by Achy Obejas
milicianos
literally, “members of a militia”; Fidel Castro’s uniformed soldiers and guards.
mira
look.
mojito
a delicious Cuban drink made with rum, lime juice and mint.
Moneada
the military barracks attacked by Fidel Castro and his followers on July 26, 1953—the official beginning of the Cuban Revolution.
moros y cristianos
a black beans and rice dish; literally means “Moors and Christians,” and harkens back to the Moorish invasions of Spain.
nada
nothing.
negrita(o)
term of affection, especially among Cubans and other Caribbean Latinos; literally means “little black one.”
“No sé”
“I don’t know.”
Nueva Canción/ Nueva Trova
twin musical genres, the first genetically Latin American, the second specifically Cuban, essentially folk-based, often including indigenous or Afro-Latin rhythms and instruments; lyrically and politically progressive, often using the work of well-known poets or a similar, highly imagistic style.
pagando los platos rotos
vernacular, to have to deal with the consequences; literally, “to pay for the broken dishes.”
pasitas
diminutive of pasas; literally means “raisins”; refers to curly, kinky hair usually associated with African ancestry.
picadillo
spicy, Cuban-style ground beef.
plátanos
plantains.
por dios
by god; an exclamation.
por favor
please.
primo(a)
cousin.
prima(o) hermana(o)
first cousin; literally, “cousin sibling.”
puertorriqueñismo
Puerto Rican-ness; Puerto Rican nationalism.
qué
what?
qué carajo
what the hell?
“¿Qué pasa?”
“What’s up?”
“¿Qué te pasa?”
“What’s the matter with you?”
raza
the people; our people; more typical of Mexicans than Cubans or other Caribbean Latinos, but widely used.
rock nacional
Mexican style rock ‘n’ roll, particularly as popularized in the 1980s and 1990s.
ropa vieja
shredded spiced beef, Cuban-style.
rumba
the archetypal Cuban dance rhythm, the perfect balance of African and Iberian musical influences; the roots of salsa.
Santa Bárbara
the Christianized figure of Changó, one of the most powerful deities in santería. Santa Bárbara is usually white-skinned, red-haired, fierce, and on horseback.
Haydée Santamaría
a historical figure; one of the original rebels fighting with Fidel Castro. She lost her brother and lover at the Moneada and later married Armando Hart, Cuba’s longtime minister of culture. She served in various posts in the revolutionary government. She eventually committed suicide.
santería
a religion which combines Christian and African beliefs and iconography; extremely popular in Latin America, especially in the Caribbean.
Santiago de Cuba
a city on the eastern coast of Cuba; the island’s original capital.
“Si tú drume yo te traigo un mamey muy colora’o…”
“If you sleep I’ll bring you a very red mamey…”; again, from “Drume Negrita.”
“Te quiero verde.”
from a poem by Federico Garcia Lorca; literally, “I love you green.”
telenovela
a Spanish-language soap opera; unlike North American soap operas, which go on for generations, Spanish-language soaps are finite.
tía
aunt.
tío
uncle.
tortilleras
slang for “lesbians”; literally means “tortilla-makers.”
“tremendos cojones”
vernacular; literally, “tremendous balls.”
tres leches
an unbelievably heavy, rich, sweet dessert made with three different kinds of milk. Originally from Nicaragua, but widely served among Cuban exiles since the influx of Nicaraguans into Miami after the 1979 Sandinista revolution and the subsequent “contra” wars.
“Tú drume negrita…/ que yo voy a comprar nueva cunita/ que tendrá ca’cabel…”
“You sleep, little girl/ I’m going to buy a new crib/ which will have bells…”; again, from “Drume Negrita.”
“un indio”
literally, “an Indian,” but the reference here is particular to the indigenous people of the Americas, specifically Latin America, rather than American Indians of the northern hemisphere.
usted
formal second person; Cubans rarely use it, especially among family.
Vanidades
a monthly women’s magazine published in Miami and distributed all over the Spanish-speaking world. It covers fashion, gossip, news, medicine, science, and politics. Its glossy covers rival anything by Glamour or Mirabella.
Varadero
a beach resort outside of Havana, probably one of the most spectacular beaches in the world; a favorite of North American businesspersons and tourists prior to the Cuban revolution, now mostly visited by Canadians, Europeans and other Latin Americans.
“Viiiiiidaaa…”
“Liiiiiifffe…”; the first word from a Beny Moré lyric, meaning “life.”
“¿Y tú?”
“And you?”
yanqui(s)
a mispronunciation of “yankee(s)”; Cubans much prefer yanqui as a pejorative for North Americans than “gringo,” which is more Mexican—some say “gringo” comes from “green coat,” in reference to the nineteenth-century uniforms of the North American cavalry along the Texas/Mexico border.
yuca con mojo
a traditional Cuban dish, made with cassava drenched in garlic and oil.
About the Author
ACHY OBEJAS is a widely published fiction writer, journalist and poet. Her first collection of short stories, We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This?, was published by Cleis Press in 1994. Her work appears in What We Write Now (Birch Lane Press), Feminisms (Rutgers), Latina (Simon & Schuster), Girlfriend Number One (Cleis), West Side Stories (Chicago Stoop), Discontents (Amethyst), and Woman of Her Word (Arte Publico). Her poetry has appeared in dozens of anthologies and literary magazines.
In 1996, she received the Studs Terkel Award for journalism. She has also been honored with a NEA Creative Writing Fellowship, an Illinois Arts Council Literary award for fiction, a Barbara Deming/Money for Women grant, Peter Lisagor awards for journalism, and fellowships to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Yaddo and the Ragdale Foundation.
She was born in Havana, Cuba, and came to the U.S. by boat as an exile when she was six years old. She has an M.F.A. in creative writing from Warren Wilson College and currently works as a writer for the Chicago Tribune.