Posted: Thu 17 May 2007 16:53 Post subject: Dominican-America
A Dominican American or Dominican-York [1] is an immigrant or descendant of immigrants from the Dominican Republic to the United States. Historic immigration records of Dominicans in the United States date from the late 1800s, and New York City had a Dominican community since the 1930s. From the 1960s onward, through the fall of the Trujillo military regime, large waves of migration have thoroughly transnationalized the Dominican Republic, metaphorically blurring its frontier with the United States. There are approximately 1,200,000 Dominican Americans, both native and foreign born.
History
Since the early 1960s, economic problems and political turmoil in the Dominican Republic have led to a vast migration of Dominicans to the U.S., mainly to east coast cities, particularly New York City, New York ; (Washington Heights, Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx and Brooklyn). Westchester County, New York; Paterson, New Jersey, Passaic, New Jersey; Perth Amboy, New Jersey; Lawrence, Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, Providence, R.I., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Baltimore, Maryland, and smaller waves of Dominicans into Houston, Texas, New Orleans, Louisiana and Miami, Florida. Dominican Americans have settled in these areas largely because of the already existing and growing Latino community found in these places, having come on the heels of a similar migration of Puerto Ricans. Although Dominicans have been in the United States since the 1960s, almost half of all the Dominican Americans today have arrived since the 1990s. New York City's Washington Heights neighborhood on the northwestern tip of Manhattan, is so densely populated by Dominican Americans that it is sometimes referred to as Quisqueya Heights. ("Quisqueya" is a popular name for Hispaniola that many believe derives from the island's original Taino name.) Dominican Americans are now one of the largest Hispanic groups in the United States; less numerous than the Mexican American majority and Puerto Ricans, and about even with Cuban Americans. Currently the largest concentrations of Dominican Americans are in New York (455,061), Florida (170,968) New Jersey (102,630) out of a total Dominican American population of 764,945.[2]
Many Dominicans have also settled in Puerto Rico (56,146) by makeshift boats called "yolas". Although thousands of Dominicans illegally migrate this way every year, many are apprehended by the United States Coast Guard while others perish during the harsh, dangerous journey across the Mona Channel.
The ten US communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Dominican ancestry are[3]
1. Haverstraw, New York 26.95%
2. Lawrence, Massachusetts 22.47%
3. Perth Amboy, New Jersey 18.81%
4. Passaic, New Jersey 13.06%
5. Sleepy Hollow, New York 12.67%
6. Union City, New Jersey 11.46%
7. Haverstraw, New York 11.13%
8. Paterson, New Jersey 10.27%
9. Bronx, New York 9.99%
10. Manhattan, New York 8.87%
Racial Identity
Dominican Americans--like many other Hispanics--often shun the rigid racial model prevalent in U.S. society and instead view themselves as racially mixed, neither white nor black, nor other single race. Since 1980, the Census Bureau has asked U.S. residents to classify their race separately from their Hispanic origin, if any. In 1990, 30.2% of Dominican Americans responded that they were white, while 30% considered themselves black. A plurality chose the "other" category--39.8% of the total.[11] The prevalence of the "other race" category probably reflects the large number of people with mixed African, European and Amerindian ancestry, usually grouped under the folk term indio in the Dominican Republic (73% of the Dominicans are mixed European, African, and Taino Amerinidan descent). In the United States, they often define their racial identity in ethnic terms--that is, based on their national origin--or in pan-ethnic terms, such as Hispanics or Latinos (the self-titles used by a small percentage of Dominican Americans whom lived or their parents lived in the US before 1960, as the majority of Dominicans with a solely national self-title "(Nuyo) Dominican Yorks" and "Puerto-Dominicans" arrived later). Thus, Dominican Americans contest the country's traditionally narrow view on race by expanding the number of possible racial categories or pressing for the public recognition of racially mixed persons ( Dominican Americans are both mulatto and mestizo). At any rate, the current system of racial classification in the United States does not capture well the multiracial Hispanic experience in general, as recent research suggests.[12]
