Characters
Plot
Cultural Identity
Themes
Brooklyn Legends
100
This character is the 13-year-old protagonist who is initially more interested in hanging out with his friends than the family business.
Who is Arturo Zamora?
100
What job does Arturo have at the restaurant during the summer?
Arturo works as a junior lunchtime dishwasher (though he also helps with cleaning and prep work).
100
This character helps Arturo connect with his Cuban heritage through stories, advice, and memories of the past.
Who is Abuelo?
100
Customers come to La Cocina not only for the food, but because the restaurant provides this sense of belonging, tradition, and connection.
What is a home away from home or being with family.
100
This rapper and entrepreneur grew up in Brooklyn and founded Roc-A-Fella Records.
Who is Jay Z
200
Which character is known for dressing up in blazers and sunglasses to impress Arturo's cousin, Vanessa?
Who is Bren?
200
Why did Carmen and her father, Uncle Frank, move to Miami for the summer?
They moved to Miami to stay with the Zamoras after Carmen's mother passed away.
200
Beyond just eating, this weekly Zamora tradition symbolizes the 'communion' of the family and serves as the primary way Abuela passes down oral history and values.
What are Sunday Dinners?
200
This process occurs when a neighborhood changes as wealthier people move in, often threatening to push out long-standing local businesses like La Cocina.
What is gentrification?
200
This baseball legend played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and broke Major League Baseball’s racial barrier in 1947, becoming a symbol of courage and equality.
Who is Jackie Robinson? 
300
This flashy land developer arrives in Canal Grove with a plan to replace the local charm with a massive high-rise called "Pipo Place."
Who is Wilfrido Pipo?
300
While on the patio with Carmen, Arturo notices a mysterious figure across the street. What is that person doing?
The person is taking photographs of the empty lot next to the restaurant late at night.
300
This Cuban writer and activist inspired Arturo and his family with messages about courage, love, and fighting for what is right.
Who is José Martí?
300
Wilfrido uses this specific psychological tactic to win over the town council and community members, framing his luxury high-rise not as a destruction of the past, but as an 'evolution' of the neighborhood.
What is manipulation (or bribing)?
300
This Brooklyn-born rapper from Bedford-Stuyvesant became known as the “King of New York” and released songs like “Juicy” and “Big Poppa.”
Who is The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls)?
400
Arturo's friend Benjamin has a specific nickname. What is it, and how did he get it?
His nickname is Mop. He got it because he is skinny and has shaggy hair that looked like a mop when he stood on his head.
400
What is the "brilliant idea" that Arturo's mother (Cari) and Aunt Tuti have for the future of the restaurant?
They want to expand the restaurant by putting in a bid for the empty lot next door.
400
The Zamora family protects this because it represents their history, culture, and connection to their Cuban roots.
What is La Cocina de la Isla?
400
This theme from José Martí’s message inspires both Arturo and Wilfrido to take action, even though they use it for different purposes.
What is courage?
400
This Brooklyn-born filmmaker, actor, and activist directed movies like Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X.
Who is Spike Lee? 
500
This longtime Canal Grove resident who only says three words when he eats at La Cocina.
Who is Bicycle Bill?
500
What does Arturo's father place on the service bar during Sunday dinner to include the whole family "in spirit"?
He lines up the urns containing the ashes of Arturo's abuelo, tío abuelo, and tataraabuelo.
500
A famous Cuban patriotic song often referenced in the context of Cuban identity.
What is Guantanamera
500
This concept is shown when the Zamoras decide to fight for the empty lot, proving that standing up for your neighborhood is a way to honor your heritage.
What is community activism?
500
This Brooklyn-born artist became famous for blending graffiti, hip-hop, and visual art before becoming one of the most important artists of the 1980s.
Who is Jean-Michel Basquiat?