ABSTRACT
A a fuerza: by force, the hard way a sus 6rdenes: at your service abuela: grandmother abuelito: grandpa aetas: one-act plays aguardiente: brandy, liquor alabados: Spanish hymns of praise alba: dawn; also a morning prayer or song of praise altarcitos: little altars; family altars in the home honoring saints or departed family
members amigos: friends animo: spirit, energy afto nuevo: new year artista: artist asf lo quiere Dios: it is God's will autos sacramentales: medieval Spanish morality plays
B bacalao: codfish bailamos: shall we dance bananales: banana plantations, groves bandone6n: large concertina, used in Argentina barrio: neighborhood, usually a Latino neighborhood bendito: blessed bochinche: gossip bodega: grocery store bodeguero: grocery store owner bolita: small ball or marble; here it refers to a numbers racket bomba: Afro-Puerto Rican dance boricua: Puerto Rican Borinquen: Puerto Rico botanica: a type of drug store where healing herbs and religious articles are sold bracero: agricultural laborer, usually Mexican, admitted to do seasonal labor in the
bracero program, 1942-1964 brujerfa: witchcraft buena: good, well
buey: ox burro/a: donkey
c cacica: chief (female) cafetales: coffee plantations, groves caja: box califomios: Californians calzones: underwear cambios de humor: mood swings campesinos: farmers, people from the countryside canario: canary cantinas: taverns, bars cantos, canticos: songs caporal: overseer; boss caribefla: Caribbean; someone from the Caribbean came: meat carreta: cart casa cualquiera: an ordinary house casas: houses casitas: little houses, cultural centers in New York Puerto Rican communities causa: the cause centavo: cent chambelan: male attendant at a quinceaflera or wedding cherife: sheriff chica: girl chicano: one who is of Mexican descent and living in the United States, political
term for Mexican American that gained popularity in the 1960s chicharrones: fried pork rinds chicos: boys, kids chiflor: chimney (New Mexico) chile verde: green chile cholo: derogatory term for Mexican American, slang for gang member cinco de mayo: MayS, commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at
Puebla in 1862 cofrad{as: brotherhoods coj6n: usually in the plural, "cojones," "balls," testicles colonias: neighborhoods, usually refers to poor communities colonos: residents of colonias colquets: coffee (New Mexico) comadre: best friend (female), someone who is like a family member and can be
counted on for financial or emotional assistance comite de apoyo: support group compadrazgo: system of ritual kinship based on friendship rather than blood lines
compadre: best friend (male). See definition for "comadre." comunidades de base: base communities, groups of Christians who meet to study
the Bible and apply it to their lives, often to promote social change con mucho gusto: my pleasure con pie derecho: on the right foot jCOn safos!: Same to you! (usually an insult) concientizado: to have raised consciousness; to have been made politically aware concientizar: to raise awareness congrio: eel constancias; proof, official papers consultas: counsel, advice contratista: contractor, foreman conversi: Spanish jews and Muslims who were forcibly converted to Christianity at
the time of the expulsion of non-Christians in 1492 coplas: couplets; verses; short, lyrical stanzas corrido: Mexican and lower Rio Grande popular ballad form, dates from mid-
nineteenth century coyote: coyote; someone who, for a fee, illegally transports immigrants across the
Mexico-U.S. border cuartel: military headquarters cuarteros: field workers who keep plow animals moving and who clear stones from
the path of the plow; so called because they work in groups of four cubano: Cuban; someone from Cuba cuchifritos: Puerto Rican fried dish, usually made with pork cueca: Chilean folk dance cultura: culture curandera/o: healer (male or female), female may also be a midwife cursillo: intense weekend experiences intended to promote religious renewal.
