Santa Muerte on the Ground : Uncovering the Myth Behind the Skeleton Saint

Abstract

Santa Muerte's role as an unofficial saint is to protect those who live dangerous lives, whether by choice or not. Her alleged involvement and forecast in mass media has depicted her as a saint for the Mexican drug lords and gangs whose violent and corrupted actions have been televised in recent years in the media. It is important to note that her involvement is not just of violence but also of the protection of others, aspects that are not televised or known. This is why my central interest in Santa Muerte is to dispute the already formed misconceptions of her; although her alleged involvement in criminal activities may be true, we owe it to her to learn more about what her true role is and its empowerment to those who are traditionally marginalized by the Catholic Church. Through this investigation of Santa Muerte, I will focus on the traditionally marginalized groups of Mexican and Central American immigrants, women, and the LGBTQA Latino communities in the Los Angeles and San Francisco area. It is through this that I plan on discussing the profound challenge that Santa Muerte represents to the heteronormative values of the Catholic Church who have classed, raced, and gendered, her devotees, as well as their juxtaposition in relation to their identification as Cat