After Miguel crooned “Remember Me” to Grandma Coco and made the whole world cry in 2017, it was over.
Mexico’s Day of the Dead and its imagery officially crossed into the American mainstream that year. It was long coming, and overall I welcome it: at a time when the former (and possibly future) president refers to Mexicans as a threat to Americans, positive popular images and themes related to our neighboring country and the root of many of our lives can't be anything but good.
Anyone can relate to the concept of honoring one's ancestors, which is why anyone can celebrate Day of the Dead.
By now, after years in which Southern California has led the way in spreading Muertos-cheer to non-Mexicans, the holiday’s sugar skulls and bright cempasúchil flowers adorn products available from Walmart to Etsy, from Pinterest to your town’s tackiest sexy Halloween costume store. There’s no turning back. I mean, there’s already a Coco-inspired "Disney on Ice" show out there.