Abstract
Illustrating how the commodification of minoritized ethnic cultures in US commercial spaces is a paradoxical phenomenon, the 2021 Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration held in New York's Rockefeller Center commemorated Mexico's Indigenous Oaxacan culture while virtually ignoring New York City's large Oaxacan immigrant population. Elite institutions and commercial venues can increase the visibility of minoritized communities and their cultures within a mainstream society that has historically marginalized them, but the values and intentions of ethnic traditions can be lost in the process. Comparing the Rockefeller Center event to examples of other US Day of the Dead celebrations held in highly public commercial venues, this article illustrates the tensions and negotiations between cultural visibility, exoticism, and exclusion. It concludes by drawing attention to dynamics and practices that should be taken into consideration when planning such events.