Día de los Muertos celebrations scaled back in Sonoma amid deportation fears: 'We do not feel safe'

SONOMA, Calif. (KGO) -- The vibrant sights and sounds of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, will look and feel different in Sonoma this year.

Fears of detention and deportation are weighing heavily on many Hispanic families, leading some to skip the annual community celebration at the Sonoma Community Center. Organizers ultimately decided to cancel the usual celebration, opting for an ofrenda or altar lighting instead.

There are two altars outside of the center, and they continue to grow with photos and memories of loved ones who have passed. Each year, more names and faces are added, a testament to the enduring spirit of remembrance.

"This gentleman's father was from Mexico, and they celebrated the crossing not too long ago," said Mary Catherine Cutcliffe, development director at the Sonoma Community Center.

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Inside, workshops during the week help children and parents keep traditions alive, from crafting sugar skulls to making pan de muertos, a sweet bread.

"It's part of celebrating our loved ones who aren't here anymore," said Sonia Mendoza, a volunteer at the community center leading some of the workshops.

In years past, the center's back patio would be filled with as many as 600 people, dancing, sharing food, and celebrating life. But not this year.

"We had dancers, toddlers, adults, everyone performed. There were tamales, tacos, a beautiful celebration of a culture that I wasn't born into, but I love," said Cutcliffe. "This year, we're just not having that day. It doesn't feel right."

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Community leaders say the decision came after concerns about whether it was safe to host a large public gathering. Mendoza said she has heard from at least 75 families who have been living in fear.

"That sense of fear was shared, that this may not be a safe space to come and gather as a large group," Cutcliffe said.

"We do not feel safe as people of color, as Latinas. We feel targeted," Mendoza said. "We don't feel safe going to places, to gatherings. There's so much misinformation and things happening around the country."

While this year's celebration will be quieter, the holiday will still be honored.

"I'm really proud of the community center," Mendoza said. "Especially this celebration, it's a big part of our culture. When other people join, we share our culture with them. That's really important for us."