Chicana/o Latina/o Heritage Month 2015
Quiz Bowl
Study Guide
Revised Edition
We created this study guide to help you perform at your best at the inaugural Hispanic
Heritage Month Quiz Bowl at Washington State University. The goal of the Quiz Bowl is to
encourage you to expand your knowledge of Chicana/o Latina/o history and culture – not just
in the U.S., but hemispherically. Here you will find information about politics, music, literature,
history, and more. It is our hope that the achievements, struggles, and contributions of
Latina/os to the lives of all Americans and to humanity will inspire you. Their history is your
history and can provide a guide for you to make new and exciting contributions to the world
around you.
Study Tips:
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Make flash cards with which you can quiz yourself while waiting in line at the CUB, at
the bus stop, etc.
Find friends who are willing to quiz you.
Form a study group and quiz each other.
This study guide has four main topics – Chicana/o History, El Salvador History and Culture,
Latino Literature, and Latino Mainstream Culture. Each topic has 50 questions for a total of
200 possible questions. Study up and we will see you on Thursday, October 15, 2015, at
7:00pm in the CUB Auditorium.
Dr. Linda Heidenreich
Associate Professor
Dept. of Critical Culture, Gender, & Race Studies
Maria de Jesus Dixon, M.S.
Retention Counselor
Chicana/o Latina/o Student Center, MSS
Topic One: Chicana/o History
1. This people are considered the “mother culture” of Mexico. By 1500 BC they had
developed villages, trade, pottery and agriculture: Olmecas.
2. According to Aztec histories, what year was their capital, Tenochtitlan, founded? 1325.
3. What was the name of the night schools where all Aztec youth were required to study?
The Cuicacalli.
4. This Aztec woman was sold into slavery by her family, after being given to the Spanish
invaders, became a translator between the Spanish and Indigenous peoples of Mexico:
Malintzín.
5. Prior to the fall of Tenochtitlan, a woman was heard crying in the streets, “Oh my
children, where can I hide you?” This is the origin of which Mexicana/o Chicana/o
myth? La Llorona.
6. This seventeenth century Mexican nun argued for women’s rights and an end to the
double-standard: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
7. This healer and medicine woman led the 1785 revolt at Mission San Gabriel:
Toypurina.
8. During what years did the Mexican War for Independence take place? 1810-1821
9. In what years did the U.S. Invasion of Mexico (sometimes called the U.S.-Mexican War)
take place? 1846-48.
10. What is the name of the treaty that ended the U.S. Invasion of northern Mexico? The
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
11. In 1901, in Karnes County Texas, when a Sheriff shot this man’s brother he returned
fire. People wrote corridos about his flight from the Texas Rangers: Gregorio Cortez
12. This early twentieth-century political movement held that workers should own the means
of production: Magonistas.
13. This organization, founded in the 1930s, fought for the rights of all workers regardless of
their citizenship status: El Congreso de Pueblos de Habla Española.
14. In what year did the San Antonio Pecan Sheller’s Strike take place? 1938.
15. As a direct result of the Bracero Programs, approximately how many Mexicanos
immigrated to the U.S.? Three million.
16. Name the Filipino leader who asked the National Farm Worker’s Association to join
them in the Grape Strike of 1965: Larry Itliong.
17. Who were the co-founders of the United Farm Workers? César Chávez and Dolores
Huerta.
18. Who wrote “My spirit is strong. My faith unbreakable. My blood is pure. I am Aztec
Prince and Christian Christ. I shall endure.”? Corky Gonzales
19. In Los Angeles, these two Chicana Lawyers led the fight against sterilization abuses in
the 1970s: Antonia Hernández and Gloria Molina.
20. When was the first national Chicana conference held? 1971
21. This visual artist is famous for her work “Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of
Guadalupe”: Yolanda López.
22. This farm worker’s organization won contracts with Campbell Soup in 1986: FLOC, The
Farm Labor Organizing Committee
23. The mixing of the three great peoples: Indigenous, African and European is called
what? Mestizaje.
24. What feminist poet, playwright and theorist developed the concept of Queer Aztlán?
Cherrie Moraga.
25. The theory that “the physical realities of our lives – our skin color, the land or concrete
we grew up on, our sexual longings – all fuse to create a politics born out of necessity,”
is known as: Theory in the Flesh.
