Famous Firsts
Who was the first Hispanic American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, appointed in 2009?
A) Ellen Ochoa
B) Sonia Sotomayor
C) Rita Moreno
D) Dolores Huerta
B) Sonia Sotomayor
For which novel, considered a masterpiece of magical realism, did Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982?
A. Love in the Time of Cholera
B. One Hundred Years of Solitude
C. The General in His Labyrinth
D. Chronicle of a Death Foretold
B. One Hundred Years of Solitude
Originating in the working-class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the late 19th century, this dance is characterized by its dramatic, close embrace and complex, improvised footwork.
A. Mambo
B. Cumbia
C. Tango
D. Flamenco
C. Tango
The ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is famously located in the Andes Mountains of which South American country?
A. Argentina
B. Peru
C. Chile
D. Bolivia
B. Peru
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican tradition celebrated primarily on November 1st and 2nd. What are the colorful, temporary altars created to honor the lives of deceased loved ones called?
A. Ofrendas
B. Luminarias
C. Calaveras
D. Piñatas
A. Ofrendas
This Puerto Rican actress became the first, and only, Hispanic woman to win an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award) for her work in entertainment.
A) Jennifer Lopez
B) Rosie Perez
C) Eva Longoria
D) Rita Moreno
D) Rita Moreno
Which Chilean poet, known for works like Twenty Love Poems and a Desperate Song, also served as a diplomat and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971?
A. Jorge Luis Borges
B. Federico García Lorca
C. Pablo Neruda
D. Octavio Paz
C. Pablo Neruda
Which Colombian singer-songwriter, known for fusing Latin pop with rock, Arabic, and other world influences, achieved global success with hits like "Hips Don't Lie" and "Waka Waka"?
A. Jennifer Lopez
B. Selena Quintanilla
C. Gloria Estefan
D. Shakira
D. Shakira
Which of these Spanish-speaking countries is home to the Atacama Desert, widely considered the driest non-polar desert in the world?
A. Colombia
B. Mexico
C. Chile
D. Venezuela
C. Chile
A Quinceañera is a celebrated rite of passage in many Latin American cultures. What is the approximate age of the girl who is being celebrated?
A. 13
B. 15
C. 18
D. 21
B. 15
Who was the first Hispanic woman in the world to travel to space, serving as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1993?
A) Ellen Ochoa
B) Mae C. Jemison
C) Kalpana Chawla
D) Xiomara Castro
A) Ellen Ochoa
Sandra Cisneros is best known for her novel that narrates the life of a young Latina girl named Esperanza Cordero living in a Chicago neighborhood, titled:
A. Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories
B. Caramelo
C. The House on Mango Street
D. A Place Where the Sea Remembers
C. The House on Mango Street
This dance and musical genre originated in Cuba in the early 20th century, combining Afro-Cuban rumba, Haitian dance, and swing elements, and is famous for its distinct, quick-quick-slow rhythm.
A. Merengue
B. Cha-cha-chá
C. Bachata
D. Reggaeton
B. Cha-cha-chá
The massive waterfall system known as Iguazú Falls is a natural wonder located on the border between Argentina and which other South American country?
A. Uruguay
B. Brazil
C. Paraguay
D. Ecuador
B. Brazil
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican Army's victory over the French Empire in the 1862 Battle of Puebla. However, what is the actual Mexican Independence Day, celebrated with the "Grito de Dolores" (Cry of Dolores)?
A. May 5th
B. September 16th
C. October 12th
D. December 24th
B. September 16th
This legendary labor leader co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) with César Chávez in 1962, becoming a major force for farmworkers' rights.
A) María Elena Salinas
B) Sandra Cisneros
C) Sylvia Mendez
D) Dolores Huerta
D) Dolores Huerta
Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges is famous for his short stories and essays that often explore philosophical themes, dreams, and labyrinths. Which of the following is a collection of his fictional works?
A. The Obscure Spring
B. Ficciones
C. Rayuela (Hopscotch)
D. The Aleph and Other Stories
B. Ficciones
Often referred to as the "Queen of Salsa," this Cuban-American singer was one of the most recognizable figures in Afro-Cuban music and is famous for her powerful voice and trademark phrase "¡Azúcar!"
A. La Lupe
B. Celia Cruz
C. Olga Guillot
D. Myriam Hernández
B. Celia Cruz
The ancient Mayan city of Chichén Itzá, famous for its step-pyramid El Castillo, is a major archaeological site located on the Yucatán Peninsula in which country?
A. Honduras
B. Guatemala
C. Belize
D. Mexico
D. Mexico
In many Spanish-speaking countries, what is the holiday celebrated on January 6th that marks the biblical tale of the three wise men visiting the baby Jesus, often involving the opening of gifts?
A. Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)
B. La Candelaria
C. Día de Reyes (Three Kings' Day)
D. Semana Santa (Holy Week)
C. Día de Reyes (Three Kings' Day)
Who was the first Hispanic person elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, shortly after his tragic death?
A) Roberto Alomar
B) Ted Williams
C) Roberto Clemente
D) Rod Carew
C) Roberto Clemente
Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes is the creator of which iconic early novel of the Western canon, about a delusional nobleman who believes he is a knight?
A. Lazarillo de Tormes
B. Don Quixote
C. La Celestina
D. Tirant lo Blanch
B. Don Quixote
Which contemporary Latin music genre, a blend of Jamaican dancehall, American hip hop, and various Latin American music styles, originated in Panama and Puerto Rico and is typically sung in Spanish over a dembow rhythm?
A. Cumbia
B. Bolero
C. Mariachi
D. Reggaeton
D. Reggaeton
La Sagrada Familia, a massive, unfinished Roman Catholic basilica that is the most visited building in the city, is a masterpiece designed by Antoni Gaudí in which Spanish city?
A. Madrid
B. Seville
C. Barcelona
D. Valencia
C. Barcelona
Which traditional Argentine and Uruguayan beverage is a communal, caffeinated herbal infusion, often shared from a single gourd and sipped through a metal straw called a bombilla?
A. Horchata
B. Mate
C. Atole
D. Chicha
B. Mate