Español 2 Unidad 9

Repaso de la cultura

Isabel Allende Isabel Allende (b. August 7, 1942) is a Chilean author and journalist. Born in Peru, she grew up in Chile where her uncle was president until his assassination. Her books are written in the style of magical realism. She is a contemporary author, with books published from 1985 to the present. She writes for both adults and young adults.

Desi Arnaz

Desi Arnaz (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the classic American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to whom he was married at the time.

Simón Bolívar

Simon Bolivar (July 24, 1783 – December 17, 1830) was one of South America's greatest generals. His victories over the Spaniards won independence for Bolivia, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. He is called El Liberador (The Liberator) and the "George Washington of South America."

Fidel Castro Fidel Castro (b. August 13, 1926) is a Cuban political leader and former communist revolutionary. As the primary leader of the Cuban Revolution, Castro served as the Prime Minister of Cuba from February 1959 to December 1976, and then as the President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of Council of Ministers of Cuba. His brother Raúl took over leadership of Cuba in 2006.

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (September 29, 1547 – April 22, 1616) was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written. His influence on the Spanish language has been so great that Spanish is often called la lengua de Cervantes ("the language of Cervantes").

César Chavez

César Estrada Chávez (March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993) was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW).

Roberto Clemente Walker

Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was not only an outstanding baseball player, but a humanitarian, giving back to the community as much as he could.

Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés (c. 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish explorer who is famous mainly for his march across Mexico and his conquering of the Aztec Empire in Mexico. He was brutal in his treatment of the natives he encountered as he explored.

Salvador Dalí Salvador Dalí (May 11, 1904 – January 23, 1989) was a Spanish painter who was known for his eclectic lifestyle and funky moustache. He painted in the surrealist style – showing real things in out of the ordinary situations or formats.

Plácido Domingo

José Plácido Domingo (b. January 21, 1941), better known as Plácido Domingo, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range.

Jamie Escalante

Jaime Alfonso Escalante Gutierrez (December 31, 1930 – March 30, 2010) was a Bolivian-born American educator well-known for teaching students calculus from 1974 to 1991 at Garfield High School, East Los Angeles, California. Escalante was the subject of the 1988 film Stand and Deliver, in which he is portrayed by Edward James Olmos.

Francisco Franco

Francisco Franco ( December 4, 1892 – November 20, 1975) commonly known as Franco, was a Spanish military general who took over Spain in October 1936 – during the Spanish Civil War – and ruled until his death in November 1975. Spain was officially neutral in World War II, but Franco sympathized with Hitler and Mussolini. He reinstated the Spanish monarchy upon his death.

Antonio Gaudí

Antonio Gaudí (June 25, 1852 – June 10, 1926) was a Spanish architect and designer. His influence is seen throughout the buildings of Barcelona with flowing, curvy lines. His biggest work is La Sagrada Familia, a massive cathedral that is still under construction.

Ernesto “Che” Guevara

Ernesto "Che" Guevara (June 14, 1928 – October 9, 1967) commonly known as El Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist. He and Fidel Castro were friends and worked together at times.

Rita Hayworth

Rita Hayworth (October 17, 1918 – May 14, 1987) was an American actress of Spanish heritage. A photograph of her became the unofficial pin-up photo for American servicemen during World War II. She starred opposite actors such as Fred Astaire and was a dancer as well.

Oscar de la Hoya

Oscar de la Hoya (b. February 4, 1973) is a Mexican-American boxer. Known as “The Golden Boy” he was one of the most popular boxers in the history of boxing and won a gold medal in the 1992 Olympics.

Raúl Julia

Raúl Rafael Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. He began his career on the stage, but became more well known for movie roles. One of his most famous roles was Gomez Addams in The Addams Family.

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo de Rivera (July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954; born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón) was a Mexican painter. She was best known for her self-portraits and unibrow. She had a tumultuous relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera.

Rigoberta Menchú

Rigoberta Menchú (b. January 9, 1959) is a Guatemalan social activist. She was born into a poor Mayan family, speaking only Quiche until her twenties when she learned Spanish. She fought for the rights of Indians, farm workers, women, and other marginalized groups and won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work.

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal (b. June 3, 1986) is a Spanish tennis player. For the last ten years he has been ranked in the top 5 in the world and has won an Olympic gold medal.

Eva Perón

Eva Perón (May 7, 1919 – July 26, 1952) was the wife and political partner of President Juan Perón of Argentina. An important political figure in her own right, she was known for her campaign for female suffrage (the right to vote), her support of organized labor groups, and her organization of a vast social welfare program that benefited and gained the support of the lower classes.

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (October 25, 1881 – April 8, 1973) was a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived most of his adult life in France. He is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement, and for the wide variety of styles that he helped develop and worked in.

Juan Ponce de León

Juan Ponce de León (1460-1521) was an explorer in the Caribbean and North America, who traveled with Christopher Columbus. He searched for the fountain of youth, and explored Florida in that search. He fought brutally against the natives he encountered.

Tito Puente

Tito Puente (April 20, 1923 – May 31, 2000) was the “King of Latin Jazz.” He was born in New York City to Puerto Rican immigrants. He studied at Julliard and became a band leader and drummer who fused Latin music and jazz. He won several Grammys.

Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta (b. July 22, 1932) is one of the world's leading fashion designers. De la Renta was born Oscar Aristides Renta Fiallo in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to a Dominican mother and a Puerto Rican father. At the age of 18 he left the Dominican Republic to study in Spain, where he studied painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid.

Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera (December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957) was a Mexican painter and muralist. He came from a well-to-do family, but showed the poorer side of Mexico in his art. He was married (twice) to Frida Kahlo.

Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez

Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez (b. October 23, 1935) is a Puerto Rican golfer. He came from a very poor family and has done a lot of charity work for underprivileged kids. He was the first Puerto Rican inducted into the Gold Hall of Fame. He is known for the funny dances he does on the golf course.

Antonio López de Santa Anna

Antonio López de Santa Anna (February 231, 1794 – June 21, 1876) was a military leader and 11-time president of Mexico. He was a significant part of the turmoil as Mexico fought against Spain and the United States. He led the Mexican forces that attacked The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas.

Cristina Saralegui

Cristina Saralegui (b. January 29, 1948) is a Cuban-American journalist and TV personality. Known as the “Spanish Oprah,” she hosted The Cristina Show for twenty years. Time Magazine named her one of the “25 Most Influential Hispanics in America” in 2005.

Richie Valens

Ritchie Valens (born Ricardo Esteban Valenzuela Reyes; May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959) was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Popular hits by him were Donna and La Bamba. The song American Pie is about the plane crash that killed him.