Diego Morales Ibarra is the executive director of Avanza Arkansas, a Little Rock-based organization dedicated to empowering ALICE — or asset-limited, income-constrained, employed — families across the state.
This week, he spoke with Ozarks at Large’s Sophia Nourani about the group joining with Fayetteville’s Community Creative Center to host their annual Día de los Muertos celebration, taking place Nov. 7. Ibarra explains what constitutes an ALICE family and discusses the nonprofit's collaboration with the Creative Center and the Mexican Consulate in Little Rock for next week's event.
Ibarra: ALICE families are families that make less than $42,000 a year, so we are focusing on serving communities of Avanza Arkansans, offering services around the state. We are located in Little Rock, but we partner with different organizations to provide and be able to offer services in other communities.
This is the third year that the event ig oing on. Avanza Arkansas and the Mexican Consulate joined this year. We have the opportunity to partner with them and bring more activities and cultural events to the event that's going to be held Nov. 7.
Nourani: That's very exciting. It looks like you guys are going to have a lot going on — art, crafts, and workshops. And also you’re going to be hosting Trio Hermanitas Alvarez, which we've interacted with a couple of times here at KUAF. Tell me a little bit about what people can expect this year.
Ibarra: “Yes, you can expect this year different activities. This is a family event. We want everyone to come and enjoy. Listen to the music from the Hermanitas Alvarez. They’re going to play music especially for this season, for Día de Muertos, so they have a great performance.
We’re also going to have workshops. One of the workshops is to create mariposas monarchas — butterflies. It’s totally free, and your kids can come. We’ll have rooms where the kids can start doing these activities.We’ll also going to have another workshop where kids can make skulls for decorations.
Besides all these craft activities and the music, we’ll also have models to do our own show from Catrinas. We’re going to have two models dressed as Catrinas, and we’re also going to have a big skull that is going to be worked in during the event. It’s going to be a great activity. And great cultural event.
We’ll also offer for free pan de muertos — that is bread of the dead. This is a traditional bread that is offered in Mexico, and it’s going to be for free for everyone. We’re not going to make the bread, but we’re going to buy the bread from a local business. She’s from Mexico, so she’s been excited to do this bread for us for the event..
“Besides the bread, we’ll also have tamales for free. So if you love tamales also the bread, please come to the event. We’re also going to havedrinks. The drinks for the events- we’re going to have coffee, but this is a traditional coffee to be paired with the bread. We’ll also have a drink called cocolate, a regular latte with coconut flavor to make this more special. All the drinks are going to be free for everyone who comes.”
Nourani: “Wow, that’s very exciting and amazing that you’re going to be able to offer so much for free to the public. I also see that you’re encouraging attendees to bring photos of loved ones for an ofrenda. Maybe tell us a little bit about that. And I see there’s going to be a collective installation- something to do with monarchs? Can you tell me about that as well?”
Ibarra: Yes, we’ll have an ofrenda that day that Avanza Arkansas and the Mexican Consulate will set up in the morning to have the ofrenda ready for all the visitors. We want to invite everyone — if you have a loved one who passed away and if you want to show or bring a photo, please feel free to bring it, and we’ll put it on the altar as a show of respect for someone who has passed away.
The ofrenda is something very traditional- a very respectful thing. That’s why we celebrate life — but we also celebrate the lives of the ones who are not here with us.
Vicente Yáñez is going to do the skull workshop, and Lourdes Valverde is going to do another workshop. We’re going to have two workshops at the event. Everything is free, and we’ll provide the materials for everyone.
Nourani: Will you be at the event yourself? What’s the significance of these Little Rock organizations coming to Northwest Arkansas and representing for this specific event?
Ibarra: Yes. Even though Avanza Arkansas and the Mexican Consulate are located in Little Rock, we offer statewide services. For us, it’s very important to collaborate and participate in these kinds of events to promote the culture and keep our traditions, even though we are not in the country.
We love that this organization and people are interested in seeing our culture and traditions, especially this year. We always try to participate in different events. Avanza Arkansas is doing events in different cities — Northwest Arkansas, East Arkansas, Central Arkansas — also different events for cultural and also educational to provide resources for families.
Nourani: Is there anything else you want to add about this specific event — about Día de los Muertos?
Ibarra: Just saying to please follow the social media from our Community Creative Center. They have really cool resources for the community. Avanza Arkansas also has Facebook and Instagram, as does the Mexican Consulate also has social media. We want to see everyone there. This is going to be a free event, a safe space for everyone, and we just want to have a good time with the people.
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