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asere [a-SERR-ey] a warm term for “friend,” much like “brother” would be used in America.

bagrawn Spanglish for “background,” it means an instrumental track that one raps over. Anything that can be rapped over is considered a bagrawn.

brete [BRE-teh] a heavy disagreement.

casa particular a private residence offering accommodations to foreigners. The Cuban who operates a casa particular must keep a detailed record of all lodgers, as there are strict government quotas for the number of people allowed in one home. Exceeding the quota can result in heavy fines or even confiscation of the house.

CDR an acronym for the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution, one of Cuba’s most ubiquitous government organizations. Conceived with the team task of monitoring suspicious behavior against the Revolution, the CDR is a network of committees organized through neighborhood representatives. Each CDR official is assigned a few local blocks, referred to as barrios (neighborhoods), and keeps a record of personal information on each resident, including friendships with foreigners, potential meetings in homes, family dynamics, personal freelance incomes, and attendance at pro-Castro rallies.

The Cuban government defines the CDR as a committee designed to guard the Revolution. Its critics see it as a neighborhood spy program that crushes personal freedoms. The country’s musical jingle for the CDR proclaims, “En cada barrio, Revolución!” (“In every neighborhood, Revolution!”)

Cubaneo the daily hustle of just getting by.

chisme [shees-may] gossip.

el cameo (the camel) a nickname for the local bus, referring to the raised hump in the middle of the vehicle.

el Internet Cubano (the Cuban Internet) the term is often used to describe the way in which gossip travels by word of mouth on the streets. It’s also referred to jokingly as the only form of Internet on the island—a discreet commentary on the strict regulations which forbid locals from surfing the Internet without state approval.

fula bullshit, fake, false.

gusano (worm) Fidel Castro’s label for Cuban-Americans who have left the island. They are considered traitors to the Revolution. Associating with Cuban exiles in Miami might earn a Cuban the judgment of “being in bed with the gusanos.”


imperialistas the Cuban government’s term for Americans; derived from “imperialism,” the policy of extending a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over other nations.

internacionales thinking with a large mind. “Out of the box” and beyond Cuba. Derived from a rap song by Junior Clan called “Internacionales.”

jinitero / jinitera [hini-tera] although crudely compared to prostitutes, jiniteras more closely resemble the Japanese geisha. A jinitera may be motivated by economic necessity, but a jinitera’s background often includes a high level of education and sometimes even a white-collar profession. A jinitera’s relationship with her financial patron can encompass a range of possibilities, from cultural companionship to sexual partnership and even marriage.

la película (the movie) nickname for the local bus. Also called la novella (the soap opera), referring to the daily drama that occurs on the bus.

pulmonero hustler, male prostitute.

miki miki a jocular term used by rappers for anything or anyone considered wimpy. Derived from the cartoon character Mickey Mouse.

mona literally translated as “ponytail,” this word is used in reference to fringe cultures, and in recent years, specifically the Cuban hip-hop movement.

moñero a rapper or someone who is into rap music and culture.

parque jurásico a term referring to an abstract, faraway place where friends disappear when caught up working hard or getting by on the daily hustle. Derived from the film Jurassic Park.

pinchar to work.

palestino someone who comes from the Cuban countryside.

que bolada a term for “What a joke.”

la yuma a nickname for Americans. The origin is not certain but it has been suggested that it comes from a 1957 American western entitled 3:10 to Yuma.

yanqui (yankee) a common Cuban word for an American.