Dominican+Republic+Group



**__Surface Culture/Cultural Traits__**

Landale, N. (2006). The Cultural strengths of Latino families. //New Journalism on Latino Children//, Retrieved March 15, 2010 from [] It is too often that Latinos’ problems and negative aspects are highlighted. Latino culture is rich and full of positive strengths that are unfortunately lost amongst the negative coverage in the media. I picked this article because unlike what is seen and heard in general about Latino’s, this article highlights the positive aspects of Latino culture. One of the strengths of the Latino culture is the strong family ties that exist. As stated by a student in this article “they have sacrificed so much to give us the opportunity to go to school to grow” (Landale, 2006). This statement reflects the experiences of many Latino families including Dominican families who often sacrifice their lives in D. R to migrate to the U. S just to provide their children with better opportunities for advancement. Another cultural strength that is highlighted is the respect for adults Latinos always maintain. This helps Latinos relate to the elderly and also ties in with strong family values. Interesting enough another highlighted strength is that newborns of Latino immigrants are healthy and they display high levels of social development in their early years, often achieving high grades in school despite growing up in poor neighborhoods. I found this interested because it's not what is normally heard about Latino students. On the contrary usually Latino students are represented by poor graduation rates and high dropout. It's important to note however that this percentage decreases as the generations go on and are born in the U.S. **(BL)**

Kugel, Seth. (2007, October 28). Uptown in the carribean. //New York Times//, Retrieved from March 30,2010 from [] Although Dominican's number over 600,000 in all five boroughs they dominate the Inwood/Washington Heights section of Manhatten. The area is filled with vibrant Dominican culture characteristics. Some of the key findings include bachata and reggeaton music blasting in the streets, restaurants such as "It's a Dominican Thing" and "El Malecon" and domino games along the steets. Kugel also notes that it seems that everything gets louder and filled with laughter in this neighborhood dominated by Dominicans. The streets are also lined with typical dishes that don't even require you to step foot into a restuarant. Stands offer things from hablichuelas con dulce to empanadas. The neighborhood is a perfect example of what Dominican culture is now in New York; a mixture of Dominican and American culture. **(BL)**

**__ Social Economic Status __**

Fradd, S.H, & Boswell, T.D. (1999). Income patterns of bilingual and English-only Hispanics in selected metropolitan areas. //Creating Florida's multilingual global work force//, Retrieved March 31, 2010 from [] Globally bilingualism is considered an asset in all aspects including from an economic standpoint. Ironically however, in the U.S, a country that is made up of people from all parts of the world bilingualism isn't considered an asset. In fact in some states such as California bilingual education has been opposed all-together. In 1990 an income analysis was done in order to determine if there are any economic incentives for bilingualism. Out of the five states that were analyzed there were not positive economic trends except for in the state of Florida. However, in further analysis of metropolitan areas it was found that economic advantages fro using both English and Spanish were present in Miami, Jersey city, and San Antonio. In these cites people who spoke both made more than those who only spoke English. It is interesting that these were the cities with the highest economic advantage for those who are bilingual considering that these were also the areas with the highest population of Hispanics overall. In terms of age, it was found that in six of the ten areas people between the ages of 40-65 who spoke both languages had an equal if not better economic standing when compared to those who only speak English. I chose this article because it gives an insight not only to the advantage of being bilingual for Latinos in general but also for specific ethnicity. Dominicans have the highest population in New York, Jersey City and Miami. These areas are also the highest in terms of economic advantage for those who are bilingual. Considering this advantage it is important that Latino immigrants including Dominicans not only become proficient in English but also maintain their native language; Spanish. Doing so will only provide broader opportunities for employment. __(BL)__

Zahka, J.(2006). Dominican Immigrants Face Challenges in New York City Public Schools//.// New York: Worldpress, Online Resources. Retrieved March 31, 2010 from [] In reviewing the challenges faced by newly arrived Dominican students, factors such as culture and SES can be better understood. In order to understand the culture of Dominican students it is helpful to compare their experiences in the Dominican Republic versus those in the United States. The comparison helps highlight the differences and makes it more vivid. It's interesting that due to the divorces in culture and how students are treated in the U.S compared to D.R there is a change in personality that occurs when the transition is made. Whereas students and youth in general in D. R aren't given opportunities to voice their opinions once they come to the U.S that all changes. Suddenly, their voices are heard and they realize their opinions matter. This demonstrates a clear difference in culture which is that unlike in the U.S, in D.R youth are supposed to be seen but not heard. In terms of SES "Dominicans have long viewed the U.S as a land of limitless wealth, in which a stay for only a few years can make one fabulously rich" (Zahka, 2006). This statement provides an insight as to the mentality of Dominican's in regard to the economic differences between the U.S and D.R. (BL)

