Homeless family's Día De Los Muertos altar to be torn down by Caltrans
Homeless family's Día De Los Muertos altar to be torn down by CalTrans
CalTrans plans to tear down a Día De Los Muertos altar built by an unhoused man and his son in San Jose, and the family is asking for the community's help. Miguel Maruyama and his son Alejandro Maruyama of San Jose have been homeless for more than 40 days. They say their service dog ‘Nacho’ died after they became homeless earlier this summer. Now Alejandro must manage his epilepsy without the support of his beloved service dog. KTVU's Tori Gaines reports.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Caltrans plans to tear down a Día De Los Muertos altar built by an unhoused man and his son in San Jose, and the family is asking for the community's help.
Miguel Maruyama and his son Alejandro Maruyama of San Jose have been homeless for more than 40 days. They say their service dog ‘Nacho’ died after they became homeless earlier this summer. Now Alejandro must manage his epilepsy without the support of his beloved service dog.
The pair built their annual ofrenda to celebrate Día De Los Muertos, and honor Nacho, in an unusual place this year: on a lot on the corner of Virginia and Seventh streets.
"I became homeless and then my service dog got killed, so I have nowhere else to build the altar and I decided to build it here since it was an empty place," Miguel Maruyama told KTVU.
The pair was kicked out of parks and schoolyards before they made a place for themselves on a lot near the corner of Seventh and Virginia Streets.
After Nacho died, Miguel says the need to build an ofrenda near their new living space grew stronger.
"It was hard to get everything together again, usually I have everything because every year I build one in memory of my loved ones who have passed away," Maruyama said.
The father and son gathered flowers, plants, skulls, food and colorful paper banners, known as papel picado, to build their altar. Nacho’s memory is at the center of the altar. Visitors can see photos of Nacho’s life while they remember their own loved ones.
Maruyama was informed by Caltrans last week that their altar and their resting place is on state property, and both will be torn down on Monday morning—days ahead of Día De Los Muertos.
Without the altar, Miguel believes Nacho’s spirit wouldn’t be able to find them.
"With the altar, that day, the spirit of the dead person comes to visit you again, so that’s why it’s a celebration for us, because we get to feel the spirit of the person who died to come visit you once again," Maruyama told KTVU.
One neighbor tells KTVU they’ve been thankful to see someone taking pride in their community and their culture. He says it would be a shame to see the altar taken down before the end of Día de los Muertos celebrations.
"I think that would be a disgrace really, to the community and to what he’s doing, really he’s paying respect to those who have passsed and it’s part of our religion and our culture. What was here before was a blight, and what he’s built now is something really beautiful," Salomon Varela said.
An unhoused advocate we spoke to said that wait times for state or county-supported housing can last months, and she's worried where Miguel and Alejandro will go if their shelter is removed.
"It’s a beautiful art installation and if this was at [the Mexican Heritage Plaza] everyone would be taking pictures and posting it on Facebook, but because he’s a homeless man they think just dismantle it and throw it away," Shaunn Cartwright with Unhoused Response Group said.
KTVU reached out to Caltrans for a statement on the altar being taken down, but we have not yet heard back.
If you are interested in donating to support Miguel and Alejandro, please visit their GoFundMe.