Topic Two: El Salvador History & Culture
History of:
1. What was the primary grain of pre-colonial El Salvador? Corn
2. This Mayan city peaked from 100 to 1200 AD and held pyramids, temples and a water
drainage system. Tazumal
3. At ancient cities such as Tazumal athletes competed in ball courts where they could
only use what parts of their bodies to hit the ball? Head, shoulders and hips
4. The Pipil called central El Salvador Cuscatlán. What does Cuscatlán mean in English?
Land of Jewels
5. Prior to the Spanish invasion of El Salvador in 1524, what was the capital of the Pipil
people? Cuscatlán
6. In what year was Cuscatlán founded? 1054 (by Toplitzin Atzil, last king of the Tula
of Anahuac)
7. This man is known as El Padres de la Patria Salvadoreña: José Matías Delgado
8. In 1811, what did José Matías Delgado y León do to signal the fight for Independence?
Rang the bells of the Church of La Merced
9. What is the official date of the independence of El Salvador? September 15, 1821
10. This Priest and doctor brought the first printing press to El Salvador: José Matías
Delgado
11. During the late nineteenth century, what was the major cash crop of El Salvador?
Coffee
12. From the late nineteenth-century into the twentieth century, a group of powerful families
ruled El Salvador, they were known as _______. The fourteen families
13. In 1932, this man formed the Central American Socialist Party and led an unsuccessful
uprising against the ruling party of El Salvador. Agustín Farabundo Martí
14. During World War II, this Consul General saved more than 40,000 Central European
Jews from the Nazis: José Arturo Castellanos
15. This Archbishop spoke out against the violence of El Salvador’s civil wars and was
assassinated for speaking out in March of 1980: Óscar Romero
16. At the time of his assassination, what was Oscar Romero doing? Saying Mass
17. This professor and activist received her Doctorate in Education from the University of El
Salvador, she led teacher’s strikes in 1968 and 1971: Mélida Anaya Montes
18. During the civil strife of the 1980s, Mélida Anaya Montes became the second in
command of which political party? Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
(FMLN)
19. In the 1970s and 1980s, during the height of her activism, what pseudonym did Mélida
Anaya Montes take? Ana María
Arts and Literature:
20. This nineteenth-century physician and poet wrote the national anthem of El Salvador:
Juan José Cañas
21. This Salvadoran sculptor created more than 250 works of stone and bronze, including
the statue of Chief Atlacatl. Valentin Estrada
22. This national honor recognizes extraordinary merit in humanitarian, literary, scientific,
artistic, political, or military fields. Both Claudia Lars and Rafael “Lito” Barrientos were
recipients of the award. : National Order of José Matias Delgado
23. Vicente Alberto Masferrer Mónico taught that all people have a right to education,
shelter, food and work, regardless of race, gender, or status in life. This philosophy
came to be called what? Vitalismo
24. For his book Taberna y Otros Lugares, this poet won the Casa de la Américas poetry
prize in 1969: Roque Dalton
25. Who wrote the famous line “Poetry, like bread, is for everyone.” Roque Dalton
Topic Three: Latino Literature
1. Which Latin American author, who was also quite successful, became the first Latin
American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature? Gabriela Mistral
2. Who became the first Mexican-American U.S. Poet Laureate this past June? Juan
Felipe Herrera
3. Where does Esmeralda's family travel to in the book When I was Puerto Rican? New
York
4. Who is the author of Down these Mean Streets and Amigo Brothers? Piri Thomas
5. Who is the author of the popular novel Dreaming in Cuban? Cristina Garcia
6. Where was author Paulo Coelho born? Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
7. Who is the author of La Sombra del Viento? Carlos Ruiz Zafon
8. What is the name of the family in Cien Anos de Solidad? The Buendia Family
9. One of the most prominent men in Latin American literature was Octavio Paz. What was
his country of origin? Mexico
10. Who is the author of The House on Mango Street? Sandra Cisneros
11. In the historical novel Antonio's Will, Antonio Ponton is the first Hispanic to be what in
the U.S? Executed in the electric chair
12. Set in Mexico, this Laura Esquivel novel tells the story of Tita. She is 'raised in the
kitchen' and is expected to remain single and care for Mama Elena. She is tormented
when her sister becomes engaged to Pedro, the man she loves. Tita expresses her
feelings of love to Pedro through the dishes she prepares for him. This book was also
adapted into a movie. What is the title of this novel? Like Water for Chocolate
13. Although Isabel Allende's novel about the Trueba family was rejected by many Spanish
publishers, it became a bestseller after being published in Barcelona in 1982. What was
the name of this novel? The House of the Spirits
14. In which Mexican city was Angeles Mastretta born? Puebla
15. What is the term utilized to describe a technique that combines fantasy with realism,
used by many Latin American writers? Magic realism
16. What is the name of the novel by Rudolfo Anaya in which his young protagonist,
Antonio Marez y Luna, tells the story of his coming-of-age with the guidance his
curandera, mentor and protector? Bless Me Ultima
17. This author is a descendent of one of the pioneer families that founded Albuquerque,