Children International. (2009, April 6). Life in the Dump [Video file]. Retrieved from [] One of the difficulties faced in the Dominican Republic is poverty. Children International offers an inside view into what is a devastating reality for many Dominicans living in poverty. In La Mosca, Dominican Republic people risk their lives everyday to sort through remains at a dump in hopes of finding anything they can sell for a little money. Some of the risks involved include exposure to hypodermic needles, loose glass, and even parasites. Despite the imminent dangers at hand these people are left with no other choice than to continue working at the dump in order to help support their families. These extreme circumstances are an example of one the the top reasons Dominican choose to migrate to the United States. They come in hope of better opportunities for work and ultimately prosperity. **(BL)** 

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 * __ History __**

Haggerty, R. (1989). Dominican Republic: A Country Study. Washington, DC: Library of congress. Online Resources, Retrieved March 20, 2010 from [] Haggerty depicts the effects brought upon the people by the settlers. He discusses the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the land of Hispaniola (which consisted of Santo Domingo and Haiti) in 1492. He talks about the interest in the land coming from the awareness that the Taino Indians (Arawaks) people on the land had possession of the valuable metal, gold. Columbus and his crew witnessed the use of the product through ornaments made from gold worn by the Taino. Haggerty speaks of approximately a million Tainos present when Columbus and his crew arrived. He also talks about the abuse of the people imposed by Columbus and his crew. He explains how the people were exploited began to die out from "exhaustion, starvation, disease and other causes". He also gives data that explains that by 1548, approximately 500 Taino Indians (Arawaks) were still alive and that the importation of African labor began in 1503 making African labor almost exclusive in the land by 1520. **(EJ)**

Unknown. Info please: all the knowledge you need. (2010). Retrieved April 24, 2010 from []

The conquest of the island by Columbus and later by his son found the island with the name of Espanola. Santo Domingo, the capital was founded in 1496 and it is the oldest European settlement in the Western Hemisphere. The island passed from the rule of Spain to France in 1795, to Haitians in 1801. A people's revolt in 1808 resulted in the establish of the first republic.Spanish regained the republic in 1814 until 1821 but in 1822, the republic was regained by Haitians. The republic was recovered in 1844 by leader Pedro Santana, However, the republic became a province of Spain from 1861 to 1865. U.S. annexation was attempted by President Baez due to the economic crisis. The U.S. did not agree to the annexation. The republic fell under the dictatorship of Ulises Heureaux until 1916. U.S. Marines were sent in to the island until 1924 after chaos broke out. A Dominican soldier trained by the Marines established a dictatorship that last until 1961 when he was killed. His dictatorship lasted 31 years. **(EJ)**

Schoenrich, O. (2008). Dominican Republic History, Part 1. An Unannounced 72 Creation. Retrieved April 25, 2010. [|http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=nPK4aRwUQE8&feature=related]

In this media transmission, the quote of half a million to a million native Americans present on the island Hispaniola was given. The names given to Hispaniola by the natives were Bohio, Kiskeya, Ayiti. Five original tribes present were the Marien, Maguana, Higuey, Xaragua, and Magua. Spirit worship were dedicated to deities which were carved out of wood and stone. The arrival of Christopher Columbus was dated to be Decenber 06, 1492.Columbus named the island St. Nicolas because he was said to say that the island reminded him of Andalucia. Natives received Columbus and his crew with open arms. Gifts made of gold were offered to him and in return, invaluable items were given to the natives. Columbus started out to Spain on January 16. 1493. Columbus' second trip to the island started out on September 25, 1493. This time he brought 16 ships and about 1,300 men. Columbus' return found the corpse of two dead Spaniards and the destruction of fort La Navidad, which Columbus constructed prior to leaving. The natives reported that other colonists died of diseases and then others died in brawls with each other. These accounts were suspicious to Columbus and his crew. Columbus and his crew decided to set colony 50 miles away in the town called Monti Cristi. However, this location found the crew with fever and illness. He moved his crew on to Santo Tomas. On April 24, 1494, Columbus set put again to explore leaving his brother Diego in charge. Fighting began soon after between the natives and Diego's crew. **(EJ)**

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**__ Religion & Beliefs __**  Haggerty, R. (1989). Dominican Republic: A Country Study. Washington, DC: Library of congress. Online Resources, Retrieved March 30, 2010 from []

