jacales small farm houses.
jaripeos shows similar to rodeos, with demonstrations of horsemanship.
Joan Crawford an American movie actress, most popular in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.
kitchenettes i.e., "efficiency" apartments; small apartments consisting basically, apart from a bathroom, of a single room with a kitchenette.
La Basílica de Nuestra Señora The Basilica of Our Lady.
la consentida the favorite (in the sense of favorite child, somewhat spoiled).
"La Cucuracha Apachurrada" "The Squashed Cockroach."
La madre tierra que nos mantiene y cuida Mother earth who watches over us and supports us.
la ofrenda box offering box.
La Virgen de Guadalupe The Virgin of Guadalupe, i.e. St. Mary, mother of Jesus, as she appeared miraculously to Juan Diego in 1531 on the hill of Tepeyac near this church.
lárgate get out.
Lisandra A feminine variation of Alessandro (Alexander); Esperanza's choice here is arguably "stronger" than the name her parents gave her, derived from a Greek name meaning literally "defender of men"; it is also suggestive of Alexander the Great (356–323 b.c.), a famous Macedonian king and military conquerer. Also, like Magdalena (which can be shortened to "Nenny"), but unlike Esperanza, Lisandra can be shortened to a nickname — Sandy or Sandra.
los amores de la calle literally, "loves of the street"; streetwalkers, hookers.
los espíritus (Spanish) the spirits.
