When a life-size skeleton dressed like the Grim Reaper first appeared on a street altar in Tepito, Mexico City, in 2001, many passersby instinctively crossed themselves. The figure was La Santa Muerte - or Holy Death - a female folk saint cloaked in mystery and controversy that had previously been known, if at all, as a figure of domestic devotion: someone they might address a prayer to, but in the privacy of their home.
The only citywide festival of its kind in the nation is a celebration for the Chinese diaspora, signifying a time when the boundary between human and spiritual realms is thinner.
Under Governor Hochulâs proposal, individuals could be detained due to perceived inability to meet basic needs, not imminent danger, expanding state power over marginalized groups.