The Voodoo religion was brought into the island by African labor in the 1500s. This form of religion which is mainly practiced in Haiti continues to be popular and well respected in the Dominican Republic. The religion involves the worship of spirits adn gods through dance, songs and festivities. Spiritual rituals are also part of teh religion in addition to home remedies made of herbs. In this article, over 90 percent of Dominicans are believed to be Roman Catholics. The Roman Catholic church was said to have over 250 parishes in the Dominican Republic by the 1980s. It is the main religion of the island established by the agreement with the Vatican. The Roman Catholic church was saved from the attacks of the Trujillo rein by the assasination of Trujillo. Since the church was speaking in favor of human rights, the dictator believed the church to be a problem and was going to order the emprisonment of the church's bishops. Protestants came to the island in the 1820 and grew in numbers when the West Indians joined them. They came from North American and later joined North American Evangelic groups such as Seventh Day Adventist, The Dominican Evangelic Church and The Assemblies of God. **(EJ)**

Unknown. Welcome-dominican-republic.com (2010). Retrieved April 24, 2010 from [] The language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish with traceable roots back to Spain. The Dominicans rejoice in music and are known for the Merengue and recently for the Bachata. The Spaniard roots also bring to the island dances such as La Mangulina which is danced on the Patron Saint Day. The majority of Dominicans are Roman Catholics. A small but growing number of Dominicans are Protestants which came to the island from North American in the 1820s. Their are also about a million people of Haitian descent which bring with them their religion Voodoo. **(EJ)**

Jimenez, R., & Dzierzynski, P. (2001). //Dominicans in Sunnyside and Woodside//. New York: New York University, Retrieved on March 15, 2010 from @http://www.nyu.edu/classes/blake.map2001/dominican1.html During the early 1990s Dominicans were the vast majority of immigrants entering New York City. They established themselves mainly in upper Manhattan, better known as Washington Heights. However, that is not to say that in the other boroughs Dominican people’s presence was not well known. As the article describes, Dominicans also formed their own community in other parts of New York City including but not limited to parts of Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn. This particular link interested me because as I was reading it I felt as if the authors were describing my family. Both authors explained how close and united Dominicans are with one another. For instance, my uncles have been in New York City for over 15 years yet they are not able to hold a regular conversation with a person in English. They both know some words and are able to ask and answer simple questions in English; however, they cannot express or defend themselves in English if needed. I think that this article would help me as a counselor because it helps me understand more the parents of Dominican students. The book chapter provides information pertaining to the way Dominicans parents see their life in NYC and their true needs. **(Yury DLC)**
 * __ Language __**

Nguyen, P., & Sanchez, J. (2001). //Ethnic Communities in New York City: Dominicans in Washington Heights//. New York: New York University, Retrieved on March 17, 2010 from @http://www.nyu.edu/classes/blake.map2001/dominican2.html Like any other immigrant group that comes to New York City, Dominicans tend to gather within the same area as their counterparts. Dominicans have been able to create their own distinctive community in Washington Heights. When a person of Dominican descent who lives in another borough visits this part of New York City he/she feels like he has arrived home because of the warming welcoming and the fact that the nominated language is the Spanish dialect Dominicans speak. Dominicans are a community who put much emphasis in education as they believe that it is their “token to success”. On the other hand, Dominican parents put a lot stress on their children when it comes to maintaining their language, culture, beliefs and norms. For instance, parents feel very proud and extremely happy when their sons and daughters learn English and are able to do well in school and obtain a good job because he/she is bilingual; however, they do not approve of the children speaking English at home. Often times children are told that English is a necessity and that you speak it when needed. While reading this article I was able to relate to the people the authors were describing. It surprised me that many studies have been done about Dominicans. I became much interested in this article because it goes into detail the reasons as to why Dominicans act how they act, and why Dominicans try to conserve their culture intact. This article has help me realized that my family was not the only one who emphasized the need t maintain my Spanish language, further my education and not forget about my origins. As a future school counselor it gave me enough vision and information about a very large population in New York City and how to work with them. This article would help me as a counselor because it gave me insight as to how maintain Dominican parents informed about their children’s schooling. It also gave me perspective that if needed Dominican parents are consistently involve in their children’s education and they want to be informed as much as possible. **(Yury DLC)** Education __** Pita, M. D., & Utakis, S. (2006). //Educational Policy for the Transnational Dominican Community.// Chapter 29 pp 333-340. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Retrieved on March 16, 2010 from @http://books.google.com/books?id=DLc_bgqQ5E4C&lpg=PA333&ots=gsGjaek0_2&dq=dominicans%20and%20language%20in%20nyc&lr=&pg=PA334 It is very clear that there is a pressing need for changes in educational policies regarding immigrant communities. This article addresses the need for such changes by advocating that Dominicans like any other immigrant group usually “maintain close ties to their native country through global networks that facilitate language and cultural maintenance”. The vast majority of Dominicans come to the United States, specifically, NYC in search of a better future for their family. With this in mind they want their children to have a better education than what they could it have given them back in Dominican Republic; however, they still want to maintain their language and culture. Part of Dominicans being able to continue to relate to their love ones in their country and in NYC is their native language, Spanish. In addition, Dominicans live in NYC with their dream of returning to their country one day to live comfortably. I liked this article because it reminded me of, A Dominican Story: My American Girls, a movie I watched in another class, which shows how a Dominican married couple struggles in NYC to support their three daughters while also maintaining their dream of one day returning to their country. While the three girls became more Americanized which often times happens with children born in NYC, both parents strive to maintain their culture and have their children develop the same sense of dual identity that characterizes Dominicans in NYC. This article would help me as a counselor to want to advocate more for my students and their rights. Each and every student in NYC deserves the best education they can get and in order for them to obtain it, they need that the laws and regulations in education are fair and to them. **(Yury DLC)**
 * __

