One small step for man, one giant leap for Dominicans
Known for Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Emilia Pérez, this actress became the first Dominican-American to win an Oscar.
(1.5x for the Oscar year)
Who is Zoe Saldaña?
What is 2025?
The national breakfast of the Dominican Republic, this iconic plantain dish is known in West Africa as fufu.
What is mangú?
Featured on the 100 peso note, this defining figure of Dominican history is known for founding a secret society that conspired for Dominican separation from Haiti.
(75 for each of the other two men from the famous trio, 50 for the name of the secret society)
Who is Juan Pablo Duarte?
Who is Francisco del Rosario Sánchez?
Who is Matías Ramón Mella?
What is La Trinitaria/Los Trinitarios?
Literally translated to "what the what?", this is how Dominicans ask "what's up?"
What is que lo que?
According to the 2020 US Census, this tiny state manages to fit 54,000 Dominicans, accounting for the highest PERCENTAGE of Dominicans of any US state.
What is Rhode Island?
This Dominican-American artist is the proud owner of many "firsts," but in 2019, she controversially became the first solo female artist in history to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, winning against Travis Scott's Astroworld.
(1.5x for the album name)
Who is Cardi B?
What is Invasion of Privacy?
This soup common in all former Spanish colonies but especially the DR is made from tripe, the stomach of a cow or pig, slow-cooked with vegetables.
What is mondongo?
Featured on the 1000 peso note, this Santo Domingo building houses the offices of the executive branch of the Dominican Republic.
What is the National Palace?
What is diablo/el diablo?
As of 2022, this country, home to techno musician Arca and fashion designer Carolina Herrera, ranks second (behind Haiti) in immigration TO the Dominican Republic.
What is Venezuela?
Though this year is otherwise infamous in US politics even to this day, it gave us the swearing-in of the first Dominican in US Congress.
(1.5x for the name)
What is 2017?
Who is Adriano Espaillat?
Whether it has chicken, salami, pork chops, or all three, you can be sure to find a tray of this seasoned rice dish; comparable to pilaf, West African jollof, and Spanish paella; at any Dominican function.
What is locrio?
Featured on the 200 peso note, these sisters are known for being prominent activists against the DR's most infamous dictator, leading to their assassination in 1960.
(100 for each of the sisters' first names, 50 for the dictator's name)
Who are the Mirabal sisters?
Who was Patria?
Who was Minerva?
Who was Maria Teresa?
Who was Rafael Trujillo?
Literally meaning "to be in a pot," Dominican rapper El Alfa used this expression in his 2020 song Singapur to call out the lesser financial status of his haters.
What is estar en olla?
First arriving in the late 20th century and taking up work in the mine and railroad industry (as they also did in the Western US a few decades prior to build the Transcontinental Railroad), this group accounted for 50,000 members of the Dominican population in 2010.
Who are the Chinese?
This actor is the first Afro-Latino and first Dominican to win an acting Emmy for his performance as Korey Wise in the Ava DuVernay miniseries When They See Us, later voicing Miles Morales in Across the Spiderverse.
(1.5x for the Emmy year)
Who is Jharrel Jerome?
What is 2019?
Similar to Iberian chorizo and found across various Latin American cuisines, this sausage is a staple protein in many Dominican dishes.
What is longaniza?
Featured on the 500 peso note, this husband and wife were both famous members of the literary arts space. The wife was a teacher and advocate for women's education, and the husband was an essayist and philosopher with a university in Santo Domingo named after him.
(200 for each of their names)
Who is Salomé Ureña?
Who is Pedro Henríquez Ureña?
A misspelling of the Spanish word for a striped big cat, the English equivalent of this word is "gangster," "street smart," or "hustler."
What is a tíguere?
In 2021, a national survey found that 45% of Dominicans self-identified with this misnomer of a racial/ethnic category characterized by mixed heritage and light to medium skin tone.
(400 for each of the two other "mixed" sub-categories)
What is Indio/a?
What is mulatto/moreno?
What is mestizo/jabao?
Though Dominicans basically run the MLB now, the first Dominican in the MLB debuted way back when, in this year. Hints: This year also saw the first alarm clock with a snooze button and the Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.
(1.5x for the player's name)
What is 1956?
Who is Ozzie Virgil Sr.?
Coming to the island from Lebanese immigrants, this deep-fried fritter is made from bulgar (a grain) and beef.
What are quipes?
Featured on the 2000 peso note, this duo joined forces to compose the current Dominican national anthem, crucial for creating a national identity for the newborn republic.
(250 for each of their names)
Who is Emilio Prud'Homme?
Who is José Rufino Reyes Siancas?
What is tato?
According to recent studies, Native/Indigenous/Taíno DNA comprises this percentage of the average Dominican genealogical admixture (+/-2%).
(Bonus for 450: percentage of African DNA +/-5%)
What is 6-10%?
(What is 35-45%?)