CLAS Book Box K-12 Guide 1: Exploring Latin America in PictureBooks and Poetry

Terms and Phrases

Angeles: 

• Often used as a name
• Connected to Catholic traditions;
• its ultimately about seeking protection and guidance.

Ways it can be used:

• you would call your children angelitos
• you could pray to the angelitos, or ask them for protection
• you could call someone is your angel (ángel) when they help you.

Si se puede:

“Sí se puede” [Yes we can do it] is a term rooted in the struggle of working-class Latinos. It was the rallying cry of the United Farm Worker’s Union in the 1970s. Co-founders Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez adopted the motto during a 25-day fast in Phoenix, Arizona where they were trying to organize farm workers to demand fair wages and better working conditions. This mantra was meant to galvanize workers and inspire them. Over the years, “Sí se puede” has also been adopted by other civil and labor rights groups involving Latinos around the country. 

Excerpt from "Sí se puede": A phrase with a Rich History from the Center for American Progress.

Mestizo:

For many Americans, the term “mixed race” brings to mind a biracial experience of having one parent black and another white, or perhaps one white and the other Asian.

But for many U.S. Latinos, mixed-race identity takes on a different meaning – one that is tied to Latin America’s colonial history and commonly includes having a white and indigenous, or “mestizo,” background somewhere in their ancestry...The term mestizo means mixed in Spanish, and is generally used throughout Latin America to describe people of mixed ancestry with a white European and an indigenous background. Similarly, the term “mulatto” – mulato in Spanish – commonly refers to a mixed-race ancestry that includes white European and black African roots. 

Excerpt from: ‘Mestizo’ and ‘mulatto’: Mixed-race identities among U.S. Hispanics by the Pew Research Center.

"La Cucaracha" Lyrics

It is important to note that there are many variations of these lyrics. Please read this songs' corresponding Wikipedia article to learn more about these variations and their history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Cucaracha

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Bésame Mucho

"Bésame Mucho" was recognized in 1999 as the most sung and recorded Mexican song in the world. To read more about the history of this song, please read its corresponding Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9same_Mucho

Recipes from the Book

Please click on the image above to take you to the recipe website.

You will need:

• 4 cups milk
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, stir together milk, sugar, and baking soda.

2. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, making sure to remove the pot from the stove if it looks like the mixture is going to foam over. Keep stirring until the foam subsides and then return to the stovetop. 

3. Once the mixture is boiling consistently without foaming, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the milk has caramelized and thickened. 

4. When the mixture is a beautiful golden brown and the mixture has thickened to where it sticks very well to the back of a spoon, remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and ground cinnamon.

5. Transfer to a glass jar to cool and enjoy!

Find the full recipe here: https://www.isabeleats.com/authentic-homemade-dulce-de-leche/