I have chosen Dominican Republic as my beat for this semester. With a plethora of friends and associates who call that country home, I feel their story is often not talked about or discussed despite their large population. I want to change that an approach it from different angles. Firstly, from the point-of-view of an first generation immigrant here in America. And secondly, from the perspective of not only Domincians, but Hatians, who provide an alternative storyline. I want to allow my storytelling to show the parallels between the children of first generation immigrants and the immigrants themselves, while focusing on the differences in culture and tranditions.
Spanish is sole language of the country, despite the large Haitian population (Haiti’s language is French, while the surviving language, Creole, which is still being used). Majority of the population is Roman Catholic and Evangelical Protestants under Christianity. Although many have immigrated, there has not been enough to put a dent in the religious landscape.
Dominican Republic is a great example of a country greatly inhibited by a variety of people. A greater part of Dominican Republic is owned by Haiti, meaning that part of the island is owned by another country other than DR. This sharing of land, greatly contributes to the turmoil between the two cultures. Although the country was inhabited by European settlers, the Dominican people declared their independence in 1821. During the 20th century, was sprinkled by a variety of dictatorships under Horacio Vasquez Lajara, Rafael Leonidas. Trujillo Molina, Joaquin Balaguer. Now under a representative democracy, the country is governed under Danilo Medina.
Most-read and viewed outlets in Dominican Republic are these:
- Listin DIario
- Diario Libre
- Remolacha.net
- El Caribe
- Holy Digital
- El Nacional
- El DIa
- Acento
- livio.com
One of the most prevalent current events being a talked about in the Dominican Republic is the racial turmoil between DR and Haiti, and the border war that has begun to brew on the island. Due to new laws that striped many Hatian and Dominicans of their citizenship and the rewriting the Dominican Republic Constitution in 2010. Those of whom were undocumented immigrants had to register with the government. Although many have waited for the mass deportation, that we have watched happened here, it never truly came to pass. However, the fear of the possibility of losing their home forced many to leave on their own while, according to CNN, less than a third of the estimated 210,000 left state successfully reclaimed their citizenship.
The controversy of the laws have contributed to the already mounting racial tensions on the island between Haitians and Dominicans. According to the 2012 World Population Prospects, less than 32 percent is under the age of 15, while over 60 percent is between the age of 15 to 65, with less than 10 percent over the age of 65.
There a few popular neighborhoods in the Dominican Republic. Luperon, which is the north coast of the is a natural harbor. Santo Domingo occupies the south coast of the island, and is the largest city in the Caribbean. The island holds most of the government offices with a dependable Taxi system in place. Sousa, is one of the smaller cities on the north coast with a shady legacy. High numbers in prostitution, and a risque nightlife makes this more of a partying location. Casa de Campo is one of the most expensive cities on the island. This city can be found of the southeast coast, it’s one of the most frequented resort in the Caribbean.
The popular neighborhoods here in America span from every borough, with heavy representation in Queens and the Bronx. Corona, Queens holds a large Dominican population, while Washington Heights (Spanish Harlem), and a large part of the South Bronx are seen as predominantly Spanish. Like much of New York, these areas are beginning to become gentrified, causing them to lose their essence and their heritage.
Contacts:
Vanessa Santana
Edwin Morel