Dominican Americans are a mix of mostly European Spanish and African, and it shows in their art and music. However they are also a mix of Native American or Taino, which is clearly visible in the interior northern Cibao and southwestern Bahoruco regions were the inhabitants have more of the Taino/Arawak features is more prevalent, than in the southeastern or coastal areas where the Black/African features are more predominant.[citation needed] On the other hand, the Spanish settlers brought diseases and exploited the Native Americans as slaves so their population significantly decreased and eventually became diluted in the sense that no "pure" Taino, can be found. This does not mean that the Dominican people are not Taino. Taino at the base of a large pyramid, with European/Spaniards, and Africans forming the other levels. To replace the Native Americans, and ironically save the Taino the Spaniards brought in massive amounts of Africans as slaves, many who right away fled to the mountains and mixed with the surviving Taino's in the hinterland who were called "indio salvaje" (wild Indian) as opposed to "indio manso" (domesticated Indian) in the plantations called repartimientos by the Spaniards. One other much ignored fact is that during the colonial period, especially after the discovery of Mexico and Peru, with their offers of easy gold, the Spanish in "Hispaniola" left to these newer colonies, leaving behind the Spaniards who had intermarried with the native Taino. Also due to the low level of contacts between the island and Spain, which only visited sporadically. The peoples on the island, Spanish settlers, mestizos and black's meshed and intermarried bringing about a genuine, unique and distinct ethnic phenotype that can be truly called a Dominican nation, in ethnicity, ideology or national outlook.
Music is the heart of the Dominican culture. Dominican music includes merengue and bachata, a modification of bolero. Bachata, as well as hip hop, and reggaeton, has become popular among many Dominican American youth.
Almost 90% of all Dominican Americans are Roman Catholics. Dominican Catholics are involved in the cult of the saints, and the cult of the national virgins, Altagracia and Mercedes, which are as strong symbols of Dominican identity as the flag.
Dominican food features white rice, habichuelas (beans), yuca, plantains, mangu, beef, and sancocho. Presidente is the most popular national beer while the national drink is rum made from sugarcane, mainly of the Brugal brand.
In very rare occasions Dominican Americans are referred to by the moniker, "Platano." (For their love of plantains).[citation needed]
Since most Dominican Americans are first generation immigrants, many are in a transition of retaining their culture while at the same time assimilating to the American culture. This mainly applies to the Dominican American youth, who today face the challenge of becoming fully assimilated into the larger white American "melting pot" substrata. Marriages with other north Americans of a non-Dominican background or from Latin America can or could cause the assimilation to go either way. But through the Internet, popular music and facility in travel, Dominican Americans do not have to lose their roots and connections to their history if they wish. Those who view their stay in the United States as a temporary phenomenon tend to be less interested in assimilation into the larger society.
There may be a minor revolution under way in our city's Latin American population, according to new census data reported in the News. For the first time ever, the Dominican Republic is poised to overtake Puerto Rico as the No. 1 provenance of New York Latinos. (Overall, Latinos account for 28 percent of the NYC population and are the dominant ethnicity in the Bronx). The new figures show the number of "Nuyoricans" dropping from 2004 to 2005, while the Dominican stats are on the rise. An auxiliary article describes the first front already ceded by the Puerto Ricans — the city's 13,000 Hispanic bodegas, which are now almost entirely Dominican-owned.
Whither Puerto Ricans? It seems they're following the arc of any other immigrant group that's stayed in the city for a while: disappearing into the middle class and moving out, be it to the Long Island suburbs, upstate, New Jersey, or back to Puerto Rico. At least, though, this revolution appears to be a peaceful one, with no hard feelings between the two Latino groups. For instance, when Puerto Rican candidate Fernando Ferrer ran for mayor, he drew more support from the city's Dominicans than from his compatriots. Of course, he still lost.