New Mexico, in 1706. He is the author of several important works of Chicano literature
including Not by the Sword and Memories of the Alhambra. What is this author’s
name? Nash Candelaria
18. What is the name of Domingo Martinez’s memoir that describes him growing up in the
border town of Brownsville, Texas, just across from Matamoros, Mexico, providing
incredible insights into how difficult it is for a young man to shake the dominance of
machismo that afflicts his psyche, household, and neighborhood? The Boy Kings of
Texas
19. A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, Reyna Grande’s memoir is the
sobering testimony of an undocumented child’s journey from a childhood of poverty to
adulthood as a professional with a promising literary career. Grande’s story advocates
for immigration reform, particularly as it affects people like the DREAMers who seek life-
changing access to education. What is the name of this novel? The Distance
Between Us
20. Growing up in a broken home, living in a barrio, and joining a gang did not stop author
David Tomas Martinez from transcending the low expectations of his troubled youth into
a book of poems. What is the title of Martinez’s book of poems? Hustle
21. Who is the author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents? Julia Alvarez
22. This Chicano author, poet and educator wrote …Y No Se Lo Trago La Tierra in 1971
and won the first Premio Quinto Sol Award. He taught in high schools throughout the
Southwest and for the first Mexican-American to hold position of Chancellor in the
University of California system. Who is this later author? Tomas Rivera
23. What is the name of Oscar Hijuelos’ Pulitzer Prize winning novel, which established him
as a great literary stylist? The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love
24. One of the most acclaimed novels of the 20th century by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, this
romantic tale centers on a young man who falls hopelessly in love with a woman, never
wavering in his passion for her — even when she marries. What is the name of this
novel? Love in the Time of Cholera
25. Set in the Dominican Republic during the Trujillo dictatorship, this novel tells a
fictionalized version of real life events surrounding three sisters murdered for their roles
in a plot to overthrow the government. What is the name of this novel by Julia Alvarez?
In the Time of Butterflies
Topic Four: Latino Mainstream Culture
Politics:
1. Who is the current Secretary of Housing and Urban Development? Julian Castro
2. Who is currently the 24th Administrator of the United States Small Business
Administration? Maria Contreras-Sweet
3. Who is the current President and CEO of the United States Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce? Javier Palomarez
4. The GI Forum was founded following what War and for what purpose? World War II –
It was veterans organizing for their (Latino) rights.
5. Who was the first Latina and Latino elected to Congress? Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (1989)
and Joseph Marion Hernandez (1822)
6. Who are the co-founders of Voto Latino? Rosario Dawson & Maria Teresa Kumar
7. Who was the first Latina to be appointed as Surgeon General? Antonia C. Novello
8. Who was the first Hispanic Attorney General? Alberto Gonzales
9. Who was Los Angeles’ first Latino mayor in more than 130 years when he was sworn
into office on July 1, 2005? Antonio Villaraigosa
Entertainment:
10. What is Pitbull's given name? Armando Christian Perez
11. What show ended on September 19, 2015, after 53 years on-air? Sabado Gigante
12. What is the name of the first animated film from Mexico that premiered in the U.S. on
September 4, 2015? Un Gallo con Muchos Huevos
13. What is the name of the Afro-Latino Spider Man who will join the Canonical Marvel
Universe this fall? Miles Morales
14. What is the name of the comedy, based upon a Venezuelan telenovela of the same
name, which picked up two Golden Globe nominations in fall of 2014? Jane the Virgin
15. What is the name of the San Antonio, Texas native that shoots and produces many of
his films in Mexico and Texas? Robert Rodriguez
16. What movie gave Cantinflas wider appeal with U.S. audiences and non-Latinos?
Around the World in Eighty Days
Science:
17. What country was the first in the world to use fingerprints as an identification method?
Argentina
18. What is the name of the first Hispanic woman to become an astronaut? Ellen Ochoa
19. What is the name of the Cuban American physician who solved the mystery of what
caused yellow fever in 1881? Carlos Juan Finlay
Business:
20. Who is the richest man in Latin American? Carlos Slim
21. What is the name of the fourth-generation Mexican-American Billionaire who is the first
Latino team owner of a major U.S. sport, specifically baseball? Arturo Moreno
Miscellaneous:
22. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 19.6 million veterans in the United
States. How many veterans are of a Latino background? 1.1 million
23. What is the name of the teacher who taught at Garfield High School in Los Angeles who
changed the lives of Latino students by teaching and inspiring them to succeed by
setting high standards and helping them pass a very difficult math test before college?
Jaime Escalante
24. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, how many Latinos were living in the U.S. in
2014? 55 million
25. Pope Francis is the 266th and current Pope of the Catholic Church. Where was Pope
Francis born? Buenos Aires, Argentina