestors started a stream of hardworking people,” she said. “Work for what you want in life, that’s how you get ahead. We have to make the best of what we have, and I (taught) my children to be proud of who they are.”
Not only her children, but countless others have been touched by Olivares’ passion for her heritage. She has more than 20 years experience as a Mexican-American cultural consultant, including working as a bilingual, bicultural social service specialist, community outreach worker, community cultural educator, domestic violence Latina advocate for the Center for Legal Immigration Assistance, director for the Mexican-American Historical Society Museum in Scottsbluff, Neb., multicultural consultant for the White House Conference for a Drug Free America, Mexican American commissioner as appointed by the governor (Nebraska) and co-chair for the Sheldon (Neb.) Art Gallery’s Dia de los Muertos advisory board. She was also chosen as the Nebraska Hispanic Woman of the Year in 1985 and 1989.
“My children value their Mexican-American culture upbringing – they are proud to be Americans,” Olivares said. “It has been my privilege to teach children of all ages the beauty and richness of the Mexican culture. I hope that by sharing with others, a bridge can be built that will bring us closer together.”