Funny that the pecentage of Dominican Americans who identified themselves as White is as high 30.2% because if you go to any neighborhood in New Jersey or New York with a large/majority Dominican population, the number of people who you see on the streets who would be eyeballed as being able to pass for White by American standards is extremely small. These Dominican enclaves in Jersey and the NYC are not like "Little Havana" in Miami where a significant percentage of the population actually can socially pass for White in the U.S because a sizeable percentage have Mediterranean features. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of these Dominican Americans who identified themselves as White are just lightskin people with heavy SSA features like the Rosie Perez types for example.
Funny that the pecentage of Dominican Americans who identified themselves as White is as high 30.2% because if you go to any neighborhood in New Jersey or New York with a large/majority Dominican population, the number of people who you see on the streets who would be eyeballed as being able to pass for White by American standards is extremely small. These Dominican enclaves in Jersey and the NYC are not like "Little Havana" in Miami where a significant percentage of the population actually can socially pass for White in the U.S because a sizeable percentage have Mediterranean features. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of these Dominican Americans who identified themselves as White are just lightskin people with heavy SSA features like the Rosie Perez types for example.
The percentages roughly follow the commonly cited (73% mixed/16%white/11%black), in other words the majority mixed with a minority black or white. But I agree with you on the surpsrisingly 30% that identified as "white", they may have meant "light".
Here in the USA there are no mass enclaves of Dominicans of Euro or mostly Eurodescendancy (a la post-Fidel Cuban exodus), so I'm not sure where those 30% came from.
Besides that, I do agree with how the Dominicans here in the USA self-identify.
-Latino/Hispanic (in the USA)
-After that they will self-identify as Dominican
Foreign terms like "Afro-Dominican" 'Indio-Dominican" or "White-Dominican" are not commonly used.
-If asked about their actual physcial description, they will use common terms like Negro/Moreno/Trigueno/Indio/Blanco/Jabao, etc.
She's Dominican? Nice dye job she has. BTW, the current president of the DR, Hipolito Mejia looks like a Spaniard. Singer Juan Luis Guerra is quite European looking too. Not sure if either is famous in the U.S., but Guerra is very famous in Latin America.
G-Man didn't you go to high school with alot of Dominicans ? If so would you agree that nowhere near 30% would be able to pass for White ?
I believe the demographics of the Dominican Republic are different from those of the Dominican community here. According to a Dominican friend, Rosa, there are considerably more Dominicans in the Dominican Republic who look European (although they're still a minority) than there are here.
Incidentally, my own personal observations of Puerto Ricans here versus those I see in documentaries, books, pictures, etc. from the island would seem to suggest that there are more Puerto Ricans with European phenotypes in Puerto Rico than there are here. Perhaps Frank could shed more light on this.
She's Dominican? Nice dye job she has. BTW, the current president of the DR, Hipolito Mejia looks like a Spaniard. Singer Juan Luis Guerra is quite European looking too. Not sure if either is famous in the U.S., but Guerra is very famous in Latin America.
Hipolito Mejia is not the current president (hasn't been for at least the last 4 years), it's Leonel Fernandez, but I agree that he (Hipolito)looks like a Spaniard.
I wasn't sure about how the term "white" Dominican was being used here, Latin America has a more elastic definition of that term. If you mean people with a phenotype that displays Euro. or mostly Eurodescendancy (based strictly on the eyeball method), I agree that Juan Luis Guerra looks very European (Spaniard/Meditteranean type to be exact). He is well known among Latin Americans in the USA also (just won a string of awards).
Dominicans are the 4th or 5th largest Hispanic group in the USA, they are not as big as the top three (Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans) and are relatively recent arrivals.
Here are a couple of pics of Dominicans mostly based in the USA that may or may not be well known:
Ex-Miss Universe (2003) Amelia Vega:
[img]\
Emmy award winning reporter for Univision, Merijoel Duran:
[/img]
US film actor Manny Perez:
[img]
Dra. Nancy Alvarez, talk show host of Quine tiene la razon:
[/img]
US film actor Victor Rasuk next to actress Zoe Saldana (both Dominican):
[img]
G-Man didn't you go to high school with alot of Dominicans ? If so would you agree that nowhere near 30% would be able to pass for White ?
