What is Cultural Bereavement?

Family traditions provide comfort during times of change, death or loss. However, for many (im)migrant and refugee families, ancestral forms of comfort are disrupted, lost, or difficult to access. Soyeon Davis and Tida Beattie from MESO are rooted in the work of understanding, caring for, and healing people who experience this kind of grief, called cultural bereavement, and the complex intergenerational impacts of relocation and assimilation.

This presentation aims to raise awareness and encourage dialogue about cultural bereavement, offering attendees insights into the profound complexities of migration-related loss, inherent in the immigrant and refugee experience. As a community member, advocate, scholar, and/or mental health professional, this presentation invites you to reflect upon the resilience, strength, and humanity of those who navigate cultural bereavement.

From this presentation, you will:

- Gain insights of what cultural bereavement entails and how it intersects with migration experiences.

- Explore how cultural bereavement manifests in the lives of individuals, families and communities, impacting their sense of belonging, identity, and well-being.

- Delve into the emotional, psychological, and social consequences of cultural bereavement.

About Your Hosts

MESO is a grief support organization led by Tida Beattie and Soyeon Davis, both trained end-of-life doulas and grief facilitators. Tida’s family immigrated to the US from Thailand. Soyeon and her family immigrated from South Korea. Through their experiences of being long-distance caregivers to immigrant parents, they noticed a dire lack of culturally aware resources on aging, end-of-life care, death, and grief, as experienced in immigrant families. Too often, deathcare education and services reflect the dominant culture and make no space for cultural safety, representation, or relevance.

Tida and Soyeon founded MESO to support caregiving and grief with compassion and a cultural lens. Their practice provides information, increases capacity, and offers personalized support based on the pillars of curiosity, community, and compassion.

The Lakewood Welcome Center

This event will be held in the Lakewood Welcome Center Community Meeting Room. This stunning space offers the perfect opportunity for conversations and education. As part of our vision to reimagine the role of a cemetery in modern life, Lakewood is proud to offer this dedicated community space to gather and explore topics related to death, grief, nature, art and more. Learn more about the Welcome Center.

The Learn @ Lakewood Series

Lakewood is honored to hold space for education and information specifically related to death, grief, urban nature, and art in this new series. Partnering with professionals from many disciplines, we explore ideas, encourage thought-provoking conversations, and exchange fresh perspectives with our community. If you have an idea for an educational event you would like to see at Lakewood, please contact [email protected].

Is there a minimum age requirement to participate?

No, all ages are welcome.

What are my transportation and parking options?

Park anywhere along the roads, except where no parking signs are posted. Metro Transit lines 6 and 23 stop just outside of Lakewood's front gates at 36th & Hennepin Ave., about one block's distance from the Welcome Center. If you come by bicycle, lock up using the rack near the front gates.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

No, printed tickets are not required. We will have a guest list at the door.

What's the refund policy?

Refunds can be issued up to 24 hours before the event starts. Request a refund through Eventbrite or by emailing [email protected].

How can I contact the organizer with questions?

For questions about the event, call Lakewood at 612-540-5165 or email [email protected].

Photography notice: To help us promote Lakewood and our events and offerings, guests may be photographed. By attending, you consent to appear in this documentation and its future use by Lakewood. We do our best to select photos without recognizable faces. If you prefer not to be photographed, please let staff know upon arrival.

Host or Publisher Lakewood Cemetery