Latino Cultural and Historical Terms - Vocabulary Flashcards

A broad collection of vocabulary-style entries drawn from the lecture notes, covering notable people, places, foods, events, languages, idioms, and cultural terms across Arts, History, Literature, Politics, Science, and Indigenous Cultures.

Cantinflas

Globally known Mexican actor celebrated for his humble character and comedy; won a Golden Globe for Best Actor for Around the World in 80 Days.

Pedro Infante

Mexican actor, singer, and songwriter who recorded 366 songs in mariachi, rancheras, and bolero styles.

Shakira

Colombian singer whose collaboration with Bizarrap (BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 53) set multiple Guinness World Records, including the most streamed Latin track on Spotify in 24 hours.

Selena Quintanilla

First Latin solo artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 with Dreaming of You; Dreaming of You was the first predominantly Spanish-language album to achieve this.

Gloria Estefan

One of the best-selling female artists of all time; recognized as the most successful female crossover artist in Latin music.

El Chavo del Ocho

Cultural phenomenon created by Chespirito featuring an orphan boy living in a barrel; humor about poverty, friendship, and working-class life.

Frida Kahlo

Mexican artist known for self-portraits exploring physical pain and the cultural duality of indigenous and European influences.

Jose Ferrer

First Latino to win an Academy Award for Best Actor (Cyrano de Bergerac, 1950).

Guillermo del Toro

Mexican director who won an Oscar for The Shape of Water in 2018.

Gal Costa

Brazilian singer and activist who collaborated with Caetano Veloso and faced political exile during the dictatorship.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Puerto Rican–American composer, lyricist, and actor; creator of Hamilton and In the Heights.

Gustavo Santaolalla

Argentine composer who scored films like The Motorcycle Diaries and Brokeback Mountain.

Carlos Acosta

Cuban ballet dancer; former principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre; director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Yalitza Aparicio

First Indigenous American woman to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

Daddy Yankee

Pioneer of reggaeton; noted for records on global Latin music charts, including Spotify.

Ricky Martin

Puerto Rican pop icon who was the first Latino male artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Tina Ramirez

Puerto Rican choreographer who founded Ballet Hispánico.

Chavela Vargas

Mexican–American singer known for ranchera ballads and as an LGBT icon; challenged gender norms.

Germaine Franco

Mexican‑American composer who created scores for Coco and Encanto.

Rita Moreno

Actress who played Anita in West Side Story; first Latina to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony.

Emmanuel Lubezki

Mexican-born cinematographer with Oscars for Gravity, The Revenant, and Roma.

César Chávez

Activist who organized farm workers, using fasting and peaceful protest in California.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

17th-century Mexican nun and writer who defended women’s right to education.

Rigoberta Menchú

Guatemalan indigenous leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate for human rights work.

Tupac Amaru II

Andean revolutionary who led an uprising in Peru invoking the Inca ancestor for justice.

José Martí

Cuban patriot and writer who fostered independence through poems and essays.

Óscar Romero

Archbishop of El Salvador who spoke against military violence and was assassinated in 1980.

Violeta Chamorro

Nicaraguan president and activist known as a voice for the oppressed.

Mercedes Sosa

Argentine folk singer associated with protest music and Nueva Canción.

Víctor Jara

Chilean musician and activist whose life and work were linked to resistance against Pinochet.

Lázaro Cárdenas

Mexican president noted for land reform, welcoming refugees, and nationalizing oil.

Berta Cáceres

Honduran environmentalist and Indigenous land rights activist who was assassinated.

Julia de Burgos

Puerto Rican poet known for feminist poetry and social justice themes.

Augusto César Sandino

Nicaraguan revolutionary who led resistance against U.S. occupation.

Victor Raúl Haya de la Torre

Peruvian founder and leader of the APRA party seeking cross-border unity.

José Figueres Ferrer

Costa Rican president who abolished the military and implemented social reforms.

Evo Morales

Bolivia’s first Indigenous president (2006–2019); prominent political figure.

José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia

'El Supremo' Paraguayan leader who established isolationist policies after independence.

José Gervasio Artigas

Uruguayan national hero; promoter of federalism and equality.

Omar Torrijos Herrera

Panamanian leader who negotiated the return of the Panama Canal to Panamanian control.

Pupusas

Thick Salvadoran corn tortilla stuffed with beans, cheese, or meat.

Yuca (cassava)

Starchy root used widely in Caribbean and South American cooking.

Horchata

Sweet, cinnamon-flavored rice drink popular in Mexico.

