You’re a Latina History Buff If You Do These 8 Things

Woman reading a book in a library

There’s something very fascinating about looking at the history of the world and, more specifically, the history of our people and culture. Latinos have a rich history no matter where they come from and some people are more interested and connected to it than others. Latina history buffs are more connected than anyone because their interest in the past, cultural heritage, and historical events simply knows no bounds. Are you a Latina history nut? Here are 8 signs that say yes, you definitely are:


You know the ins and outs of your family history

woman looking at a family photo album

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Most Latina history buffs start with their own family. Throughout the years, you’ve found a lot of joy in uncovering the stories of your ancestors. You’ve had long talks with your elders, mostly your grandparents and your great-grandparents if you’re lucky enough to have known them, and you’ve looked at every family album. You know where your family comes from and their heritage is one of the things you cherish most in the world.

Latin American history is your jam

Latin woman reading book outdoors

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Latin American history is anything but dull to you and you’ve dived deep into it. You love exploring different times in history and you look into historical figures that fascinate you, especially overlooked or misunderstood Latinas. You know everything about your country’s history but you’ve also learned about independence movements across Latin America, revolutions, and other pivotal events. You also keep up with modern-day developments, especially the ones that have made history. Like Mexico electing their first female President!

You appreciate historical artifacts and art

Woman looking at a work of art in a museum

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You seek historical artifacts, art, and cultural relics every chance you get. There’s something very magical to you about seeing objects that were around at different times and the insights they offer. Latina history buffs often plan cultural vacations and focus their itineraries around the kinds of museums, historical sites, archaeological sites, and historical landmarks they can visit. That’s much more interesting to them than, say, the most popular restaurants.

Historical fiction and nonfiction are your go-to genres

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Latina history buffs are usually avid readers because that’s how they get a lot of their information. They also enjoy good documentaries that explore Latin American history, culture, and heritage. That’s why their go-to genres are historical fiction and nonfiction. Whether it's factual accounts, biographies, memoirs, or fictional narratives set in historical contexts, you eat those books, documentaries, and movies up! They’re your favorite and, when it comes to historical fiction, you make a game out of spotting any inaccuracies.

History is one of your favorite subjects to discuss

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You enjoy engaging in discussions, debates, and dialogues about historical topics, events, and controversies related to Latin America. Whether the topics come up in casual conversation or you’re active in online forums or academic circles, exchanging perspectives, sharing knowledge, and exploring diverse viewpoints is something you enjoy. History is not a thing of the past to you, you can see how it influences today’s world, so it’s always a relevant topic.

You support historical preservation efforts

Women dancing in traditional clothing in Oaxaca Mexico

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Latina history buffs and history buffs in general are quite passionate about the preservation of historical sites, landmarks, and cultural heritage. That’s why they usually advocate for conservation efforts, support conservation and restoration projects, and promote cultural tourism. You understand how important it is to protect history's physical remnants and try to imprint that respect on others.

You love going to historical destinations

Woman touring Zacatl\u00e1n Mexico

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While beaches, good food, and shopping opportunities are a big part of traveling, you focus a lot more on historical destinations. Whether it's exploring ancient ruins, colonial towns, revolutionary sites, or cultural museums, your trips are always an opportunity to explore something new and connect to the past you’ve come to know so well through your interest in history.

You share your historical knowledge

Two women chatting while reading books

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If you’re a Latina history buff, you’re probably that one friend who always drops relevant historical facts in casual conversation. You know many interesting and cool facts about history, heritage, and culture, and there’s always a way for you to share that knowledge with others. You’re probably the go-to person for history lessons in the family and you often inspire people to appreciate the significance of the past.

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).