I believe the demographics of the Dominican Republic are different from those of the Dominican community here. According to a Dominican friend, Rosa, there are considerably more Dominicans in the Dominican Republic who look European (although they're still a minority) than there are here.
Incidentally, my own personal observations of Puerto Ricans here versus those I see in documentaries, books, pictures, etc. from the island would seem to suggest that there are more Puerto Ricans with European phenotypes in Puerto Rico than there are here. Perhaps Frank could shed more light on this.
The majority of Dominicans I come into contact with (I am Dominican) often state the following general demographics of DR:
-Cibao region (the north) has the highest percentage of light and/or white
-The east (el Este), especially San Pedro de Macoris have the highest percentages of dark and/or black (traditionally this is the region that produces the majority of baseball players)
-The south (El Sur) has the highest percentages of mixed
-Santo Domingo (the capital) & San Cristobal, also a large percentage of dark and/or black.
Of course this does not mean that you will see pure populations in any region, you will see black Cibaenos, white Macorisanos, and everything in between.
As far as Puerto Ricans go, it varies by region (Loaiza very high percentage of Afrodescendancy). But I agree with you, the Puerto Ricans I grew up (NJ/NYC/MA) with seemed more mixed than the ones I came across in San Juan. But then again, I didn't travel the whole Island, so my observations are pretty limited. I hate making blanket statements based on limited exposures to segments of a population.
Yes, I was born there and raised here (USA) mostly in the NJ/NYC/MA areas.
Even though I am an "Americanized" Dominican (Dominican York is the term, used in the same way like PR use the term NewYoricans) I was sent there for a year which made me kind of reconnect with the culture.
What region of the Dominican Republic are you from ?
I was born in San Juan De La Maguana (the south)
I don't run into alot of Surenos here in the East Coast, but the South's claim to fame is that it is the poorest/least developed area.
Do most Dominican immigrants who live in the U.S come from the east/el este region of the DR ?
Most of the Dominican immigrants in the NJ/NYC area that I've personally come across come from (in order of region I most frequently hear):
-various barrios of Santo Domingo (the Capital) & surrounding areas like San Cristobal
-Cibao region (Tenares/San Francisco infamous for their drug lords)
-El Este
-El Sur
The sources I come across that study Dominican immigration lists their socioeconomic backgrounds, education/income level, age, female/male ration etc. I haven't yet come across any that give me numbers on which regions send the most immigrants.
Joined: 30 Mar 2005 {Posts: 1082 } Location: New Jersey
Posted: Mon 14 Apr 2008 00:49 Post subject:
CIMMERIAN wrote:
The majority of Dominicans I come into contact with (I am Dominican) often state the following general demographics of DR:
-Cibao region (the north) has the highest percentage of light and/or white
-The east (el Este), especially San Pedro de Macoris have the highest percentages of dark and/or black (traditionally this is the region that produces the majority of baseball players)
-The south (El Sur) has the highest percentages of mixed
-Santo Domingo (the capital) & San Cristobal, also a large percentage of dark and/or black.
Of course this does not mean that you will see pure populations in any region, you will see black Cibaenos, white Macorisanos, and everything in between.
As far as Puerto Ricans go, it varies by region (Loaiza very high percentage of Afrodescendancy). But I agree with you, the Puerto Ricans I grew up (NJ/NYC/MA) with seemed more mixed than the ones I came across in San Juan. But then again, I didn't travel the whole Island, so my observations are pretty limited. I hate making blanket statements based on limited exposures to segments of a population.
Thanks for your input, Cimmerian. I haven't done any travelling in the Caribbean. I've been all through Europe, parts of North Africa and South Africa, western Asia, and even India, but Latin America and the Caribbean are next on my list. I've only been to Costa Rica, Mexico, and Argentina (Buenos Aires only).
Do you know of other European strains besides Spanish in Dominicans? I know Puerto Rico has had waves of immigration from Corsica, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, France, etc., in addition to large numbers from Spain, naturally. All were eventually absorbed.
'
FAQ
Search
Register
Log in
\
