Guanabee Glossary: Nuyorican

If you’ve ever asked a Mexican whether it’s cold enough for a chaqueta or asked a Cuban to pass a bollo at dinner, you’ll know that Latino slang terms can vary from country to country, region to region, generation to generation, a reality that often results in embarrassing situations. Guanabee Glossary is our attempt to teach you Latino slang and save you from looking like a weird-ass fool in mixed company. Enjoy it, cabrones.

nuyorican

[new-yor-eekan] adj.

This term is used to describe Puerto Ricans living in New York. It’s also the name of an iconic slam poetry cafe located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Rosie Perez and Jennifer Lopez are two particularly famous Nuyoricans. Also, a woman named Sonia Sotomayor, who you may have heard of.

How come you never attend the Puerto Rican day parade, Alex? Where is your patriotism?

I never attend because I’m not Nuyorican, despite constantly being mistaken for Jennifer Lopez.