Freedman, S. G. (2005). Dominicans Take Their Place as an American Success Story. //The New York Times//. Retrieved on March 22, 2010 from [] While growing up I traveled back and forth to Dominican Republic and was accustomed to hear other family members and friends who could not travel tell me how much better their lives would be if they were given the opportunity to come to New York. Since I was very young I always used to think, “oh god these people are so annoying, if they only knew that it New York is nothing out of this world”. However, now that I am older I understand what they meant. Dominicans are known for their struggles and great desire to work and succeed in life. In addition, Dominicans are people who appreciate very much when someone shows interest on helping them to achieve their goals. Just like the article talks about the experience of about 18 Hostos Community College alumni who came to New York and how they found these two great English professors who not only taught them to speak English but also core values of the western society and how to overcome the numerous obstacles they will face for the rest of their lives in NYC. Many Dominican parents feel an immense pride when their children complete high school and are accepted by a college or important university. The vast majority of these parents barely know how to write their name that when their children obtain different degrees they feel they have done their part. The author explains how the percentage of Dominicans who attend college has drastically increased over the past two decades. I believe that this is because education in Dominican Republic is so hard to achieve for so many reasons including but not limited to the cost, children needing to work to help their parents, and lack of resources available in their neighborhood. For many Dominicans their “muse” to better themselves and become successful in life is the stereotypes that “Dominicans only come to NYC to deal drugs”. Many Dominicans feel that they have to prove themselves all the time in order not to be consider “one more in the pile”. It was not until about a year after I graduated college that I learned that in fact Dominicans have began to be recognized for their contribution by different organizations. As I read the article through the article the name of Ramona Hernandez made me think of this. Ramona Hernandez, the director of the Dominican Studies Institute at CUNY, prepare a ceremony and dinner with Oscar De La Renta, a very important affluent designer from Dominican Republic, to recognize all Dominicans student who had graduated from any CUNY college. It was an honor for me to be invited and it gave me so much pride in having achieved a college education and at the same time it encourage me to further my education. **(Yury DLC)**

Zahka, J.(2006). Dominican Immigrants Face Challenges in New York City Public Schools//.// New York: Worldpress, Online Resources. Retrieved March 31, 2010 from []. Dominican immigrants face numerous challenges in the New York City public schools. A common struggle that immigrants who come from t heir native Dominican Republic is that these children have been taught from very young that it is not okay nor appropriate to express their opinions in front of adults. In Dominican Republic, usually children are punished for expressing their opinions in front of adults. Once they arrive to America, they are encouraged to voice their opinions and this represents a culture shock for them. In addition, these Dominican immigrants face stress and language barriers. Because of their language limitations, they are placed in bilingual classes in which they are “often treated as a burden on the school, rather than as equals with their English-speaking counterparts.” Because most of these immigrants attend schools which are located in low income neighborhoods, they often receive their education from poorly qualified teachers. Moreover, Dominican immigrants struggle in the NYC public schools because most of them arrive lacking the educational foundation in their native language, which makes their acquisition of the English language more difficult. **(Yury DLC)** 

Link to article about first immigrants, Dominican that came through Ellis Island [] Link to Dominican Exposition:[]