Arepa

Venezuelan corn cake often split and stuffed with fillings.

Tres leches cake

Spongy cake soaked in three kinds of milk.

Chimichurri

Parsley, garlic, and herb sauce common in Argentinian and Uruguayan cuisine.

Maduros en gloria

Nicaraguan dessert of ripe plantains with cheese and sour cream.

Pepitoria

Guatemalan candy made from toasted and ground pumpkin seeds.

Yerba mate

South American infusion drink.

Tajadas / tostones

Fried plantains; popular as a snack or side.

Chicha morada

Peruvian drink made from purple corn.

Ajiaco

Colombian chicken-soup with corn, potatoes, and herbs.

Tembleque

Puerto Rican coconut custard dessert.

Tacos al pastor

Mexican street tacos with marinated pork and pineapple.

Pão de queijo

Brazilian cheese bread made with tapioca flour.

Pastel de choclo

Chilean corn pie with beef, onions, and corn topping.

Capirota da

Mexican dessert of bread soaked in spiced syrup with dairy and fruits.

Capirotada

Mexican bread pudding dessert with spices, fruit, and cheese.

Guasca

Aromatic herb used in Colombian dishes; related to the sunflower family.

Tamalli (tamalli)

Nahuatl for ‘wrapped food’ or ‘wrapped thing’ (origin of tamale).

Cuy

Guinea pig dish traditional in Peru.

Baho (vaho)

Nicaraguan street food wrapping beef, plantains, and yuca in banana leaves.

Carlos Menem

Argentine president in the 1990s who led the country after dictatorship.

U.S. House of Representatives

The lower house of the United States Congress.

Hugo Chávez

Venezuelan president who led the country for 14 years until his death in 2013.

Sonia Sotomayor

First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice (appointed 2009).

Marco Rubio

U.S. Senator (and former presidential candidate) representing Florida.

Vicente Fox

Mexican president who ended the PRI’s 71-year rule in 2000.

Óscar Romero

Archbishop of El Salvador who championed human rights and was assassinated.

Michelle Bachelet

President of Chile who served two non-consecutive terms.

Pink Tide

Leftist political movement wave across Latin America in the early 2000s.

Dolores Huerta

Activist who popularized “Sí se puede” and labor rights for farm workers.

Alberto Fujimori

Peruvian president; later extradited for corruption and human rights abuses.

Juan Manuel Santos

Colombian president awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 for ending the FARC conflict.

Pablo Iglesias

Spanish politician; co‑founder of Podemos and former deputy prime minister candidate.

Óscar Arias Sánchez

Costa Rican president awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987.

Estrada Doctrine

Latin American policy of non-intervention and respect for sovereignty.

UNASUR

Union of South American Nations, a regional intergovernmental body.

Roberto Suazo Córdoba

Honduras’s first civilian president (1981).

Mireya Moscoso

Panama’s first female president; oversaw Panama Canal transfer (1999).

Daniel Ortega

Nicaraguan president who helped restore democratic order after civil conflict.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

Argentine president who continued her late husband’s policies with a populist economic agenda.

Henry Cisneros

U.S. politician; HUD secretary (1993–1997) and former mayor of a major U.S. city.

Dilma Rousseff

Brazilian president; first woman to hold the office; impeached in 2016.

Nayib Bukele

President of El Salvador who adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021.

Juan Guaidó

Venezuelan opposition leader who was recognized as interim president by many countries in 2019.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

1848 treaty ending the Mexican–American War and ceding large territories to the U.S.

Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta

PRI presidential candidate assassinated in 1994.

G4

Group of Brazil, Germany, India, Japan pushing for permanent UNSC seats.

Catalonia

Autonomous community of Spain with its own parliament; sought independence through referendums.

Joseph Marion Hernández

First Hispanic to serve in the U.S. Congress as a delegate from Florida.

Gabriel García Márquez

Colombian author who won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1982) for magical realism; One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Gabriela Mistral

Chilean poet; first Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Mario Vargas Llosa

Peruvian writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature (2010).

Isabel Allende

Chilean-American author known for blending history with magical realism.

Alfredo Espino

Salvadoran poet known for Jícaras Tristes.

Eduardo Galeano

Uruguayan author of Open Veins of Latin America.

Cristina García

Cuban-American author of Dreaming in Cuban.

Pedro Páramo

Mexican novel by Juan Rulfo about a town of the dead.

Rubén Darío

Nicaraguan poet who helped introduce Modernismo to Latin American poetry.